Mint Market: A Niche, mobile marketplace to buy & sell anything like-new

Somehow, no matter the sketchy posts, poor spam management, sex trafficking and outdated design, Craigslist remains the 9th most popular website in the US, ranking #45 globally. Maybe its longevity comes from the stark simplicity of the text listings, or maybe it’s the blunt refusal to change.

Regardless of the reasons for Craiglist’s success, it’s not because nobody’s trying to take over the market. Countless startups are gunning for that role, but lately there’s been a change in approach. A new breed of niche, online buy/sell local marketplaces have emerged, and as far as we can tell they appear to be thriving.

We covered Peddl earlier this month, and before that Zaarly, Viatask and TaskRabbit, all four of which emphasize services. Now, hyper-specialized markets continue to emerge, the latest being the lovely Mint Market, which focuses solely on mint-condition goods.

Mint Market has the potential to be the poster child of a modern day marketplace. The app, which is mobile only and available on iOS, Android and TStore, looks downright gorgeous with it’s fresh color pallet, shopping bag logo and simple UI.

From Mint Market:

Mint Market is a free marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned items in mint condition. You’ll find many like-new items from the Friends. colleagues or acquaintances through social networks such as Facebook, schools or the workplace.

Did you buy the wrong size or color? Did you see something you wanted instead? You’re Now faced with the dilemma of what to do with items you just bought that you no longer want.

Mint Market is here to help. It’s a Facebook integrated market for individuals to buy and sell items purchased in the last 60 days. You can use the world as your marketplace or narrow your customer base and shopping to friends, family, colleagues, or region_all from your mobile device!

The best part, for me at least, is the fact that I never have to worry about the quality of the listings. Everything in Mint Market is like-new, so there’s no need to scan for flaws before getting excited.

And while there actually have to be people using the app for it to be useful, the marketplace already seems to be filled with countless nearby and national listings.

Overall, it’s a new place to buy and sell and it doesn’t come across as a “me too” attempt. It’s as original as it needs to be, while doing one thing and doing it well. I’m satisfied.

➤  Mint Market, via the App Store, Google Play and TStore