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Good morning moms, today is Monday, January 26th. Welcome to the first day of a brand new mom work week.  And you know, when I left my office job,  I didn't miss going to the office. I didn't miss the job itself either, but what I did miss  was networking, chatting,  being around other adults  outside of my own home.  Suddenly I went from  being surrounded by

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other grownups that I talk to all day every day  to being at home with a newborn and a dog.  And of course at the time they both listened to me and neither of them do now,  but I missed having  the human interaction.  And  I was able to recreate that with you all as my mob coworkers. So I just want to take

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quick second to weigh in on how much I appreciate having you as my coworkers and to be doing this whole  parenting thing together with you. I was talking to some of my mom friends recently about podcasts in general and how I like listening to podcasts because  they give me  the semblance  of having adult interactions, albeit listening to a podcast is one-sided.  But when I'm listening to it,

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I can feel like I'm having almost a conversation with that person. So if I'm folding laundry or if I'm carpooling or I'm shuttling back and forth to the thousandth appointment of the week, if I have a podcast going in the car, it's almost like I have that friend in the car with me  and it replicates an adult interaction. Whether or not that's a healthy substitution remains to be seen, but  it's better than just being alone in the silence  or  my own thoughts.

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It's nice just to have  that interaction back in my life. Now, of course, today that interaction is with another adult as we are being joined by Olivia, the marketplace mom.  She is going to teach us all about getting started listing on Facebook marketplace. Since we are wrapping up our 10 day home reset challenge for the month of January, you undoubtedly have a rather large pile of things either  destined for the trash or the goodwill.  And instead,

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Olivia is going to challenge you to turn that into a little bit of cash for your pockets. We're gonna be going a little bit out of order today because I'm going to start with a mom hack Monday.  As I said, I was chatting with a couple of mom friends  and  we were talking about podcasts,  but the mom hack is that we got our families together for dinner.  We had a play date dinner.  They have two kids, I have three.

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and we got our families together for some pizza and some playtime and it was kind of the ultimate mom hack. know, we're gonna be feeding our families dinner anyways.  Why not combine it? You know, we had pizza so we both had the night off from cooking dinner.  Our kids were occupied with each other. There's nothing like going to someone else's house to make their toys seem brand new.

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Our kids were all enthralled playing with each other. We were able to have some actual  adult conversation.  It's a really nice addition to your playdate routine and to your dinner repertoire. And besides, you know how I'm all about prioritizing in-person communication these days,  and it's a really great way to make that happen.  And that is a really great segue into our water cooler chat. Here are some trending topics.

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for you to chat about with your mom friends when you see them in person, and even better, strike up a conversation and perhaps make a new mom friend when you're out in the wild. Harry Styles fans rejoice. He has dropped his first new single in nearly three years, dropping Aperture, along with announcing a 2026 tour with 50 cities, as well as a 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden.

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Yes, you heard right. The Together Together tour will be in New York City for 30 shows between August 26 and Halloween, including two  quote, Harryween shows on October 30 and 31. If you want to be one of the  lucky fans in the audience, the pre-sale begins on Friday, January 30. And fresh off the heels of the latest Dancing with the Stars season,  It Girl

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Alex Earl is getting her own reality TV show on Netflix, featuring her blended family, including her sister and fellow content creator Ashton Earl, as well as her vibrant group of friends. This series will document the real time, quote, messiness of a young woman in transition. Now this is a pretty safe bet for Netflix because Alex Earl has a combined 13 million.

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TikTok and Instagram followers. And she's parlaying that viral frame into her own podcast network, as well as this Netflix TV show. She is also fresh off of her breakup with NFL player Braxton Barrios. So it will be  very interesting  to see where this season takes her. And while I am happy that Alex Earl is being given her own Netflix show, because  let's face it, the girl puts in a lot of work. She deserves the extra eyeballs. uh

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Shows that I wish Netflix would pick up and create for themselves. uh Ryan Wedding. I don't know if you've heard of him. He was an Olympic snowboarder who is now being accused of being a global drug kingpin.  US authorities believe that Ryan Wedding  is a member of the Sinaloa cartel  and has been hiding in Mexico for over a decade  while running and participating in a transnational drug trafficking operation.

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Allegedly, he has shipped hundreds of kilos throughout Mexico and Southern California, with the destination being the US and Canada. The FBI has compared him to Pablo Escobar, and all of which began in 2008, about six years after he represented Canada in the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City. Last month, Mexican authorities seized dozens of motorcycles estimated to be worth $40 million, which were allegedly believed to be owned by a wedding.

