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How To Shop Safely at Online Yard Sales This Holiday Season

Whether you're buying or selling, how to do it right.

NBC Universal, Inc.

If you're looking for a new way to get all the best deals the online shopping world has to offer, how about ditching the traditional shopping cart and trying an online yard sale?

Deb Colameta, the author of "Best Offer, Best Life", shares the details about what an online yard sale is and how it works.

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Colameta says these online yard sales are typically right at our fingertips. Just go onto Facebook, search your location and 'online yard sales' and you will see a list of groups that are specifically made for you to join to shop and sell your items.

She stresses this is different from the Facebook marketplace because it's created by members of your community.

Because these groups are composed of members who live in your area and, thereby, people you may even know, Colameta says this can often make for a safer buying and selling environment.

However, here are a few things to remember when going through the process.

4 Safety Tips For Online Yard Sales:

  1. Sell/trade through personal connections.
  2. If you don't know the buyer or seller, plan on meeting during the day.
  3. Always go with a buddy.
  4. Do all communications through an app/online platform.

When it comes to the best time to sell items, she says, don't wait until winter break rolls around, that the best time to get selling is now. She says people looking to shop for Christmas are well into looking for deals on must-get gifts, including slightly used items.

Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge shares her tips to try when it comes to avoiding holiday debt this season.
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