VarageSale is a classified app for Android that allows sellers to list unwanted items of theirs in a clean, simple and free environment. Buyers can then join a local community near them and search through these items to find a bargain or get something at a cut-rate. The app features a Facebook login and users can experience a quick and speedy purchasing experience from start to finish. With simple buttons such as the “Interested” button and “Sold” button, buyers and sellers alike can communicate quickly and easily. VarageSale – Buy Sell Local has been downloaded almost 5 Million times and there are communities throughout the United States, Canada and even parts of Europe, too. Let’s see what the app is all about, shall we?
First thing’s first, bargain hunters will have to download the VarageSale Android app from the Play Store before they can get started.
Users will need to login in with Facebook, which might be a little off-putting for some, but it appears VarageSale has a good reason for this, and they’re happy to tell people why, too.
The next stage for any new member is to find a community near them, luckily the app will do just that for you:
My colleagues are always poking fun at me for living “in the middle of nowhere” so I was surprised to see that VarageSale had a community for my local area.
New members will need to be approved by the community admins, and I think this is to ensure that members half a world away don’t try to pester users needlessly. I was approved pretty quickly, and I was then able to start browsing for items.
When you want to take a closer look at something you can just hit the picture in the feed to get the full description of an item.
Buttons such as the “Ask” and “Interested” buttons make it nice and simple to let the seller know someone is interested, and it’s a nice way of getting quick responses from both sellers and buyers.
Larger images are available to look at and the main menu has a number of different options to tweak.
Further settings include the ability to change your exact location and even change into a vacation mode to make it simple and informative for those that are away and have items currently listed.
More than just a place for people to sell things, VarageSale offers users the option to start discussions among others from your local area, which is certainly a nice touch.
VarageSale is an Android app that has a lot to offer local communities throughout many parts of the globe, but there are few issues here and there. For instance, if you wanted to join another second community – perfect for people like me, who are sort of in-between two counties – there’s no way to search for another community just a massive list. It also appears that there’s only one image available per-listing, which could cause problems during a meet-up where defects are only just discovered at the time of the sale. Regardless, there’s a lot of value here, and VarageSale has quick and easy buttons and a simple interface that’s super-simple to purchase with. The community features go beyond just selling things, and also make it easy to start discussions about certain projects or upcoming events, too.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – VarageSale is speedy app that has a lot to offer people, no matter what they’re looking for, it just works.
- Features (4.5/5) – What’s nice about VarageSale is that while it has all the classified features you’d be asking for, it also has some extra community features such as the ability to chat with local members about events and such, which is a nice personal touch.
- Theme (4/5) – The UI is nice and simple here, with some quick buttons to get the message across to buyer or seller without all of the mess that other apps end up using.
- Overall (4/5) – VarageSale is well worth taking a look at, especially if you’re looking for a bargain or just to get a feel for your local community.
Pros
- Super-simple to find and join a local community near you, which ensures you’ll only ever see items that are actually nearby.
- Good-looking interface is easy to use with quick communication for both buyer and seller.
- Goes beyond simple selling and gives the local community a place to chat and discuss things important to them.
- Great way of finding a bargain without the mess of wondering whether or not it’s nearby or whatever.
Cons
- Looks as though only one image per listing is possible?
- Difficult to join another nearby community.
VarageSale is something that’s well worth looking into, and it’s got a lot going for it. A classified app that’s easily-understood and runs well, with some extra community features rolled in, this works well to bring a community local. It might be focused on selling good and getting a bargain, but VarageSale is an app that finally makes the World Wide Web feel a little more local again.