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They also seized two Olympic medals and two vehicles among other various items. And after evading international police for more than a decade,  Ryan Whitting was arrested last week. I think Netflix is really missing the boat if they don't spin this into at least a mini series. This is fascinating to me. How do you go from being a top ranked Olympic snowboarder to running a transnational drug cartel ring? This is a story that needs to be told.

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I am sat. Netflix, if you're out there listening,  I am fully sat. I'm strapped in. Please tell me about Ryan James' wedding. And while we are on the topic of the Winter Olympics, the 2026 Winter Games, officially known as Milano Cortina 2026, will take place in Milan and Cortina di Ampezzo. Am I saying that right? Cortina,  Cortina di Ampezzo, Italy from February 6th.

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to 22nd. The major international event will feature 15 sports disciplines, including the debut of ski mountaineering with events spread across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. And in case you've missed it, the HBO smash, Heated Rivalry, has everybody talking and Conor Story and Hudson Williams, who star as hockey players entangled in a secret romance on that show, will be official torchbearers for the upcoming games.

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Heated Rivalry hit the airwaves back in November and it has become a phenomenon. If you haven't encountered Heated Rivalry memes on your For You page, I don't know what your algorithm has you seeing because they are everywhere. The show has already been renewed for a second season and is based on a 2019 romance book by Rachel Reed of the same name that follows the love story between two rival hockey players over the span of eight years from becoming rookies to playing in the Olympics.

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The six episode series is currently airing in the US and Australia on HBO Max  and it has soared to the top 10 TV shows list within a week of its two episode premiere. Now before you go and add this to your to be watched list, be advised that there are some not safe for little eyes scenes,  but  I have heard nothing but good things about this show. Now that we are up to speed on the goings on in the world at large,

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Without further ado,  I bring you my conversation with Olivia, the Marketplace Mom. So January is kind of like the gateway  to the spring cleaning, decluttering season.  And Modern Moms, we are in luck today because we are joined by Olivia, the Marketplace Mom.  And she is going to spill all of her secrets and details about getting started selling.

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on Facebook Marketplace so you can finally declutter and free yourselves from the things in your home that could be making somebody else's life better  instead of making  yours more complicated. So welcome, Olivia. Hi, thank you. Man, I love that intro. That's awesome.  Great. I love that. Great attitude.  So jumping right into things, first of all, congratulations.  I understand that you recently had your 800th porch pickup.

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on Facebook Marketplace. It came fast. I didn't even realize it happened. And we need to take a moment to celebrate that because that is an insane accomplishment. Yes, thank you so much. And those are jobs for sickups. Sometimes people buy more things. So I have sold a lot. Wow. Yeah, so that's 800 like individual visitors visiting your porch.

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Yes, rangers that have come to my porch and left me money. And left you money. It's like a tooth fairy. Yes. That's fantastic. So how did you first get started selling on Marketplace? So, honestly, I have always lived a life that I just don't want to be like wasteful with what I have. I actually like

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We had had some things that we just no longer needed and it was kind of like Facebook marketplace was new ish.  People were also selling on Poshmark and I don't even know if McCarrie was around. ah And so like I listed like a duvet cover on Poshmark  and it was like a West Elm. I'm sure we spent a lot of money on it and I think I listed for like 30 or $40 and it sold and I was like.

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oh my gosh, I can't believe that I just got money for something that I truly don't want in my house. And that's a lot of money for barely any work.  Sure. So it kind of gave me the bug of, I don't want to be wasteful for stuff that I don't need anymore. ah And Facebook Marketplace had been around, but it didn't really get a good rap. And you kind of almost looked a little desperate, like, oh my gosh, how sad. They have to sell things out of their house  to pay for something.

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is kind of the connotation it got. And then my husband was just more nervous about like, can't let strangers on our porch, like that's gonna be bad. But in 2019, we moved into a new house. And so like the things like we just didn't need anymore or the old homeowners left stuff or you we wanted to upgrade. And I was just like, I cannot let this stuff go without money. So like, I'm gonna just ignore you and we're doing this, I'm going to do it. And so the first thing I ever listed and sold was,

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a TV mount that the previous homeowners had left. I got $15 for it and we didn't get murdered or egged. And I was like, we're doing this. Like I'm never stopping. And now I've gotten to the level of like, I don't even put things in the trash can anymore. Like a stranger is going to leave me money. Like that's how stuff leaves my house. Like it doesn't go in the trash. Wow. That is incredible. So did you just like jump in?

