Online marketplaces can be a great platform to give things you no longer need a second home. For example, over 1.1 billion people in 70 countries use Facebook Marketplace, and it's well on its way to become on of the most popular platforms for people to sell and buy goods.
Sometimes, they can also be a source of comedy gold. You see, some people just don't have the time or the patience to list detailed and descriptive ads. In fact, sometimes they put so little effort that people don't have another choice but to post them on the Uninspiring Adverts Facebook group.
More info: Uninspiring Adverts | Uninspiring Adverts Regenerated
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"Uninspiring Adverts" and its sister group "Uninspiring Adverts Regenerated" have just a little over 40k members. The group is not for malicious mocking, though. Their members just want to marvel at the irony of people "who want to get rid of their stuff – but just can't be bothered."
The first time we covered the "Uninspiring Adverts" group, its creator Owen Dawson told Bored Panda that the idea to showcase these weird sellers came to him while he would peruse Facebook Marketplace as a new dad. "I used Marketplace quite a lot for secondhand baby stuff but quickly found myself distracted by the weird and bad quality ads that kept popping up on my feed."
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A truly "uninspiring ad" most often advertises a poor-quality item in a blurry or an irrelevant photo. "The description should have several spelling and grammatical errors, and an unrealistically high price tag," Owen told us back in 2023. "Bonus points if the seller confidently announces 'I know what I've got.'"
"Ads for used clothing should state 'Never worn’ whilst accompanied by a photo of the garment clearly being worn. Elite level ads will offer buyers the chance to remove some awkward or large item from the seller's property (such as a derelict shed) that would otherwise be disposed of at a municipal tip, and pay them for the privilege."
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One kind of post always hits the jackpot in the "Uninspiring Adverts" group. "[It's] a single ad featuring a 'Chester Draws,' 'Nester Tables,' 'Otter Man' and 'Walldrope'," Owen told Bored Panda in a previous interview. "We have a standing prize offer for anyone who posts that ad."
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One more recent trend that Owen noticed this summer was that people post more and more items with their cat's likeness. "Cat paintings, cat clay models, cushions with their cat's face on them… So many cats," he told Bored Panda. Whether many people are willing to buy an item with a stranger's cat's face on it remains unknown.
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The group admins try to engage with the community by organizing 'Post of the Week' competitions. The administrators nominate their favorite posts of the week, and the members then celebrate the top three in a pinned post. The group's community is pretty active in general: "About 25% of the membership actively posts ads and comments/reacts," Owen told Bored Panda when we first covered the group.
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"Uninspiring Adverts" is full of good examples of what good online marketplace ads shouldn't be. "Sellers could use 'Uninspiring Adverts' as a guide to how NOT to advertise their wares!" Owen said before. "I suppose I'm more used to looking at awful ads, but if someone is serious about striking a good deal, a clear, sharp set of photos from all angles is key."
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And Owen's not wrong; style and design experts from the Emily Henderson blog claim that sellers should put some style in their posts if they want to sell better and faster. You don't need to be an expert photographer but do use good lighting, a clean backdrop, and a thoughtfully styled shot.
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Surprisingly, they also recommend omitting any pets from the photographs. "When buyers see pets in your photo, they assume the piece is going to have fur, odor, or damage. It doesn't matter if the rest of the photo is immaculate – you're just going to set yourself up for a headache," the bloggers write.
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In many pics on this list, people claim that the item is "like new" and "works perfectly", when, in reality, it's pretty banged up. Scamming people is never nice, so, showing the imperfections of the item in the photos is a must, too. "Honesty is best and buyers will respect your transparency," Gretchen Ragues from EHD writes.
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What are your experiences while browsing Facebook Marketplace, Pandas? Have you ever come across these kinds of absurd ads? Let us know your stories in the comments! And, if you want to chuckle at some more uninspiring adverts, check out our previous articles about the group here, here and here!
