Facebook Marketplace King or Queen? Plus local events, and an exciting new business coming.

Good Morning, Pensacola! The weather has been pretty great. We have been getting some things done around the house, going to the beach, and also went to Taco Mama and Pounders Hawaiian Grill over the weekend. This issue we talk about Facebook Marketplace. You can always catch met scrolling through when I have a free few minutes and I wanted to share tips on listing items and making a few extra bucks this spring.

In today's line:

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- The Bay Line Crew

I don’t post on social media much, but I probably scroll Facebook Marketplace more than I should. After a while, you start to see what actually moves around Pensacola, Pace, and Milton and what just sits there for weeks.

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is most people around here are looking for an easy yes. Not a perfect deal, just something simple. That usually means under $100, works like it should, and they can get it home without calling a buddy.

Furniture still shows up the most. Couches hang around unless they look almost new. What disappears quick are dressers, nightstands, and smaller tables, especially anything solid wood. If it’s clean and priced somewhere between $40 and $120, it usually doesn’t last long.

Outdoor stuff has its own rhythm. This time of year, mowers, trimmers, and pressure washers go fast. Then later in the year, after storms start rolling through, you’ll see generators and chainsaws get scooped up just as quick. That shift happens every year whether people realize it or not.

One thing that surprised me, garage fridges sell faster than regular kitchen appliances. Same with small freezers. People don’t overthink those. They see it, they message, they come get it.

If you’re trying to flip things, the deals aren’t always the cheapest listings. They’re the ones listed wrong. Somebody puts up a “cabinet” that’s really a solid wood dresser, or forgets to mention a brand name on a tool. That’s where the quick wins are.

A couple small things that make a difference, just from watching it play out:

Listings with photos taken outside or near a window get way more attention than stuff sitting in a dark garage. Doesn’t have to be fancy, just visible.

End of the week is where things pick up. By Friday afternoon, people are thinking about projects or finally getting around to picking something up.

And once a price starts creeping over that $150 range, you can feel buyers hesitate unless it’s something specific they were already looking for.

None of this is complicated, but it’s consistent. Around here, things move when they’re simple, fairly priced, and easy to grab. Everything else tends to sit while people keep scrolling.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just the things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something’s sponsored.

Pensacola Beach Crawfish Festival - April 17–19, Bamboo Willie's Beachside Bar - Three days of crawfish, live music, and general beach chaos in the best possible sense. This is one of the bigger food-focused weekends of the spring season on the beach, and it draws a crowd every year. If you're going Friday or Saturday, plan for traffic on the bridge. Bamboo Willie's, Pensacola Beach.

Gallery Night: Navy Days "Vintage Vibes and Valor" - Friday April 17, 5:00–9:00 PM - The monthly downtown art walk has a Navy theme this time around, which fits the city pretty well. Multiple galleries open along Palafox and the surrounding blocks, food and music on the street, free to walk around all night. About 314 people interested on Facebook, which is a solid Gallery Night number. 2 E. Government St, Downtown Pensacola.

Healthy Cooking Class @ Ever'man Co-op with LauraLee - Fridays April 17 and 24, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM - Ever'man runs these weekly cooking classes at their store on Garden Street. If you've never been to the co-op, it's worth the trip on its own — and a cooking class there is about as local as a Friday morning gets. 315 W. Garden St, Pensacola. Check their Facebook for cost and registration.

Spring Jam Series at Andy D's Roadhouse - Saturday April 18, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM - Vendors, food, and live music out on US-90 in Milton. Running every Saturday through at least late April. Stationery, plants, accessories, specialty food — good outdoor market energy without the downtown crowd. 5887 US-90, Milton.

Panhandle Butterfly House Grand Re-Opening - Saturday April 18, 10:00 AM - The Butterfly House and Nature Center in Milton is reopening its doors this weekend. Native plants, live butterflies, educational programming. The kind of place that doesn't get enough attention from people who don't already know about it. 4966 Henry St, Milton. Free.

Argentine Tango Lessons with PensaTango - Saturday April 18, 5:30–8:00 PM - One more Saturday session at Ever'man Educational Center before this stretch wraps up. No partner needed to show up, and Argentine tango is a different animal from what most people picture when they think tango. If you've been on the fence, this is the last easy entry point for a while. 327 W. Garden St, Pensacola.