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with both feet from the get-go or was there like a warm-up period until you realized that marketplace selling was worth your time? Probably just jumped in and then, you know, that was before we had kids and then then I became a mom and I had stuff and you have to cycle things in and out and like  then it just kind of exploded with how much stuff that like when you leave the baby phase like which is what I'm doing now is like

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I have all this stuff that I need to sell, like, so much. We're entering a new phase of things that I have to buy. So like, it's nice to like keep circling money back in. Like I'm getting money to buy things for the next phase while getting rid of the baby stuff. That is such a great point. Like my youngest,  she's going to be three next week. And  when we made the decision that we were done having kids, my husband was like, great, think about all that space we can have. We're going to get rid of all the

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baby stuff.  And I was like,  no, like, that's my baby's things.  And then  I just happened to look on Marketplace because we used the SNU bassinet and like, I will shout from the rooftops how much  that made my early parenting experience enjoyable.  I know it's not for everybody, but  I looked up on Marketplace  what like a used SNU was selling for and I was like,  okay, yeah, no.

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I can be on board with clearing out the baby stuff.  And  we paid for a season of  sports  fees and equipment with selling the SNU for  my older kids as they grow. it's almost like recycling.  You can use  the funds that are being locked up in a physical thing  into the next you're leveling up.

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Yes, and it just comforts your tears of leaving that a little bit. Yes, yes, yes. There's always the tears from leaving a face. There are going to be moms listening to this who have never sold on Marketplace before. Maybe they've purchased on Marketplace. Maybe they're a little bit intimidated by listing on Marketplace. What, in your professional opinion,

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are the easiest items for a mom to sell if she's never posted before? ah My advice is for any person, including moms, but used  shoes, especially tennis shoes, sell  ridiculously easy. They always will sell. I always know that any pair of shoes, my shoes, my husband's shoes, my kids shoes, they will sell. um

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So like I always recommend um selling those. So I have a post like pinned um to my profile to kind of talk about how to sell a pair of used shoes as your first  item to get your feet in the door. And then  once you kind of do it a couple of times, you're like, this is it. I'm doing it forever. Oh my goodness. I would never have thought used shoes. wash really well. Like I always recommend throwing them in the washing machine. And my husband is a used tennis shoes snob.

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that I think he makes up rules.  He's like, I cannot throw them in the washing machine. I'm like, they're leaving you. You don't use them anymore. So you don't get to have advice on how they're  handled.  So I just always throw them in a washing machine with whatever load I'm going to do when I think about a shoe I'm going to sell. I let them air dry. And then I write that in the description too. And I think people feel like they want better about buying the shoes. And I know they're not going to smell.  They're not going to be dirty. And I can always like.

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at minimum sell my used tennis shoes. Like I'll use them for a year, like walk, exercise and be done with them. And I can list them for 10 bucks and they will sell pretty fast. Wow. And then I have $10 for my next pair of shoes. That's a really great way to look at it. So if you are like us, deep in the throes of decluttering your home right now, maybe you're doing the 10 day home reset challenge that I was posting about on my Instagram.

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but you probably have a bunch of stuff that can leave your home. Go to Olivia's Instagram page. She is at The Marketplace Mom and her pinned post, like she said, is gonna be about taking your first steps  as a brand new marketplace seller. You are going to sell a used pair of tennis shoes. That's your assignment for the next week.  I want you to  do that. I want you to take a screenshot of your listing and I want you to send it to us. Post it on your story and tag Olivia and me  at caroline underscore detman.

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Because I want to hear your successes from this. Yes, that would be awesome. Yes, I love seeing everyone's sales and successes. And I like to see what you're selling. So I'm like, OK, I could sell that too.  So other than  used tennis shoes, what items in your home are  generally worth your time listing other than like everything? I know you like to list everything. But like, what are your top hits?

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um Definitely any kid item, like they just always go. Your clothes, your toys, your Halloween costumes, your coats, your hats, your mittens, your gloves, um cups. I was actually really,  really shocked. We had  like two  smaller stainless steel cups with like rubber.  One had a straw, one that my son bit the straw and ruined it. So like I was missing one straw and they were like maybe $25 brand new for this set of two.

