What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £450 (~$599) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £382 (~$510) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £292 (~$390) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £202 (~$270) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £112 (~$150) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
Fungus and haze inside lenses, sensor dust, and shutters near the end of their rated life. None of it shows in a normal product photograph.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a drone is worth what is being asked:
- Degraded batteries, which are expensive and model-specific
- Gimbal damage from a crash, showing as unstable footage
- Discontinued models no longer supported by the app
- Crash history with repairs to the arms or shell
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Batteries holding close to full flight time
- Models still supported by current firmware and apps
- Gimbal with smooth, stable movement
- Extra batteries, propellers and the original case
Common faults and fakes
Counterfeiting is rare; misdescription is not. ‘Tested, working’ often means it powered on rather than that a photograph was taken and reviewed.
Ask for a photograph taken with the camera that day, and for a shot of the lens with a torch shone through it from behind. Ask for the shutter count on a digital body.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about a drone, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Answer honestly. Crash damage affects motors, arms and gimbal alignment in ways that are not always visible, and buyers who fly regularly always ask.
Give cycle counts and any app-reported health figure. Drone batteries are expensive and a set of tired ones is a significant cost to the buyer.
Point to the take-off weight and tell the buyer to check their own country’s current rules. Requirements differ and change, so give the fact and let them apply it.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Charge every battery and note the real flight time
- Fly it and check the gimbal holds level
- Confirm the model still works with the current app
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- The drone with arms unfolded, whole, from above
- The gimbal and camera close up
- All batteries, propellers, controller and case laid out together
- Any crack, scratch, worn arm or damaged propeller, plus the battery health screen if available
Details to confirm before you commit
- Brand, model and take-off weight
- Camera resolution and gimbal condition
- How many batteries, their cycle counts and health, and whether any is swollen
- What is included — controller, charger, propellers, case — and any crash history
Live drone listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse cameras & photography for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
Lifts in spring and before Christmas. Current models from major brands sell within days; older models drop sharply when a successor launches, so there is little advantage in waiting.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have a drone sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell drone for what to photograph and how to price, or what drone is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used drone?
Around £52 to £292 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check a drone before buying?
Ask for a photograph taken with the camera that day, and for a shot of the lens with a torch shone through it from behind. Ask for the shutter count on a digital body.
Is buying a drone second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Fungus and haze inside lenses, sensor dust, and shutters near the end of their rated life. None of it shows in a normal product photograph.
See also: all buying guides · drone value guide · selling drone · Cameras & Photography · condition grades.