Buy, Sell, Trade Abbreviations on Facebook (And Other Tips & Tricks)
Are you looking to buy and sell items on Facebook? Do you know what fcfs means? If not, continue reading to get our tips and learn some of the Facebook buy sell trade (BST) abbreviations used to help buy and sell things on Facebook.
I am the first one to say I was a little skeptical of using Facebook groups to buy and sell things. However, having children changed that. I realized I can buy and sell things on Facebook and easily make or save money!
What is BST?
BST is an acronym that stands for Buy, Sell, Trade. These groups tend to be local and you can think of them as an online garage sale or flea market for your county, city or town. People sell a variety of items normally at a discounted rate.
Items can be used, in great condition or brand new with tags (see the abbreviations later in this article for how people put this in their listing).
What kind of things can you get on the Facebook marketplace or BST?
There are listing for all sorts of items. We love to purchase anything that can be cleaned really well. Think hard surfaces over cloth, etc.
Our Little Tykes playhouse makeover and this amazing mid-century modern dresser are two AWESOME examples of items I was able to score for FREE! However, please proceed with caution when using any online selling site. These are only our personal experiences and we only want our readers to make sure they are doing things safely.
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full privacy policy.
So what does FCFS mean?
Facebook listings use a lot of abbreviations and lingo to make transactions. An example is FCFS which means first come first serve. A lot of times sellers do not what to hold an item. If there are multiple people who are interested they are going to sell it to whoever can come to pick it up first.
What To Know Before You Buy & Sell
Before you can buy or list items on sale, you need to know some of the abbreviations used in these groups. You don’t want to miss out on a listing because you were looking up what these abbreviations mean. Here are some of the most common buy, sell, and trade group terms used.
Facebook Buy and Sell Abbreviations and Lingo
- PPU=porch pick-up or pending pick-up
- EUC=Excellent Used Condition
- VGUC=Very Good Used Condition
- GUC=Good Used Condition
- ISO=In Search Of
- WTB=Wanting To Buy (same as ISO)
- SF=Smoke-Free Home
- PF=Pet-Free Home
- FCFS=First Come First Serve
- NWT=New With Tags
- NWOT=New Without Tags
- NA=Not Available
- TTS=True To Size
- PM=Private Message
- OBO=Or Best Offer
- NIL=Next In Line
- NH=No holds
- BST=Buy Sell Trade
- Lot=Refers to the group of items. We see a lot of baby clothes bought and sold this way.
- F=Following
- Bump=”Bring Up My Post” is used when a person is trying to get this item to be seen at the top of the group by adding this to the comments.
- SFS=Still For Sale
- HTF=Hard To Find
- CP or XP=Cross-posted: this is when a person has this listed in multiple groups or even on another site.
- BK=Broken Item
- BNIB=Brand New In Box
- LMOS=Listed On Multiple Sites
- NR=Needs Repaired
- PIF=Pay It Forward
- FTO=For Trade Only
- OOAK=One of A Kind
- NIP=New in Package
- LN=Like New
- Firm=price is firm and they will not negotiate
- FFP=Firm Fixed Price or First For Pick-up (or payment)
- WSPU=Westside Pick-up
The biggest learning curve I had to figure out in these groups, was the lingo people used in the BST (Buy-Sell-Trade) groups. Once you have a system down, it really is super simple to buy and sell things on Facebook.
How do you find free things to give DIY makeovers?
- Buy and sell things is through local Facebook Groups
- Garage sales
- Thrift stores
- Scan great neighborhoods on trash day (cities will have bulk pick-up days at certain times a year and people LOVE to get rid of things then)
- Flea markets
Are garage sales more your thing? Check out tips from my DIY blogger friend at A Country Girl’s Life about how she uses garage sales to make extra money!
Tips For Using Your Local Facebook Groups
I recently started to SELL a lot of our old things in Facebook Buy-Sell-Trade groups. Check to see if you have one in your area or county. Normally you have to be accepted by administrators to be in the group. I guess they are trying to see if you are a real person.
When you go to list your item in a group, Facebook will also ask if you would like to list it in Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes I am able to sell things this way, but most of the time I have more success in the Facebook groups that have administrators to whom you can report problems to.
Precautions and Tips
At least how I use Buy/Sell Trade groups, there is a certain amount of trust involved in transactions. Here are a few precautions you should take.
- If picking something up, my husband will normally go, as I do not feel comfortable going myself.
- See if the seller has also sold things before and or ratings.
- Meet in a public place and do not go alone.
- Trust your gut.
If you ever have a doubt that something may not be safe, then ask to meet at a public location or even in your police station’s parking lot!
How to do porch pick-up (PPU) when buying and selling online?
- Put a box or large Tupperware container outside on your porch on an agreed upon day or time.
- Place the item in the box.
- Leave an envelope in the box for cash to be put in.
- The buyer will come to grab the item and place cash in.***
What are the risks of doing contactless selling?
Again this is a little risky, I know. So we only do this if it is a small item. However, at the current time, this is honestly safer for us to use due to no contact. We would never put something in the box that we would be devasted if it was stolen or worth so much that we could end up getting taken advantage of.
