Most students at Spring Arbor University are aware of the booming Facebook group called “SAU Thrift,” which allows students to post their random items for someone else to purchase or bargain for. Created by Marcella Lampe, this Facebook group started off with only a few handfuls of people but has now expanded to over 900 students and continues to grow. But because of the large amounts of members, the thrift page has almost become overwhelming and can become a bit difficult to navigate through at times. Even though many students have had great success and made some major “moolah” on the thrift page, some other students see little action on their thrifty posts because their post gets knocked down to the bottom of the page within minutes.
So you may be thinking: “What can be done about this?” Or, “Are my items ever going to sell?” And maybe even, “I’m never going to afford laundry without selling my scented candles on SAU Thrift!” Well, don’t you fret because here are a few tips that could potentially make SAU Thrift a bit easier to navigate through and a bit more successful when selling your junk.
1. Make your own album.
The thrift page offers an option to make your own albums and even give them some witty name that may attract customers to view your products! If you’re trying to get rid of your entire collection of 8th grade flared jeans, then make an album instead of individually posting each and every pair of flared pants. When doing this, it will cause much less chaos and people will be able to choose their favorite flared beauty out of your selection in a much orderly fashion. Not only that, but it will prevent you from taking over the entire page with your denim so that other’s that post will actually get a chance to show off their flare as well. Be considerate when posting multiple items because other college students are trying to save up for their weekly Ramen Noodles as well.
2. You can sell junk, but not actual junk.
Let’s be real for a second. Don’t try selling half of a bottle of hand lotion for a quarter on the thrift page. If anything, give that lotion to someone to the person on your floor who envies your scent every time you walk by. You have to actually think about whether or not the junk you have in your room is actually going to sell and if it’s even worth the time for you to walk to the Cougar Den and exchange it for a shiny quarter. This type of junk should either be thrown away or donated to someone on your floor rather than posted on a page filled with 900 other students. So if you have any unwanted hair ties, used deodorant, half-eaten granola bars, or super stinky shoes, decide what else to do with them because some people on the thrift page might just not want them.
3. If it’s a dud, take it off the page!
If you have an item that hasn’t sold and it’s been floating around the thrift page for over 2 months, it may be time to move on. It doesn’t mean that your item isn’t wonderful, it just means that it is probably never going to be bought. This mostly only applies to those who might try to sell used hair ties on the thrift page, but for the most part it’s a rare occasion. Be concentious about whether or not your item is ever going to be bought. If it never gets sold there may be a Goodwill in the area that may have better luck than you.
4. Lastly, if it’s sold, let the people know!
Keep up to date with your items when you post them on the site. If your Gilmore Girls DVD collection finally sold, let your customers know and delete your post. When sold items are kept on the thrift page, it’s pointless to keep hogging up the thrifty space. If every sold item was eventually deleted then the page could be much more clean and organized. So when your lovely Avril Lavigne CD sells, don’t keep all of your eager customers wondering whether or not they still have a change at snagging that gem.
These are only a few suggestions on how to keep this page going so that new members can use it’s wonderful perks. The thrift page has had much success and many students have happily paid for their half-off Applebee’s appetizers thanks to selling their items on SAU Thrift. This page is only going to continue to grow in size, and there will be Frank Sinatra records for every thrifty student to grab, so let’s keep it going by helping the page become more functional. It’s an awesome way to make some money, get rid of unwanted items, meet new people, and help that struggling hipster to become even more hip than they could have ever imagined.
SAU Thrift shall live on.
By Ryne Larsh
