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 | £200 (~$266) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £170 (~$226) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £130 (~$173) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £90 (~$120) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £50 (~$67) | 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
Size, and whether it will actually get into your home. After that, whether it is solid wood or veneered board, because only one of those survives a house move.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a mattress is worth what is being asked:
- Any staining, which makes most buyers walk away
- Sagging and permanent body impressions
- Unknown age or history
- Any suggestion of pests, which ends the sale entirely
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Recent purchase with a clear age
- A protector used from new, with no staining
- Recognised brands with known specifications
- No sagging or visible body impressions
Common faults and fakes
Reproduction pieces sold as period or designer originals are the issue here rather than counterfeits — an unattributed ‘mid-century style’ piece is usually exactly that.
Ask for the height, width and depth, whether it dismantles, and whether the original fixings and instructions are present. Measure your doorway before you commit.
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 mattress, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Answer honestly and photograph both sides bare. Most buyers will not proceed without seeing this, and a discovered stain at collection ends the sale on the spot.
Give the actual figure, or your best honest estimate with a reason. Mattresses have a functional life and buyers price against it.
Say the manufacturer’s rating if the label has it, and your own description if not. Firmness is why a buyer is looking at a specific mattress rather than any mattress.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- Strip it and photograph the bare surface in daylight
- Lie on it and check for a visible dip
- State the age and whether a protector was used
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 whole mattress bare and flat, shot from above in daylight
- The second side, also bare, because buyers assume you photographed the better one
- The fire safety label and any make or model tag
- The edges and any mark, dip, tear or repair, close up and uncropped
Details to confirm before you commit
- Size in feet and centimetres
- Type — open coil, pocket sprung, memory foam or hybrid — and the firmness
- Approximate age, and whether it has always had a protector on it
- Whether the fire label is present, and any stain or sag stated plainly
Live mattress listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse furniture 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
Slow, always. Expect weeks rather than days even when priced low, and expect enquiries that go quiet after the hygiene question. Clean, recent, protector-covered mattresses in common sizes are the ones that do sell.
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 mattress 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 mattress for what to photograph and how to price, or what mattress is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used mattress?
Around £20 to £130 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 mattress before buying?
Ask for the height, width and depth, whether it dismantles, and whether the original fixings and instructions are present. Measure your doorway before you commit.
Is buying a mattress 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. Size, and whether it will actually get into your home. After that, whether it is solid wood or veneered board, because only one of those survives a house move.
See also: all buying guides · mattress value guide · selling mattress · Furniture · condition grades.