What if you don’t have a porch for porch pick-up?
As for selling in these groups, I do porch pick-up or as some people list (PPU). I don’t have a porch, but I put a box by my garage with the items they are going to pick up. I keep my garage door closed.
In the box, there is an envelope so that my buyer can come and grab what they purchased and place CASH in the envelope. I instruct my buyer via Facebook messenger about the procedure.
I don’t want to jinx myself, but so far so good on just starting to get rid of the junk and add new toys and furniture that I can makeover for my family’s needs!
Update: We now only do this with people we know.
While I normally was only selling things to people that seemed to check out, I still didn’t like giving out my home address. I belong to a small mom Facebook group where you personally have to know someone to be in it. This box method is perfect and something I feel completely safe doing.
Whatever you do in regards to buying and selling online, make sure you are comfortable and feel safe.
Tips for avoiding scammers
Be aware that recently in my local groups, scammers have started to troll (not a good thing). Administrators or people who monitor the site can only do so much. We have found that some of the smaller groups are better monitored.
- Never give out personal information early in a transaction or at all.
- Don’t click on links you don’t know where they lead.
- If the deal seems way too good to be true, it probably is.
- You can access history and ratings on your sellers and buyers (I would never even message someone with a low rating in anything).
- Some people love using Venmo or other paid services, but we prefer cash in order to not be sharing more information.
- Use a local group (county or city) with administrators that seem to monitor the page.
- If the idea of using FB scares you, consider occasionally just posting items to your specific friends. I am in a mom’s group with people I know and that is a great and safe place to swap and sell used baby items.
If you are in doubt or questioning anything you have to ask yourself is the $10 I’ll make or save worth it?
Erin from The DIY Nuts
How To Create A Sell Listing On Facebook
- You will need to join groups local to your area.
- Once you have been approved for the group, you will go to your news feed and click groups.
- Take pictures of your items before listing. Make sure you take pictures that are honest and show any imperfections. Here are some tips from Shopify to help you with photographing your item with your phone.
- Click sell something.
- Fill out the details about the item and add items. You can list the price, quality and more descriptions. You will want to mention the general location and any specifics on how you want to do the transaction. Again be honest!
- Hit post. If you belong to other groups, Facebook may ask if you would like to post those as well. Click dots if that is the case.
- Monitor your posting to see if people are commenting or messaging you.
- Negotiate wisely.
- Once your item is sold, you will want to put a note (pending pick-up) and mark it as sold so that you do not get too many more inquiries.
Here is a real post that we used to sell this bench.
Here is Facebook’s official site explaining the process.
BST & Facebook Marketplace FAQs
When using Facebook marketplace FFP can mean “firm fixed price”, “first for pickup (and payment)” or “following for passes”. In other Facebook groups, it can also mean “formerly fat person.”
Yes, people will list different abbreviations and lingos together. For example, “sfh w/p” might mean “smoke-free home with pets.”
What do you do once you score cheap items? Check out 31 repurposed furniture ideas DIYers love.
Follow us on Pinterest, YouTube or Facebook for more DIY inspiration!
Lastly, there is a little bit of LUCK, patience, and persistence to score things for FREE! Just keep working at it eventually you will get something AWESOME that might just need a little extra love. Be patient using Facebook Buy-Sell-Trade groups and have fun buying and selling.
I personally have not sold not bought from FB but I’ve been curious about it for a long time. Seems like such a cool side hustle.
Hi Corinne. I really only use Facebook to buy or get things for free for my DIY projects and to sell children’s things. The best part is that you start to become a little more organized the more that you get rid of!
i”ve never done this – this was a great, informative read. Thanks for the lowdown on this!
Hi Lisa. I am glad you loved learning about and all the lingo to using Buy-Sell-Trade groups to make money and save money on Facebook.
My husband is obsessed with Facebook Marketplace and now I think I know why. I didn’t know how much great stuff you could find there and sell there. Thanks for this informative post!
Yes, I was skeptical of using these Facebook Buy-Sell-Trade groups, but it has been a great way to find cheap things for DIY projects.
I used to sell tons on FB, but it seems like the well is running dry. Great post to list all the lingo needed!
Thanks, Michelle! When I first started finding things on Facebook, I had to look up the lingo used in the buy-sell-trade groups. I am glad that you find this list of Facebook terminology helpful.
What the heck does FFAF mean? I see it all the time when people are selling things. I know FCFS but what is FFAF?
Hey Diana. I did a little more research to try to find an answer as that isn’t one I have come across. It might mean: free-for-all Friday. I can see where this might be used in groups that have specific rules and on Fridays you can post whatever or as many times as you want. I would love to know if that seems to make sense for what you are seeing.
We live in a small town and it seems we are not the only ones that have the issue of people, close by too, saying they will come to look or buy something and then do not show up… Will have to try and find another way to sell these like a bedroom set, a new Jeep hitch, air compressors, pressure washer, drywall stilts, etc… I remember when it used to be better. We also have swap and sell here, so may try that I guess. Good info on the lingo used on these sites though!!
Hi Krista. Yes, there are obvious downfalls and I’m sorry that you have wasted some time waiting around. Good luck with find other avenues to sell your used items.