ADVERTISEMENT

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

#1

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Rachel Wilkinson Report

Add photo comments
POST
You said WHAT now?
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All see is back when we use to think dressing our toilets with fuzzy covers made our bathrooms look like livingrooms. If you are under 30, you were spared that trend.

Upstaged75
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are tons of these type of stools on Amazon - in all different kinds of animals. They're really cool! I plan to get a dino one for my niece. :)

Nea
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thanks for clarifying ‘seat with storage’, I thought it was some toilet sear cover.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Michelle Dawn White Report

Add photo comments
POST
Nat Rich
Community Member
2 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?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

"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." 

ADVERTISEMENT

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."

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Colin Barrett Report

Add photo comments
POST
Libstak
Community Member
2 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?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

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

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Paula Jackson Report

Add photo comments
POST
Heffalump
Community Member
2 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.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Kim MW Report

Add photo comments
POST
Jrog
Community Member
2 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

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda

"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

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

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.

ADVERTISEMENT
#23

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Owen Dawson Report

Add photo comments
POST
Tucker Cahooter
Community Member
2 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

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

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.

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda

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

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Amanda Leyshon Report

Add photo comments
POST
Rachel Pelz
Community Member
2 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.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Al Ballinger Report

Add photo comments
POST
Rachel Pelz
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Funny-Uninspiring-Adverts-Sellers

Justyna Novak Report

Add photo comments
POST
Heffalump
Community Member
2 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.

View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 69 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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!