The short version
- Typical range: £20 – £150 — see the full cricket bat value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Sports & Outdoors
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Identify the willow grade and whether it is English or Kashmir willow — the price difference is large.
- Check the face for cracks, the edges for splits and the toe for swelling or damage.
- Note the weight and the handle type, and whether the bat has been knocked in and oiled.
The photographs that sell a cricket bat
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The full face of the bat, straight on
- The back, showing the spine and any sticker with grade
- The edges and the toe close up
- The handle and grip, plus any crack, split or repair
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Willow, weight and size: “Gray-Nicolls English Willow Cricket Bat, Grade 2, 2lb 9oz, SH”. English versus Kashmir willow is the biggest price factor and must be stated. Include the weight and size, since both are how players choose.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- English or Kashmir willow, and the grade
- Weight in pounds and ounces, and the size (Harrow, SH, LH)
- Whether it has been knocked in and oiled
- Face, edge and toe condition, and any repair
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about a cricket bat. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Check the sticker and the grain. English willow bats are worth several times Kashmir ones and buyers ask immediately.
Say so. A properly knocked-in bat is ready to use and worth more than one that still needs the work.
Photograph the face, edges and toe. Surface cracks are common and repairable; a split edge or damaged toe is more serious.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The cricket bat value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £85 sale — roughly the middle of the range for a cricket bat — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £85 |
| Poshmark | −£17 | £68 |
| eBay | −£12 | £73 |
| Mercari | −£8 | £77 |
| Etsy | −£6 | £79 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
March through August, peaking at the start of the season. Off-season listings sell slowly.
Long and awkward to post, so expect a length surcharge. Wrap the toe and edges well — that is where transit damage lands.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What is a used cricket bat worth?
Typically £20 to £150, with high-grade English willow from recognised makers above. See the cricket bat value guide.
How do I tell English from Kashmir willow?
English willow is paler with straighter, more even grain and is lighter for its size. Kashmir willow is denser and browner. The maker’s sticker usually states it — photograph it.
Do cracks ruin a bat?
Surface cracks on the face are normal on a used bat and repairable with tape or a fibreglass facing. Splits through the edge or a damaged toe are more serious and must be shown clearly.
See also: what a used cricket bat is worth · browse live sports & outdoors listings · condition grades explained.