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And I actually asked everyone what I should list it for, and I was really feeling like five, but everyone was like, you need to do 10. And I listed it for 10, and it still sold within four or five days. So there is nothing that, just because you don't want it, doesn't mean that it's not going to sell. It still blows my mind every once in like, there's no way it's going to sell, and it's definitely not going to sell for $10. But it sold. So kids items, but definitely home items, because that's

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Mostly what I sold before I had kids was just home stuff that we no longer needed and your husband's stuff. My clothes are the things that I have the hardest with, but also I've had them in my closet for 10 years, so they're probably really old and outdated. By the time I'm ready to let them go,  but my husband's stuff, I can always sell his clothes for sure.  That's very good point. You don't have the same emotional attachment.  I hold onto clothes for way too long because A, I think I'm to fit in them again, and

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B, I have like memories of  those outfits that I don't want to get rid of. If my husband's clothes, they can hit the trail.  Especially if you're sharing a closet with him and you need a couple more spaces, like it's time for him to declutter  is what I say to him.

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So are you just continually  finding things in your home? Like are you just always decluttering or do you have like a process that you go through to identify things  to be sold?  For me and my like, and I do like to like,  you can be successful on marketplace and not be as crazy as me. You can just sell like, you you're getting rid of the baby face. So you just want to sell the crib and that's all you want to do. And you, you're going to make a hundred bucks. Like you can do that. And still marketplace works for you.

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I'm just the crazy level that it  is just a part of my life now that it's so easy.  So I have like really kind of switched my mindset now, um is I just like don't want to hold onto things that I know I'm never going to use or like make me annoyed.  Cause I am in like a different financial position now that like I'm a more established mom, you know, me and my husband work full time, like our kids are a little not ruining things anymore. So like, why do I save like this week?

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I had a spatula and a vegetable peeler that I hate and like I never use them. have other ones I use. So like, why are they taking up space?  Why do they make me angry every time I look at them? Like  just sell them, like stop. So like mine is more now, like I'll obviously sell any like the phases that my kids leave,  but then just whatever like annoys me  is what I sell. Or like a decoration like  for Halloween that I always put out every year. And I'm like, I hate this decoration. Why do I keep putting it out? Like  just get rid of it.

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and it sold within 45 minutes. like,  I can't believe I held onto it for four years mad  when I got $10. Yeah.  And  you  are a strong advocate for the porch pickup. Yes. Why is that?  Because it's the safest way to do it.  I just always tell people,  you can't get hurt. I think that's the most important thing em is that you don't interact with people because

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There is a risk you are always working with people that you don't know, but I have always considered like if the worst thing that could happen is something stolen from me, like that's a cost that I'm okay with because I'm just selling items that I don't want. So I have $0. If someone steals from me, I will have $0. But my physical health is the most important thing for me because my kids see me at home, like it's not worth getting in a fight over. And that's not why people come.

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on Facebook workplace, if they are have bad intentions, they're just coming to steal. So if that's what they get and they leave,  then we're all a little bit better. um So I just really think as a safety aspect, it is not worth it to meet someone  in a target parking lot.  It's not worth it to open your door to talk to them. em In a buyer, when I buy, I get annoyed when someone's like, okay, I'll open the door. And I'm like, no, you won't.  I will not be talking to you. I will leave the money under the mat too.

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So I think it also makes your buyers feel comfortable. They don't really want to talk to you either. Yeah. No, I don't want to talk to anybody ever. And the nice thing about Marketplace, because I'm at the level now where I'm just always selling, like, don't, like, I can sell something for $5 and I just sit on my porch, but I'm not going to wait 45 minutes for you in a target parking lot to sell something for $5. Like that doesn't.

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Like I don't have the time to waste that. So the porch pickup also just gives you so much time to sell the smaller items, but the smaller items really add up in the long run too for you to get money, but also get things out of your house.  Sure. So when you  sell to somebody, you just put it out on your porch and they come to your house, pick up the item and leave the money. Yep. I always just say leave the cash under the porch mat. That is so hands off.

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Yep. Do you ever have people, like multiple people picking up in one day?  Yes. And it's been fun about  having the social media pages too, is kind of  like I've slowly like kind of changed my ways just from doing it for six years.  I've changed my ways about being like a buyer and seeing how other people did it. So like my first way em in the beginning, I wouldn't sell as much. And so I never really had two people.  But one time I went to pick up something.

