How to Sell a Damaged Cardigan

A damaged cardigan is still worth selling — typically £2 to £10 at For Parts, against £8 to £40 undamaged.

Can you sell a cardigan that is damaged?

Yes. Damaged stock has its own buyers: people who repair and restore, people who want the material rather than the object, and people who want a cheaper one and do not mind a flaw. Nobody should be surprised when it arrives.

The damage buyers look for on cardigans

These are the flaws that move a cardigan down the grades, and the ones a buyer will check first:

Missing or mismatched replacement buttons
Stretched, gaping button bands
Pilling on the front where it rubs
Thin acrylic knits, which sell for very little

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £4 to £18. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £2 to £10. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the flaw properly rather than guessing at it:

Count the buttons and check they all match
Button it fully and check the band lies flat
Check the composition label

Photographing the flaw

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

Laid flat, front, buttoned
The composition label
The buttons and buttonholes close up
Cuffs, elbows and any hole, pill or stretch

What to state in the listing

Alongside the flaw itself, buyers of damaged cardigans want these confirmed:

Fibre composition and knit weight
Pit-to-pit and body length laid flat
Whether all buttons are present and any spare included
Any pilling, holes or stretched cuffs

Fibre, style and size: “Lambswool Button Through Cardigan, Navy, Size 12”. Fibre is the price driver and belongs first. Say whether it is chunky, fine knit or a longline, since those suit different buyers.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Are all the buttons there?”

Count them and check for a spare inside the placket. A missing button on a distinctive cardigan is hard to match.

“What is it made of?”

Read the label. Wool and cashmere cardigans are worth several times acrylic ones and buyers ask immediately.

“Are there any moth holes?”

Hold natural fibres up to a window and check. Small holes are normal on wool and accepted when disclosed.

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where it is cheap and visibly well done — a clumsy repair costs more than the flaw it hides. What lifts the price:

Natural fibres with good weight and drape
All original buttons present and matching
Button bands that lie flat with no gaping
Recognised knitwear labels

If the work would cost more than the gap between £10 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is damaged and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Autumn through late winter, with a peak before Christmas. Natural fibre cardigans hold value; acrylic ones sell cheaply.

Getting it to the buyer

Light and cheap to post. Fold rather than hang so the shoulders do not stretch, and use a waterproof bag for natural fibres — wool and cashmere absorb any damp in transit and arrive smelling musty, which buyers notice immediately.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money 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? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full cardigan selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sell a damaged cardigan?

Yes. A damaged cardigan typically is worth £2 to £10 against £8 to £40 undamaged, and there is a real market in repair, restoration and craft stock. Missing or mismatched replacement buttons

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where the repair is cheap and visibly done well. What buyers pay for is natural fibres with good weight and drape — a repair that draws attention to the flaw can leave you worse off.

How should I describe the damage?

Precisely, with a photograph of the flaw itself. Count them and check for a spare inside the placket. A missing button on a distinctive cardigan is hard to match. Vague wording is what produces the message asking for a refund.