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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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    #3

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    Michelle Dawn White Report

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    Nat Rich
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    3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    British humour at its finest 👌 corrected it, their they're do you feel better?

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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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    #9

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    Colin Barrett Report

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    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What happens emotionally in 2025? Does the real owner finish their jail time and discovers it gone so falls apart crying?

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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."

    #10

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    Paula Jackson Report

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    Heffalump
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some things are rare and unusual because only the most skilled craftsmen can make them, and some because only an idiot would.

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    #12

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    Will West Report

    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.

    #17

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    Kim MW Report

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    Jrog
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    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's a ceramic piece from an art studio, not real vegetables

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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."

    #21

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    Emma Newton Report

    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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    #23

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    Owen Dawson Report

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    Tucker Cahooter
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah pretty much how I see botanical things, except I also categorize them as either dead or not yet dead

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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.

    #28

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    Amanda Leyshon Report

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    Rachel Pelz
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Very comfy to wear. Last owner wore it for the rest of his life. Too bad that wasn't long.

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    #29

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    Al Ballinger Report

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    Rachel Pelz
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    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Buyer won't be disappointed by excessively used apostrophe's either.

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    #30

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    Justyna Novak Report

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    Heffalump
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why would someone not bother to brush these off and wipe then down with a damp rag? < 1 minute.

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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!

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    #34

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    Ashleigh Twyford Report

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    Judes
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find it weird that he's wearing ordinary shoes. Yes, that is actually what I find weird about these photos.

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    #38

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    Computer Jones Report

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    Tucker Cahooter
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why waste time taking a picture of just the boat when you can waste more time crudely editing the faces from an existing picture

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    #47

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    Owen Dawson Report

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    Floeckchen
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    MikeOwave would be a great album title for a DJ named Mike

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    #51

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    #57

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    Bea Morbidge Report

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    Donkey boi
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No wonder the Ottoman empire was abolished, if this was the kind of soldiers they had.

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    #61

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    Owen Dawson Report

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    Rachel Pelz
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    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So glad the Thing found a partner and had their 3D portaits done.

    #62

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    Shane Cossey Report

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    Libstak
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Butter doesn't really cut as well as people claim though, tried to cut some carrots with the butter and boy did I regret it.

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    #66

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    Donkey boi
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    At least she said it's from a house with a cat. Maybe English isn't a native tongue, applying the past tense suffix of 'ed' to 'cost' is an understandable mistake for those learning.

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    #68

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    Alistair Hall Report

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    eric p
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another backwards British spelling. It's color not colour...

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