This Facebook Marketplace Search Formula Really Works

Facebook Marketplace can be the place to find surprisingly awesome, one-of-a-kind furniture if you’re lucky or if you know just how to search. It seems that there are abundant tricks out there (including best practices for selling items, too), to snag the best finds — but it can never hurt to learn one more, especially if it’s just so simple.

In the video above, Lindsay Malenfant, who runs a vintage rug store called Good Ødette, shared her insider tip on finding special vintage pieces for less on Facebook Marketplace. And because her Toronto apartment, which was featured in Apartment Therapy’s 2022 Small/Cool contest, is filled with gorgeous finds, let’s just say my ears perked up immediately. 

Although Lindsay’s best find was a vintage safari chair that she found on a local auction site for $150, she says the majority of her chairs come from Facebook Marketplace. Most of the furniture in her home has a sort of digital meet-cute, and she found them by using her surprisingly simple search strategy.

“If you automatically type in ‘safari chair mid-century modern,’ even ‘vintage’ sometimes, people who know those words [and use them to] describe what they’re selling probably know that those things have value and are worth more money,” Lindsay explains. “So, I always just search ‘chair’ or ‘table.’ You have to go through a lot more, you have to be patient, but you’ll find a gorgeous vintage chair but they’ve put it up for $10. So always just be more vague with the descriptors that you’re using.” 

Everyone has their own methods for shopping on Facebook Marketplace, but regardless of if you’re a novice shopper or someone who’s been in the game for a long time, you can never truly get enough pointers. Kelsey Mulvey, an Apartment Therapy contributor, shared her mom’s tip: visualization. Before even searching, she specifically imagines the piece that she wants and how it’ll fit in more spaces than just one. That’ll prove that it’s a sound, smart investment. 

You’ve likely asked a friend where they got a surely-one-of-a-kind, uber-expensive furniture find, expecting them to say a designer brand, only to realize it’s a Facebook Marketplace find. By following Lindsay’s tip, you’ll be that person in the near future. To see more of her thoughtfully curated home, visit the full House Tour.