Facebook has launched Facebook Marketplace. This lets users buy and sell items with people located nearby. And the best thing about Facebook Marketplace? It's all entirely free.

Facebook Marketplace is a virtual marketplace stacked with unwanted items just begging for a new home. It's also where you can list your unwanted items in the hopes people will pay good money for old junk.

According to the Facebook Newsroom, you can visit Facebook Marketplace by clicking on the Shop icon at the bottom of the Facebook app. There you'll find photos of items listed for sale by people in your local area. You can then search for particular items, browse by category, or change the location.

Tapping on an item reveals more detail, including the name and profile of the seller. It's then up to you to contact the seller and work out the details of the transaction. Facebook makes it clear it plays no part in the paying or delivery of items bought through Marketplace.

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You can also sell your items by following a few simple steps detailed on the Facebook app. Listing items for sale is completely free, with Facebook really just acting as the facilitator. We suspect executives at eBay and Craigslist will be panicking right about now.

The Facebook Marketplace Is Reborn

Facebook Marketplace is initially launching in the U.S., the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. It will be available to everyone over the age of 18, and located within the Facebook app on Android and on iOS. Other countries will be added to the roster over time, and a desktop app is also in the works.

Interestingly, this isn't Facebook's first attempt at getting deeper into the business of e-commerce. The social network actually launched a Marketplace in 2007, and it did almost exactly the same thing the new Marketplace does.

However, the nine years that have passed between then have been kind to Facebook. The social network now boasts in excess of 1.7 billion users worldwide, and 450 million of those visit Facebook Groups dedicated to the buying and selling of old tat each month. Making this (re)launch a no-brainer.

Have you ever bought or sold something through Facebook? Did you have a good experience or did it all go horribly wrong? Can you see yourself using Facebook Marketplace? Please let us know in the comments below!

Image Credit: Taichiro Ueki via Flickr