As a married woman, this is the closest I’ve come to dating apps - Sydney Morning Herald

Summary

I met my now-husband back in 2002, so our relationship pre-dates the era of dating apps. I never got to try my finger at Tinder, stumble my way through Bumble, or hook up on Hinge.

But I recently sold used furniture on online marketplaces such as Facebook and Gumtree, and I think I’ve got a feel for what it’s like to be on “the apps”.

I met my now-husband back in 2002, so our relationship pre-dates the era of dating apps. I never got to try my finger at Tinder, stumble my way through Bumble, or hook up on Hinge.

But I recently sold used furniture on online marketplaces such as Facebook and Gumtree, and I think I’ve got a feel for what it’s like to be on “the apps”.

Just like the dating apps, the online marketplace is full of success stories, and it’s these happily-ever-afters that make it worth the effort. Credit:Stocksy

It was a house move and an overdue break-up with a sofa bed that put me in the game. The first step was taking a flattering photo of the sofa. I didn’t cheat by using a filter but I did employ clever lighting to bring out its best features. I knew I had to be honest in the description by mentioning its flaws, as there was no point catfishing potential buyers. The word “easy” was deliberately put into the heading – I needed buyers to know there would be no barriers to sleeping with it.

Instantly the messages flooded in. “Is this still available?” they all wanted to know. The marketplace equivalent of a swipe right. “Sure is,” was my swipe back. And then, nothing. Left on read. Ghosted. What did these buyers want? Just to be titillated to know it was available?