The short version
- Five grades: New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair, For Parts
- Set by the seller, not by WishThrift — nothing is inspected or graded for you
- The dividing line between Good and Fair is function, not appearance
- Condition moves the price more than anything else — see the value guides
What each condition grade means
The percentages below are a rough guide to where each grade tends to land against the top second-hand price for the same item in the same category — not against the original retail price, which is usually much higher. They are a starting point for pricing, not a valuation.
| Grade | What it means | Share of top price |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | Never used. Tags still attached, or seals and shrink-wrap intact. | about 100% |
| Like New | Used briefly, with no wear a buyer would notice in normal use. | about 85% |
| Good | Clearly used and showing light wear, but complete and fully working. | about 65% |
| Fair | Heavily used, or with a fault or missing part that the seller describes. | about 45% |
| For Parts | Not working, incomplete, or damaged. Sold as seen for repair or components. | about 25% |
Figures are indicative. The value guides give a real price range for each specific item, broken down across all five grades.
Browse listings by condition
Each of these opens the live listings filtered to a single grade. There is no separate charge at any grade, and no buyer fee — the price you agree with the seller is the price.
- New with Tags — Never used. Tags still attached, or seals and shrink-wrap intact.
- Like New — Used briefly, with no wear a buyer would notice in normal use.
- Good — Clearly used and showing light wear, but complete and fully working.
- Fair — Heavily used, or with a fault or missing part that the seller describes.
- For Parts — Not working, incomplete, or damaged. Sold as seen for repair or components.
How to grade your own item honestly
Grading is the part sellers get wrong most often, and it is expensive to get wrong. An over-graded item does not sell faster; it sells and then unravels at handover. Five rules that hold across every category:
- Grade down when you are torn. An item listed as Good that arrives looking Good sells cleanly. One listed as Like New that arrives looking Good creates an argument you will lose, because you set the expectation.
- Photograph the flaw, do not describe it away. A clear close-up of the scuff sells the item faster than a paragraph explaining that the scuff is barely noticeable. Buyers who can see the worst of it stop asking questions and start making offers.
- Put the grade in the description too, not just the dropdown. Say what the grade means for this specific item: which corner is scuffed, how many hours the battery holds, how many times it was worn.
- Never use New with Tags for ‘new to me’. It means unused with tags or seals intact. Using it loosely is the single fastest way to get a dispute you cannot defend.
- List missing parts in the title where they matter. ‘No charger’ or ‘box only’ in the title filters out the wrong buyers before they message you, which saves you far more time than the extra clicks cost.
What to ask before you buy at each grade
Because condition is self-declared, the useful question changes with the grade. Buyers and sellers deal directly on WishThrift, so ask before you agree anything — a seller who answers plainly is telling you as much as the answer itself.
| Grade | Worth asking |
|---|---|
| New with Tags | Ask why it is being sold unused, and check the tag matches the brand and size in the title. |
| Like New | Ask for photos of the parts that wear first — soles, cuffs, corners, charging ports, screen in daylight. |
| Good | Ask what the wear actually is, and whether every function, key, zip or moving part still works. |
| Fair | Ask exactly what is wrong, whether it is repairable, and what a replacement part costs. |
| For Parts | Ask which specific components are known good, and assume everything else is not. |
How much condition changes the price
Across almost every category, condition does more to the final number than age, brand or original price. The gap between Like New and Fair on the same item is routinely half the value, and on electronics it can be more once a battery or screen is involved. That is why grading accurately matters to sellers as much as it does to buyers: the grade is what sets the price band a buyer is even looking in.
For a real range on a specific item, with all five grades priced out, start from the resale value guides — there are hundreds, sorted by category.
Ready to list something? Pick your grade honestly, add clear photos of any flaws, and publish. Listing on WishThrift is free, there is no commission, and you keep the full amount you agree with the buyer — see how selling works or create a free account.
Frequently asked questions
Does WishThrift check the condition of an item?
No. Condition grades are chosen by the seller, and WishThrift does not inspect, grade or verify items. That is why the photos and written description matter more than the dropdown — treat the grade as the seller’s summary and the photos as the evidence. Ask for more pictures before you commit, and buyers and sellers agree payment and handover directly between themselves.
What is the difference between Good and Fair?
Good means used and worn but complete and fully working. Fair means either heavily worn, or working with a fault or a missing part that the seller has described. The dividing line is function: if something no longer works properly or a piece is missing, it is Fair rather than Good, however tidy it looks in photos.
Is buying For Parts ever worth it?
It can be, if you already know what you are fixing. The price reflects an item that does not work, so the sums only make sense when the failed component is cheap and you can replace it yourself. Ask the seller which parts are known to be working, and treat everything they cannot confirm as broken.
Which condition grade sells fastest?
Good is the busiest grade on most categories, because it is where the price drop from new is large enough to be interesting while the item still does its job. New with Tags sells well but competes with retail, and For Parts sells slowly and only to people who came looking for it.
See also: what your item is worth · how selling works · browse everything.