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And this lady had like multiple bags with like a post-it note of everybody's name. And I was like,  oh, that's a smart idea.  But then  a month or two ago, another like mom on the social media profile was like, actually use painter's tape  because I'm just afraid it's gonna blow away. And she writes the name and she also writes  the cost. So they like, no.  And then she's like painter's tape because sometimes people don't show. So you just rip that off and put a new piece of painter's tape with somebody else's name on it. And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm stealing.

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So that's the method now I use if someone needs to come at the same time. So one time I've had four or five items out and I'll just let every buyer know there's multiple bags, so please make sure you grab yours because I don't want you to be disappointed in whatever you're about to grab because sometimes it's a women's shirt and a baby item, a man's shoes plus a home item or a dog item. I don't know what you want, but make sure you grab yours. And I've never had an issue with people not grabbing the right one.

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Cool.

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Okay, so if you're getting started on Marketplace this week, after you your shoes and list your kids' items, you're gonna wanna talk to your buyers, initiate a porch pickup. Contactless, hands off, porch pickup. And after you get the Marketplace bug, you are going to want to be sure you're following Olivia because she is full of gems like this.  I...

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I've learned so much. would consider myself to be a marketplace buyer instead of a marketplace seller. And I pretty much sell just like large things like furniture we don't use anymore. But now that I've been following Olivia for a while, I'm like looking at things in the Goodwill pile. I'm like, well, this has a lot of life left in it. Why am I giving it to Goodwill to sell? You know, if I sell it for $5, that's a latte. I can make that back.

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And Olivia, I know that you also have a guide to Marketplace as well. Is that something that is linked on your Instagram? Yes, it's linked in my bio. I have actually written three guides on how to sell or you could buy the bundle. But it's the one thing that I will tell people that I do gatekeep because it is a script that I use that I have slowly fine tuned.

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that really just helps you not feel like stress takes the mental load off because I say the same thing to every single person. em It also is like a selling script because I think sometimes people just feel overwhelmed. Like they just say yes. Like you always need to be asking your buyer a different question so they feel respond and engaged. You don't want a buyer kind of begging you for the information.  So it makes them feel comfortable. It keeps things moving along. And then it also kind of helps weed no shows.

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No shows are part of Facebook marketplace. Every once in a while, someone will schedule and they just don't show and then they stop talking. But I feel like I have a lot less no shows, just the way that I kind of communicate and have people give me an interaction that kind of knocks people out before we even get to the giving the address. That's my first guide. My second guide talks about how to be a buyer and like what you should really be saying. Like I kind of wrote it as like my to a T buyer that I want to talk to.

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um And then both guides also I have like  different scenarios when people get you off the script by like whatever they've asked or whatever the seller's like not responding or like how to handle  when someone asks you to ship it, how to handle if someone asks you a question, um just all those things. And then the last guide talks just about what you need to be putting in your marketplace  listing.  And every time  someone buys it, they're like, thank you so much. Like sometimes it's a little silly to think about what it is, but like,

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I do have a lot of pride in how it is, and I think it really is 100 % worth. There uh is a mindset behind it, and  it's awesome.  As a buyer, nothing grinds my gears more  than finding a listing,  and the description  is clearly written  by ChatGPT. And there'll be parentheses like, add dimensions here, and then the seller didn't do it.

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If you need help listing your items, which we all do, make that your next step. List your tennis shoes, follow Olivia for all of her tips and tricks, get the guides in her bio. I have been selling since 2019. I've been doing this for six years. done 800 porch pickups. I have made some mistakes and I've learned I keep modifying my way. I like to use AI for things to help me.

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but people and myself included have asked AI advice about Marketplace and I really don't agree with it. And I have like eight different stories to go every time someone says something, I'm like, well, and here's the issue that AI didn't think about that's going to come if you do that. um Which is one of the biggest things that I have talked about with people is  I don't accept pre-payment.  If someone offers  to pre-pay you, it is not a good sign.

28:30
Because that just means that that buyer is about to be very entitled about picking up  and they are going to wait to pick up because they prepaid.  And now you're like holding onto the items for weeks at a time because they're like, oh, I'm sorry, I meant to pick it up tomorrow, but I, you know, I can't make it until next week.  And you're holding the cash now. Like they've kind of become- goodness.  You're the storage unit. Yeah.

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Yeah, and I have had, don't do it anymore. So every time someone asks, I'm like, no prepayment, you just pay it, porch pickup. It's not like, I just act like it's no big deal and discourage it. But I've had other people say like, no, you're totally right. I'm three months in, I'm six months in, I'm a one year in and people won't could pick up the item, but I'm holding the money. It's uncomfortable. It's weird. Like, so I'm just like, it's, it's the issue behind the prepayment. Like I know in theory it sounds like, oh, they're prepaying. So I know they're going to pick up.

