Facebook Yard Sale Would Crush Craigslist

And provide millions in revenue.

My wife is the proto-typical Facebook user. A young mom of two kids, who is connected online, reads some blogs, and likes to Pin every once in a while. However, this past year my wife rarely went on Facebook.

Instagram replaced “the book” for pictures.

What’s App is where we talk to our family members and close friends (and share pictures and video).

Twitter allowed her to follow celebrities and get updates on any blogs she was reading.

Facebook had been replaced by three separate services. But then it happened. My wife started using Facebook again… ALL THE TIME.

I asked, “What are you doing on there?”

She said, “I just got into another Facebook Yard Sale group.”

Me, being the Facebook loathing tech-nerd that I am…wanted to know more. I grabbed her phone and checked it out. Yard Sale was basically a private group by location where people sold and bought items like on Craigslist.

Except it was on Facebook. And as my wife said, “it isn’t creepy”. She’s on two local Yard Sale groups and hundreds of new items are posted each day. Users message the picture if they are interested, and call “next” if they weren’t the first to inquire. After that private messages are exchanged until the users settle on a price and meeting spot. Unlike Craigslist my wife doesn’t have to worry about meeting someone creepy, or going to some shady spot. You can see the person and interact with them before on Facebook. Usually because it is local there is some type of prior connection.

She’s been on Yard Sale for two weeks now. She checks it multiple times a day. Has sold over 5 items and bought 4 items.

But Facebook isn’t making any money from this…

Millions of users are selling and buying items on Facebook. Thousands of transactions (if not more) are happening each day. But Facebook isn’t making any revenue….

This is a much better alternative to Craigslist, but until Facebook understands how to make this a better experience (and allow transactions to happen in these groups) then it will also be a failed opportunity.

Hey Zuck! Get on this before it is too late…

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