Respect the hustle, they say. But how can you, when it’s someone selling half-eaten snacks, haunted dolls, or an old shoe described as an antique? At the very least, I’m going to laugh at it.
To prove that people will try to make a dollar off literally anything, we’ve gathered some of the funniest, most ridiculous, and downright confusing online listings ever posted.
Today, you can describe the internet in many ways, and a flea market is definitely one of them — full of scammers and opportunists.
#1 I Guess He Was Really Excited About The Fig Trees! Found On FB Marketplace
#2 A Bargain If You Ask Me
Some social media platforms seem to be struggling with the younger crowd. For example, only 32% of U.S. teens use Facebook today, down from 71% in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. And many who are still there choose to stay only because of its resale platform, Marketplace.
Launched in 2016, Facebook Marketplace has grown into one of Meta’s biggest success stories and now competes with the likes of eBay and Craigslist.
“Marketplace is the flea market of the internet,” said Charles Lindsay, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Buffalo. “There’s a massive amount of consumer-to-consumer business.”
#3 Anyone Looking For A Chicken Suit? No Questions Asked!
#4 XL Coughing For Sale
#5 Michael Wave
This is largely because “young people, including students … , are increasingly drawn to used goods,” said Yoo-Kyoung Seock, a professor of textiles, merchandising and interiors at the University of Georgia, who studies consumer behavior among Gen Z and millennials and environmental sustainability in the textile industry.
Meta doesn’t talk much about Marketplace as a business — for instance, how its demographics may differ from Facebook overall and whether it has a vision to grow the platform in its annual reports — but unlike, say, Craigslist users, Marketplace has messaging built in on Facebook, making communication really easy.
#6 Toss Da Baby
#7 Air For Sale
#8 This Lamp For Sale. Found On My Local FB Marketplace Page
#9 An Obvious Joke, But I Thought This Community Would Appreciate The Humor
However, there’s still plenty of fraud online. 73% of U.S. adults have experienced some kind of online scam or attack, and 36% say they purchased an item online that never arrived or was counterfeit and it was not refunded.
Interestingly, younger Americans are slightly more likely than their older counterparts to say they have lost money because of an online scam or attack. About a quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds say they’ve lost money in this way, compared to 15% of those 65 and older.
This makes you wonder: how many of these ridiculous listings are actually legit? (Minus the ones that are clearly created as a joke, of course.)
#10 I Believe This Is An Oregon
#11 Ponch
#12 Probably
#13 Catholic Converter
What’s worse, fake AI listings are also flooding the internet. According to Dr. Kolina Koltai, who is a senior researcher and trainer at Bellingcat and studies how sociotechnical systems influence our decision-making, major advancements in artificial intelligence in recent years have made it harder to differentiate between what’s real or fake, not just when it comes to photos and videos of people, but also in product listings.
#14 A Connoisseur
#15 $5000 Lettuce Shard
#16 First Time I’ve Ever Seen Something Like That
#17 Haul Away A Collosal Mountain Of Trash For Him. It’ll Only Cost You $1000
“Many AI-generated images have some sort of ‘sheen’ or look to them that can set off alarm bells,” Koltai explains.
“Take this image of one of the ‘crystal coffee mugs.’ At first glance, it looks like a beautiful mug. But if you look closer, you might notice defects in the image.”
She says many of us often search for the cheapest items online, looking to get the most bang for our buck, but it is also important to be alert to deals that seem too good to be real.
#18 Perfectly Balanced
#19 Hmm
#20 Antique Legs
#21 Used Toilet Brush For Sale
Koltai says that a good habit is to always look beyond the listing and consider who is profiting from the purchase.
Is this a name-brand item, or does it appear to be some mysterious seller that has popped overnight out of nowhere? Does this seller have a website, or do they only exist on Facebook or Amazon? If they sell other items, what do the customer reviews say? Is the seller using an AI-generated image as their profile picture?
While it’s funny to see someone trying to get a few thousand dollars for the planet Juniper, there are many more subtle attempts to lure away our money, too.
#22 Only On Facebook Marketplace
#23 Dwanket
#24 I Was Looking On FB Marketplace For A First Toyota. Then, I Came Across This…
#25 Just Shy Of 4 Chairs
#26 Selling My Pet Lobster. Do Not Under Any Circumstances Play Him Johnny Cash
#27 I Am In
#28 Sunroof
#29 Actual Wtf
#30 Portal Potty
#31 Got That
#32 Why The Hell Did They Photograph Their $75,600 Diamond On A Sandwich???
#33 Weirdest Looking Gaming PC I’ve Ever Seen
#34 Any Of Y’all Need A Bing Bag?
#35 I Hate Facebook Marketplace
#36 This Terrifying.. “Soup Boy” On My Facebook Marketplace
#37 3D Printers Will Create Life-Saving Synthetic Limbs They Said
#38 “Potential”
#39 Browsing Facebook Marketplace Never Disappoints
#40 Mona Lisa Only $1,000,000
#41 It’s 100% Authentic
#42 Pretty Successful Bookkeeper
#43 Human Foosball For Sale
#44 Fire Distinguisher
#45 The Megatron?
#46 So What Are Your Hobbies?
#47 Creepy 12′ Tall Elvis Head
Only 10k
#48 Wiled Time In The Camper
#49 20 Stackable Chairs
#50 A Good Deal
#51 Just Some Planters For Sale
#52 Saw This One FB Marketplace
#53 That Burger Cell Is Sweet And All, But
#54 So Rare They Censored It!
#55 Wow What A Steal
#56 Does This Count?
#57 Thanks But I’ll Pass
#58 This Listing On Facebook Marketplace
#59 1234-2 Isn’t Even That Special
Found in the wild, sent an offer of $30
#60 Wtf
#61 Unique Creation Found On Facebook Marketplace; “Bad Gary”
#62 Legit Post On Facebook Marketplace
#63 It Looks So Tasty
#64 Fifty Bucks For A Broken Bottle
#65 Impressive, But 25k??
#66 Oo La La What A Stick
#67 Artifact
#68 Stealing An Item From Walmart And Then Posting It On FB Marketplace With The Security Alarm Still On It
#69 Leftover KFC For Sale On Facebook
#70 Massive Chip
#71 Only $75!
#72 $200 For Around $40 Worth Of Pennies, Perfect For Collectors
#73 Slightly Sat On…
#74 Nightmare Fuel
#75 I Have So Many Questions
#76 Please… I Know… The Pixels
#77 Walmart Pole
#78 Own A Piece Of History
#79 Does This Count?
#80 Fake Wasp Nest
#81 Blursed Roller Skates
#82 Anyone Need A Ladies Old Panties?
#83 Nintendo Switch
#84 For All Your Christmas Shopping Needs
#85 Only 1 For Sale
#86 Arms For Sale
#87 Think I Can Talk Him Down To $400?
#88 Be Kind. Rewind. Is Cheaper Than Paying The Fee
#89 Amazing Things Are Happening On Facebook Marketplace
#90 I Mean, I Don’t Disagree
#91 Warms For Free
#92 Used Mask For Sale
#93 $75 Is Way Too Low For This Modern Art
#94 Elusive “C” And “K”
#95 Rest In Peace
#96 Spice Jar For Sale
#97 Pj Mask
#98 Fish Water