Beginner Stained Glass Class at UB-The Unique Boutique - Sunday April 19, 2:00–5:00 PM - This one has 477 people interested on Facebook, which for a local craft class is an unusual number. Del Mar Plaza location in West Pensacola, and seats are limited. Register ahead if you want a spot. 1625 W. Garden St, Pensacola.

Big Spring Book Sale - April 24–26, opens 3:00 PM on the 24th - The Friends of West Florida Public Libraries put this on every spring. Thousands of books, very low prices, tables organized by category. The Facebook event has 1,400 people interested. If you buy books, this is worth blocking out a few hours. 214 N. Spring St, Pensacola.

Sanding Sanding Jay Pro Rodeo - April 24th and 25th, gates open at 5:00 PM - The rodeo hosts the 3r rodeo company from Jemison, Alabama and enjoys pro bull riding, saddle broncs, calf and team roping, steer wrestling, and women’s breakaway and barrel racing.

One Night of Queen with Gary Mullen & The Works - Tuesday April 28, 7:30 PM - Gary Mullen has been doing this show for 25 years. The local Facebook event has 1,700 people interested. Queen fans tend to know this tribute production and seek it out specifically. Saenger Theatre, 118 Palafox Pl. Ticketed via Ticketmaster.

Crestview Night at Blue Wahoos Stadium - Thursday April 30, 6:05 PM - A community night at the ballpark organized by the City of Crestview. Baseball along the bay with a neighbor-city angle. Tickets via fevo-enterprise.com. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just the things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something’s sponsored.

Each month we like to spotlight new or upcoming businesses coming to the area. This month we talk about two locals opening a rock climbing third place (social environment, distinct from home {"first place"} and work {"second place"}, serves as a vital community anchor for informal interaction).

Vertical Connections — Climb Pensacola

Chuck and Amber Craig and Caleb and Jackie Mallory are building a climbing gym with a cafe, fitness zone, ropes, bouldering course, workshop, and kids space for Pensacola and the surrounding area.

Chuck is currently the connections pastor at West Florida Baptist Church and he was also previously in charge of large climbing location. His job is figuring out how to help people find their people. Building the systems and the spaces where belonging actually happens, where strangers become a community. The gym's tagline is "Climb Higher. Connect Deeper."

Caleb comes out of Mountaintop Missions with a philosophy that growth and challenge are basically the same thing. He worked professionally as a guide, instructor, and outdoor educator in the Pacific Northwest. His climbing credentials include:

Put these two people together and you get a business concept that's interested in producing serious climbers and in what happens to people after they climb.

Pensacola currently has two climbing options. Weatherford's Outback on Cervantes is a small wall inside an outdoor gear shop. The UWF Climbing Center is 36 feet tall but it's largely restricted to students and university affiliates. There's a real gap for a purpose-built community climbing gym that any Pensacola resident can walk into with their kids and learn, challenge themselves, and have a good afternoon.

They're still in the build phase. No opening date has been announced yet. But the website is live, the Instagram is @vc_pensacola, and they're building an early community before the doors open. If this sounds like something you'd want to be part of, visit climbpensacola.com.

April 17–19 - Pensacola Beach Crawfish Festival @ Bamboo Willie's - Three days of live music on the beach. Check the festival page for the full lineup. - Free with festival entry

April 17 - Gallery Night: Navy Days @ Downtown Pensacola - Street music throughout the evening, 5–9 PM. - Free

April 18 - Spring Jam Series at Andy D's Roadhouse - 10:00 AM–2:00 PM - Vendors, food, and live music out in Milton. Stationery, plants, accessories, local food. Andy D's has a good casual outdoor atmosphere and this is a nice Saturday morning option if you're already out that way. 5887 US-90, Milton. Free.

April 18 - Brandon Lake @ Pensacola Bay Center - Listen here

April 28 - One Night of Queen with Gary Mullen & The Works @ Saenger Theatre - Listen here

May 18 - Jim Breuer: Find The Funny @ Saenger Theatre - Breuer's been doing stand-up since the SNL days and still tours regularly. 7:30 PM. Tickets via Ticketmaster. - Listen here

August 22 - Vince Gill: 50 Years From Home @ Saenger Theatre - Listen here

Thanks for being here. We appreciate you taking the time to read the Pensacola Bay Line today.