Is Facebook Marketplace killing the yard sale in southwestern Ontario?

The classic summer yard sale is about to become a regular weekend event with treasure hunters eager to discuss whether online mega-platforms like Facebook Marketplace could see dwindling interest in the long-held tradition of bargaining over trinkets and cast-offs in a stranger's driveway.

Christina Fournier has loved yard sales since she was a kid. Now she runs an online group where 24,000 people advertise their sales across southwestern Ontario.

Spring is when sales start being posted, she said, and about a dozen sales have already been advertised for Victoria Day weekend. 

"Once you start smelling that spring in the air, that's when you get that yard sale feeling," Fournier said.

In theory, Marketplace is a direct competitor to these events. It started in 2016 as a way to connect buyers and sellers through Facebook. Now, over 1.2 billion users buy something every month.

One of the draws is that you don't have to wake up early on a weekend and trek around town to find second-hand goods. While Fournier admits the early wake-up isn't fun, she's said she's not worried about Marketplace leading to fewer yard sales.  

In fact, some savvy yard sale sellers are using the platform to give their event a boost, posting ads with the details, or even photos, of what they'll be selling, Fournier explained.

"When you can post pictures, people are able to quickly check if this place has lots of vinyl records, or that place has lots of kids' toys," she said. "I feel like it's definitely helped yard sales be more successful"

Then, there's the thrill of the hunt. It's a thrill anyone who has ever found something they charish on a table in a stranger's driveway will understand. 

 "A lot of people get up in the morning saying, 'I'm just going to search for treasures. It's going to be awesome.'" 

For some, the face-to-face transactions at yard sales are just more straightforward and enjoyable. 

Janet Shaw organized the spring fundraising sale at St. Anne's Anglican Church in London earlier in May. She agrees that Marketplace isn't a major threat.  

"At yard sales, we find people are looking for really, really cheap stuff," she said. 

The community sale Shaw organized was a fundraising event. They kept prices low, because like most yard sales, it was a one-day event and they didn't want anything left behind. This approach sets them apart from platforms like Marketplace, she believes, where sellers might be less inclined to accept a low offer. 

The bigger competitor among online platforms might be the buy-nothing groups, Shaw said. These groups on social media allow users to advertise items they simply want to get rid of, as long as someone is willing to come and get it. 

Despite online buying and selling, London's yard sale scene is still going strong, with sales advertised around the region all the way through September. 

"Everybody likes a good deal and everybody likes to find things that you won't get by just going to Walmart, right?"

If you're going to check out a sale or two this season, Fournier gave some advice: plan ahead by checking out online ads, bring small bills and change, and just enjoy "hunting to hunt."