If you have just come to Australia to work or live, you will need a lot of furniture to provide almost all the necessities for your bedroom or living room. And if you buy new ones, you may need to spend thousands of dollars. And it is inconvenient to move later. In a place to stay a long time, some items gradually idle and can not be used, directly thrown away and wasted.
At this time, we need to use Australia‘s second-hand goods trading platform and second-hand shops. Not only can we not use the goods resale to the need of friends, but also at a more affordable price to buy other people’s second-hand goods, save money and save resources! Australia’s second-hand market is relatively developed. You can see second-hand shops everywhere and purchase everything you need, from tableware to clothes to musical instruments and electronic products that Chinese students love.
Gumtree
Gumtree is Australia’s most popular online second-hand trading market, with more than 7 million Gummies in the folding willow for free trading, which many Australian locals use! The site includes rent, finding a job, buying and selling cars, making friends, etc. Gumtree connects buyers and sellers in the local community, offering a variety of 3 million items out of hundreds. You can easily find second-hand goods by category on the site or list your second-hand goods for sale on the platform for free. The best thing about Gumtree is that you can trade locally, saving a lot of money on postage costs! Some international students hurrying to resell back to their home countries have to choose to sell cheaply. So, most old furniture ends up on the side of the road, waiting for the bin lorry to collect it.
Advantages:
- Old Australian-based second-hand trading website;
- The platform is entirely free;
- The high degree of freedom: buyers and sellers are free to negotiate and complete the transaction if the price is right;
- Wide range of products.
Disadvantages:
More scammers are prone to non-payment on arrival.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a selling and buying feature launched on mobile on 3 October 2016, allowing users to buy and sell items on Facebook. The feature is derived from Facebook’s second-hand goods group. It doesn’t just work in the big city of Sydney, Melbourne; it works just as well in remote areas. Firstly, you need to have a Facebook account, then open the menu in the top right-hand corner, open marketplace, and then you can retrieve the treasure you are looking for. Also, you can set your retrieval area, the distance from your location. This will make it easy to find what you want. You can also sell or give away your unwanted babies on it. So you can quickly remove your furniture when you move and travel.
Advantages:
- Convenient, no need to download software; you can use it directly on Facebook;
- Free to buy and sell;
- It can be set to hide from friends;
- Ability to find suitable used items nearby, offline trading friendly;
- Real-name identity information login is relatively accurate;
- You can exchange it in the dialogue box first.
Disadvantages:
Some categories of goods cannot be shelved: e.g. oversized name-brand items will be forced off the shelves. No logos, animals, tobacco products and related paraphernalia, alcohol, digital products, or electronic devices can be exposed that facilitate the streaming of unauthorised content.
Cash Converters
Cash Converters is a second-hand chain shop developed in Australia. It is Australia’s largest trading network specialising in second-hand goods, a bit like what we say pawnshops. Australians will take second-hand things to pawn; of course, you can dig for treasure. You can click on the Store Locator on the official website and enter your postcode to find the nearest shop. Visit the shop’s webpage; each shop has an address and phone number for easy reference. Or keyword search for your need and see which shop has it in stock. There is a postage charge for buying online.
Pay particular attention to the fact that if the shop has a schedule showing Retail, it is a shop with items on site that you can look at, touch, try and buy immediately. If not, then it is just a counter, and of course, it is “out of stock” and available on-site. Buys and loans can be pawned, which is very convenient and helpful for those leaving Australia in a hurry!
Advantages:
- There are both physical and online shops; visit the shop’s website, and each shop has an address and phone number for easy reference;
- Ability to buy what you want for less and sell what you don’t wish to for instant cash;
- With over 150 shops nationwide, most items also come with a 90-day warranty;
- The ability to borrow up to $5,000 in addition to selling;
- There is a large assortment of furniture, bikes, cameras, mobile phones, GPS, electric pots and pans, etc., all at a moderate unit price but just fine as second-hand items.
Disadvantages:
There can be some discrepancies between what’s on the website and what’s in the physical shop, so it’s best to go to the shop where you can see and touch it in person;
You need to pay postage to buy online.
Trading Post
Trading Post is similar to Gumtree, an online second-hand trading platform. Sellers can sell almost anything on Tradingpost.com, some popular sales are cars, pets, fashion, homeware and accessories, and buyers can go on a free taobao. Most items are advertised for free, but you’ll need to pay a fee to sell a vehicle or a dog. Most private adverts are valid for 21 days from the posting date, after which you can relist your advert for free.
Advantages:
Allows unlimited free adverts for private sellers in most categories;
The categories are numerous and cover all aspects of life’s needs;
Disadvantages:
For sellers, it is essential to check the expiry date, as they may face a new listing position fee if they do not extend it within the period.
eBay
Founded in 1995, it is a combined online auction and buy-and-sell shopping site. It is an online auction and shopping site that manages items people can buy and sell worldwide. The items can be published if they do not violate the law or are on eBay’s prohibited list. Hot categories include digital products, fashion, furniture and gardening, auto parts, commercial and industrial. Not only can you buy and sell second-hand items freely on the site, but many brand-new products are under warranty and accept a free return policy, which is a very safe and trustworthy site.
Advantages:
- Massive user base, basically do not have to worry about not finding the correct goods or selling goods no one asked for;
- There are few restrictions on the products on the shelves;
- Auctions are available, and sellers will get more exposure;
- Professional customer service is available to help;
- Various pricing methods, including bidding without a reserve price, bidding with a reserve price, pricing to sell, and one-bite transactions;
- Relatively fair ranking.
Disadvantages:
The platform has handling fees: eBay divides sellers’ shops into many levels, and each level charges a different rate. In addition to charging shop fees, if buyers need to use special features, they also need to pay the appropriate fees;
Whether you have sold or not, you must pay a certain fee. If successfully sold, you must also pay some additional costs.
The buyer is responsible for the postage;
eBay places more importance on the buyer’s selling experience, and when disputes arise, the platform protects the buyer more, and the seller is likely to suffer;
The audit cycle is long, can only be auctioned, the number of products has a starting limit, and needs to accumulate reputation to sell more and more; the cycle of a single is also long and needs to accumulate slowly.
Carousell
Carousell originated on the university campus, an early college students’ trading platform for second-hand goods. Very popular with young people but firmly grasped the first batch of stable customer base. The site is not only for small goods. You can also shop and sell men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, furniture, books, motorbikes, pet supplies, brand-name goodies, and other categories. It’s great to find used furniture and textbooks on Carousell. Most people rent and sell second-hand, many of which are 80% or 90% new, as soon as they move. Find out the story behind each piece of furniture as you chat directly with the friendly sellers.
Advantages:
- Free to take photos, upload and start selling – experience selling things as easy as taking pictures, very popular with young people;
- More than 18 product categories, your community or nationwide bazaar circle to travel and buy new or used items;
- Share your items on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so your friends can see what you’re selling!
- You can haggle online yourself or communicate with sellers;
The app interface is designed to be simple and easy to use.
Disadvantages:
There are scam merchants or buyers that need to be screened.
FAQ
Some of the top websites include Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, IK2, and IKEA’s As-Is section
The reliability of the products depends on the seller. However, most of these platforms have user reviews and ratings that can help you gauge the quality of the product.
Yes, it is generally safe to buy used appliances online. However, it’s always a good idea to ask for product details, condition, and warranty information before purchasing.
It’s recommended to communicate clearly with the seller, understand the product details, check product images, and read previous customer reviews. Always ensure you’re comfortable with the payment method and delivery process.
This largely depends on the individual seller. Some sellers may be open to negotiation, while others have fixed prices. It’s always worth asking if the price is negotiable.