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They may not. And now you're on a lifelong commitment with someone that you don't want to be on a lifelong commitment over a $6 item. Like, not worth your time. No, definitely not. So those are just all the things that I've kind of like learned along the way. Have a story for why I say the thing to try to also just help you avoid all those missteps. Because I do think a lot of times people quit Facebook Marketplace because something is overwhelming or confusing.

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and they don't understand it and it just becomes a bad experience.  So like that was my goal too is like, I think everybody can sell on Facebook Marketplace, especially if they have one pushy friend. And if I can be your pushy friend to help you do it, like I signed up for the job,  I mean, I made the job myself and then signed up for it.  Olivia's in your corner. She's going to  push you  to list on Marketplace. I will, but you will  be thankful because that's kind of what I had.

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to get me started. had like a coworker who would talk about it and I was just like, oh,  I don't know, I can't do it. And she was like, I just,  I don't even think about the money even more. I like sometimes forget it's under my mat.  And I'm just like, there's no way, like I cannot believe that you're doing this. But if you just see someone else successful in how they're doing it, um it makes it so much easier. And then it's just fun to talk about with other people too. um

30:45
and share your stories and your successes and your excitement and the money that you got for something that just was stupid you shouldn't have got the money for.  So that helps  with selling. Moms are always looking for a side hustle and this is one that you can do without leaving your home, without leaving your kids,  just on your phone. You  don't even have to see the person you're selling to. Don't open your door.  And I like it because you have an issue like...

31:12
Moms never get to be like the sole boss of anything. Like we've always got to like work around other people, but like if Facebook workplace like you have an issue that  you complain to me or that's it. Like Macari like or eBay like you can complain to them. ah They get to decide like ah your argument with just me and my porch. Like  this is something that's just mine and no one gets to tell me how or why or when I'm gonna do it like.

31:39
I do it when I want to. If someone is rude to me as a buyer, like I get to just tell them no. I never get to tell people no in my life. And that feels good At least not successfully. I try to tell my kids no all the time. Nobody listens. Yes, no. But like you get to tell someone no if like they're rude to you. You don't get to come on my porch. You don't get to buy my used item. Go shop on Amazon. I don't care. I don't need to sell this stuff. I just want to. Love it. Love that energy. Okay. And then I have some

32:08
hot takes and last looks for you.  So  let's  jump into those. These are going to be good.  What's the biggest myth about selling on Marketplace, in your opinion?

32:26
Man, there's so many. think the biggest one is people think if it doesn't sell in three to five days, it's never going to sell. ah And so I've been like tracking to help like people understand that like things do  sell slower than you would think. So like December, I think my count was like 69 days from listing to sold. Okay. And like that does mean sometimes I sell stuff in 45 minutes and sometimes I sell stuff in one year.  Most stuff sells within a couple months.

32:56
But like the biggest myth is just because no one's interested in three to five days does not mean that it's not going to sell. It just means the buyer's not looking yet. So like you just have to have a lot of patience. ah And I am just like stubborn. So like I learned  that patience is what sells. And I think that's why a lot of people have quit too is they're like it didn't happen. So  I'm showing you that stubbornness works on Marketplace. You just have to wait.  Where do you store your things while you're waiting for them to sell?

33:25
So I used to just do a laundry basket in our basement. ah Now that I have over 200 listings and I never give up on something,  it's kind of a little of everywhere. I now have like a closet in my uh basement that has like three storage tubs ah plus some stuff. then like  now that everything is almost available in my house all the time, like I'll just leave it in my buffet cabinet or I'll leave it in the kitchen. ah I sold a winter coat this.

33:53
winter and I just left it in the coat closet until it sold.  So sometimes it's a little bit of a treasure hunt. I think in the beginning if you can just do one laundry basket or tub,  that will be a lot easier, especially then if you're not home, can  direct your husband to one location, he can find it quicker.  Yes.  So what mistake do you see new sellers make all the time?

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I think a big mistake is how you do your listing. And that's the most time consuming part of Marketplace is just doing the listing. So I always have to tell myself, if you're going to do something, do it right the first time. So in a listing, you need to make sure that you're having at minimum three to six photos. You should never just have one. You have to think about the item. it's a four-sided item, you need to do all four sides plus the top plus the bottom.

