7C for Sale

7C for Sale: The Premier Shopping Hotspot

By Krystal Yang

As a first-year at Pomona College, I was amazed by the onslaught of Facebook invites I received over the summer. Most of them were to be expected, such as the official class of 2023 Facebook page and Meme Queens of the 5Cs (and the 5C Free Boba Events page, of course!). 

I was also added to the 7C For Sale/For Free page. I thought the page made sense—of course college students would find ways to save money by selling things. However, the more I looked into this Facebook group, the more I realized that 7C For Sale was a vast marketplace for everything, from products to services, from missing keys to apartment leases. And yes, even Popeyes chicken sandwiches. 7C For Sale/For Free was created in March 2013, and is currently at over 8,500 members.

The group description says:

“This page is designed for students of the 7 Claremont Colleges in Claremont, CA to sell/giveaway/find items.” 

Given its size, it’s no surprise that the page features a wide variety of offerings. 

Some of the most common posts including clothing and dorm decor sales, with current 5C students trying to clear out their closets or selling unused items from previous semesters. Some students even go the extra mile to make slideshows with available items and their individual prices. The 5Cs definitely enjoy this culture of purchasing second-hand clothing—every time I thrift in the Village, I inevitably run into classmates while wading in and out of fitting rooms. However, by purchasing items from 7C For Sale/For Free, you have the convenience of picking up your items from another student on campus. Selling clothes on this Facebook page seems to be a middle between online shopping and shopping in-store. You can view photos of clothes online (and from the comfort of your bed), but get the convenience of hopping over to someone’s room to try on the pieces you are interested in purchasing.

Interestingly, “MISSING” or “LOST” posts have also become quite popular on this page, with students posting about electronics, keys, wheels (i.e. bikes and skateboards), and water bottles. So the 7C sale page has also transformed into an online lost-and-found, one that spans the entire consortium.

Furthermore, this online marketplace is not only limited to physical items. I connected with Dafina Matiku, a current Scripps junior who advertised her curly-hair-haircut services on 7C For Sale/For Free. When I asked her why she decided to use this platform specifically to reach out to clients, she replied, “Because I thought it was the best way to reach as many people as possible in a short time. Also because my service is catered toward a particular audience, I wanted to make sure I was reaching out to all the Cs.” 

Dafina’s response highlights a few key characteristics about this unique marketplace. This page has all the advantages of social media: a wide audience accessible with a click of a button. The features of Facebook Marketplace also fosters communication between a seller and a buyer. This page is also a liaison among all 5C students. Given the 5C’s isolation from larger cities, it seems inevitable that an “underground” marketplace emerged to satisfy undergraduate needs, from concert tickets to carpools, from haircut to tattoo services. Plus, there is an added sense of reliability that comes with purchasing products or services from another 5C student, someone who you might bump into again while taking a class at Pitzer or eating at Frary.

Next time you need anything—anything at all—consider checking out the premiere shopping hotspot at the 7Cs. (And no, I’m not talking about Deelux.)