Beware of potential risk by thinking twice before you break up up these item for your home secondhand .

Grant Webster

As long as you ’re cautious of thecommon red flag , scour Facebook Marketplace is a great means toscore wad on secondhand furnitureand home decor . That does n’t mean every Marketplace find is a good one , though : Beyond following general condom road map ( such as always meeting in a public topographic point and never paying for the detail before your meetup to avoid getting scammed ) , there are a few household token you should always bound off buying secondhand .

Living room with beige suede couch

Credit:Grant Webster

Whether it ’s old upholstery or item likely to have incorrect wiring , these are the point you should never buy on Facebook Marketplace .

1. Vintage Lighting

You should always keep safety in mind when coordinating a Facebook Marketplace pickax - up , but do n’t forget to consider the safety gadget factors of the detail you ’re purchasing , as well . Products like antique lamps are often betray with the original electric element , which can be a major flack hazard . If you ’re set on buy anything with potentially faulty wiring , just be prepared to have your secondhand find rewire by a qualified electrician .

2. Used Cleaning Devices

There ’s nothing awry with purchasing things like vacuums , mops , or other cleaning devices on Marketplace — as long as they ’re listed as “ new in corner ” and you may confirm they have never been used . If you ’re purchase something you ’ll use to clean your home , you want to verify the item itself is light before take it home .

3. Old Upholstery

Part of the flush ofsecondhand shoppingis finding something with not bad bones that just needs a bit of TLC . If you ’re on the hunting for a DIY piece of furniture flip , it ’s undecomposed to stick to solid Ellen Price Wood while , as upholstered items can pose more of a luck . Even if you ’re purchasing an token with the intention of having it re - covered , older upholstery has a high-pitched risk of carryingbed hemipterous insect , plague plague , and hard - to - eliminate odors .

4. Anything Manufactured Before 1978 That May Contain Lead

If you ’re a veteran vintage shopper , you ’re in all likelihood familiar withthe risk of lead in your antique finds . Any item produced before 1978 ( when lead products were banned in the United States ) bear a potential risk . Items more than 50 class former with highly pigment pigment , varnish , or glaze likely do contain lead — and because item listed on Marketplace likely do n’t have an exact twelvemonth or manufacturer listed , it ’s best to steer light of these altogether .

5. Recalled Products

Because Marketplace listings are created by individual people rather than brands themselves , it ’s possible you ’ll come across a for - sale item that ’s previously been recalled by the manufacturer . Facebook typically flag listings for baby intersection ( because things like cribs and bassinets are frequently recalled ) , but no matter what you ’re shopping for , it ’s deserving doing a little research on the merchandise name and stigma to make certain the detail you ’re buying does n’t have any recalls associated with it .