34:47
because it's not a garage sale. No one gets to touch before they just, come to look. So they really do want to look at everything so they can feel  comfort and confident. um Especially with like clothes, you need the front, the tag and the back. uh I get annoyed because like the back of your clothing item is,  it does matter. I need to see the whole thing.  So I think not putting enough listing, just like photos and not describing your item the right way. um

35:16
because a lot of people sell on Facebook marketplace,  we just get to the scroll. And if someone scrolls past your item, they're never gonna come back to say like,  oh, could you just show me the back of the shirt first?  For the most part, they're just gonna be like, I'm just not interested in keep moving. So if you can just spend the most time on that part, the listing  and getting it done the right way the first time, I think then  you have a greater chance of success quicker. I sold  a like entertainment  console table.

35:45
And Facebook like coached me, like people who list this type of furniture and include a video sell, you know,  70 % faster.  And I was like, hold, hold my beer.  I got out my ring light. got out my tripod. made like a little like, like cut the clips together of my table in action.  Had overflowing inbox, overflowing inbox. People wanting to come see this table that had been sitting in my house unused.

36:14
for years. So yes,  making  a robust listing that  shows everything possible, definitely,  definitely the way to go. It's funny you say that though. I actually don't agree when Facebook suggests a video for stationary items,  because if you notice when you're scrolling on Marketplace, the videos play at a higher speed quick, like, and that's the first thing. okay. Yes, it's always the first thing.

36:43
me a headache because it's a high speed video when you're trying to scroll of a stationary item that you don't need to see move. So I  get mad that sometimes I think Facebook gives people bad suggestions. I definitely think that you need a video if it's an electronic item, if the item moves, if the item makes noise.  If it's a TV, like it's a Keurig, you need a video of it, like make a coffee or  I had a  toy that made music, like I always do a video of that.  But I don't agree.

37:12
Like, I don't need a video of your baby outfit. I just need to look at the picture and I can zoom in. But Facebook will tell you to add a video. Yeah, yeah.  But this is why you're the expert. This is why you're here.  Because  they're going to be listening to me and they're going to make a video and it's not going to work for them. You need to do and do Olivia.  And you can still sell the items. Like, I always like, I talk about best practice. Like, if you want to have the most success, this is the way.

37:40
that I think works the best. You can still, obviously, you sold your entertainment center with the video, but you would save your time on that video.  your ring light. Yeah, I was like sliding the drawer open. was like, OK, say less, Facebook. Like,  I'll show them how the drawer works. Like, OK. Facebook sometimes does. I'm just like, no, that's a bad idea, Facebook. You  need to ask someone that's actually using your app. I don't think you're ever using it.  No, I don't think they are.

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So  other than  not including a video for stationery items,  what would be  your most controversial marketplace opinion?  Man, I've actually had a few. I didn't realize that some of them were controversial.  Nothing like the internet to tell you when you're being controversial. Yeah, the two that we kind of discussed, people were very anti-porch pickup, which I was actually...

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kind of like shocked. just were like, oh, I can't do it if it's less, if it's more than $20. And I've actually done porch pickup of a $500 patio table. You can do it. You do have to be okay with someone stealing for $500 from you, but I'll take $500 for something I didn't want over like being hurt or, you know, having to waste my day talking to someone. And then the other one was the pre.

39:02
the prepayment. People were very firm like, you should and that makes them a better buyer. And I'm like,  it's a trap. Like, yes, it may have worked once for you. But just because it worked once doesn't mean that the trap is still not coming for you. And I want you to just avoid that trap is not one you want to get in.  No,  absolutely.  What was the most unexpected item that you've ever sold?

39:28
Man, a used mattress for $150. $150? I didn't even have it listed that way. I sometimes I tell people also like, do not be afraid to describe your item as crap because for some reason, the worse I describe something, the better it sells. And this mattress was just my husband's. So it dented in the middle. And I said that this mattress is, you know, seven years old. It dents in the middle. And I was actually just selling it technically free with a bed frame.

39:56
and the person wanted the bed frame, but they measured and it wasn't gonna fit in their house. So she's like, can I just take the mattress for $150? And I had to like pop my jaw back up. And thankfully, know, it's messenger, she can't see me because I was pretty much just selling the mattress for free. She could have asked for $5 and I probably would have said yes.

