Why Is Buying Big Items Secondhand So Hard?
Because a store handles delivery, payment, installation, and a warranty, and a used sale leaves them to you. Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, and what Commonplace adds back.
Listen to the episode: From Sofas to Swim Spas: Secondhand Goods Get the Buy-New Experience, Supercool with Josh Dorfman, aired October 21, 2026. Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Short answer: Because buying new comes with layers you take for granted: delivery, payment, installation, inspection, financing, and a warranty. Buying a big item used from a stranger usually comes with none of them, so you handle the messages, the truck, the cash, and the risk yourself. Commonplace adds those layers back to secondhand.
Ari Kimmelfeld explained the gap on Supercool with host Josh Dorfman.
What Ari said
And especially when it comes to big things, there's a logistics component, there's a payments component, there's a safety component, there's a warranty component, there's a financing component, there's an installation component, there's an inspection component. There are so many of these layers that you really take for granted when you buy retail.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 06:41
And what I like to say is it's really not apples to apples when you're buying new versus you're buying used, because of all of the things that the used marketplace doesn't have.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 07:02
Why people pay retail anyway
Ari said his friends and family would not do what he did to get a deal:
I don't have an extra two hours during my week to go out and buy a washer dryer from somebody else. I'm just gonna go to Best Buy and order it.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 15:04
They're really gently used. You need to know how to inspect it. You really need to spend a little bit of time sending out messages and putting in some work.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 15:23
Sellers face their own version of it:
It's just so easy to send a message and, you know, take up your time. And if you're selling multiple things, I mean, it really turns into, like, a part-time job. And then on top of that, you have a stranger coming to your house.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 08:41
What makes it easier
Where they can get things delivered and they can order it on a credit card, where it kind of is like a place where you can actually shop and press a button and order something versus like this ether of sending messages, receiving messages, strangers.
Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool, at 16:06
On Commonplace:
- A $1 hold. It reserves the item, so there is no back and forth.
- Inspection before pickup. A 30 to 50 point inspection, with a report the buyer approves.
- Secure payment. Pay by card through Commonplace, not cash to a stranger. On orders under $8,000, you pay the rest on delivery.
- White-glove delivery. Free within 100 miles, stairs included. Commonplace ships nationwide.
- A warranty. A free two-month parts warranty, with labor coverage as an optional add-on.
- Financing. Eligible items can be financed at checkout. Read can you finance a used hot tub.
Full comparison: Commonplace vs Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp. For the full conversation, read Is Buying Used as Easy as New?: Ari Kimmelfeld on Supercool.
Commonplace is the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp alternative for big items. Listing is free, and Commonplace handles pickup, inspection, delivery, secure payments, and a free two-month parts warranty. Delivery is free within 100 miles, and Commonplace ships nationwide. See how it works.
Related questions
What makes buying used different from buying new?
Ari said it is not apples to apples. Buying new includes logistics, payments, safety, a warranty, financing, installation, and inspection. Buying used from a stranger usually includes none of them.
How does Commonplace make buying a big item used easier?
A $1 hold reserves the item, it gets a 30 to 50 point inspection before pickup that you approve, and it is delivered and set up. On orders under $8,000 you pay the rest on delivery, and a free two-month parts warranty is included.
Is a used washer and dryer worth buying?
Ari said many are gently used, but you need to know how to inspect them and put in time messaging sellers. Commonplace does the inspection and the delivery. Shop washers and dryers.
Thank you to Josh Dorfman for having Ari on Supercool. Quotes are from the episode, lightly edited for reading. Listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts.
More from Ari's podcast interviews: questions Ari answered on podcasts and every show he has been on.