40:15
So I'm sorry if she's listening today because she said 150 and I am not here to negotiate myself down. I said, yes, think that- Come on over. I'll have it on my porch for you. Yes. I laid out a tarp. I laid it in the driveway. She knew that I wasn't available to help load this mattress for her and she, I think she Venmo'd me. She Venmo'd me $150 for a mattress that I told her sunk in the middle. I am learning so much from you. First of all, I thought you were going to say,

40:44
The washing machine, was it a machine or dishwasher? Yeah, I sold the washing machine. Tell what I knew was You guys, it didn't work. Yeah. She sold a broken washing machine. I my broken dishwasher too. Oh my gosh. So don't come at me telling me that there's nothing in your house that you can sell. You can sell. I mean, can sell broken appliances. I know.

41:10
And like that's why I think everyone should sell marketplace too because I was going to be charged $50 an item for them to take it away.  So not only did I save $100 in hauling fees,  I got $50 for my washing machine. I got $25 for my dishwasher. now I saved $100 and  made $75. Yeah.  And that's those appliances are probably being bought by people who know to repair them.  So they're not going in the landfill.  And  yeah. So, you know, it's a win for

41:39
everybody involved.  you know,  hats off  to you, Olivia. I saw the reel  about selling the broken washing machine and I was floored. I had to watch that reel like six times.  At the time our dishwasher was leaking and I was just like, oh my God, we got to deal with all this.  Thankfully, my husband fixed it. But I was like, this is good. And then I was like, you know what?  If push came to shove and we had to replace it, I could  tap into my inner Olivia.

42:09
have someone come get it out of my driveway. Maybe give me 20 bucks for it. Yes. The person that bought the dishwasher that was completely broke was so thankful. It made you feel good too because he just wanted it for some of the parts. I guess the pullout shelving for him. He's like, they're like 125 They're so expensive. I knew I had no idea. He's like, I just want that. I'm like,

42:36
I mean, I'm happy that you can have that. I can have $25. Like that's all I want. Yeah, like the tines on our like plate thingy are starting to break off, which is like a whole other thing. But I looked to buy a new one and I was like, incredible, incredible. And I never thought to look on Marketplace. I bet I could find a dishwasher drawer on Marketplace.

43:04
cheaper than that and then you can get it and maybe then you can sell some other parts too to pay for your marketplace purchase. Yes,  yes, incredible, incredible. So is 45 minutes your record for fastest sale?  Probably.  I mean, that's pretty fast to get it posted and then you got to chit chat and then they got to come. um Oh,  that was like from listing to  pick  up?  This is why you're the professional.

43:34
Gosh. Yeah, they're fun. Especially because I will say like, and I say it all the time, like, for someone who loves Marketplace, I do avoid listing. Like, that's my least favorite part of it. Like, it is a little bit of work. But then every time like something like that happens, I'm like, I cannot believe that I let this sit on my calendar counter, bother me for one month, and it sold within 45 minutes for $20. Like, oh my gosh. Come on, Olivia. Get it together. kill me. That would kill me because that's exactly who I am too.

44:02
I would just like drag my feet about it and then I'd be like, oh, well, that wasn't too bad.  It's always worth it. Like I always, I would make the joke about too. I'm just like, it's, I mean, it's pregnancy and like birth. Like you don't want to do it. It's miserable. But then all of a sudden you're like, oh, that wasn't too bad. And I really love this painting that I got or this $20. Like it's just motherhood life.  Absolutely.  Absolutely. to suffer for just a minute to get  like the reward.  Um,  and I keep coming back to do it.  Yes.  I always tell people that

44:31
Marketplace is my favorite social media to scroll. Like,  it's just, I don't know.  It's like shopping.  But it's like taking things from your neighbors. It's fantastic.  As a marketplace buyer, this is going to be our last one. As a marketplace buyer, what is one word to describe marketplace buyers? Oh my gosh. Wild. They're wild.  Because it's just, I mean, it's crazy sometimes.

45:00
what they'll buy  from you. Like it's wild.  Dishwashers.  Use tennis shoes. Yes. And that they come and that they're thankful  that they want  it. It's wild.  Yeah. Well, you certainly have this all down to a science, Olivia. Thank you so much for coming on and imparting your  vast marketplace knowledge to us.  Mere beginners in the marketplace world. So if you again are

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intrigued by our chat with Livia today, you want to get started on Marketplace, please go look her up on Instagram. Again, she's at The Marketplace Mom, all one word, link in her bio for her guides, and make sure you comment and let her know that you are visiting from The Modern Mom. Thank you so much for being with us today, Livia. Thank you so much. I look forward to selling with all you.