Can you sell a table tennis table 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 table tennis tables
These are the flaws that move a table tennis table down the grades, and the ones a buyer will check first:
- Warped or water-damaged tops
- Seized folding mechanisms and broken wheels
- Missing nets and posts
- Outdoor tables left exposed and swollen
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £22 to £135. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £12 to £75. 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:
- Sight along the playing surface for warping
- Fold and unfold it checking the mechanism
- Confirm the net and posts are present
Photographing the flaw
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The table set up, from a corner, whole
- Folded and rolled into storage position
- The playing surface straight on, showing any warp or chip
- The frame, wheels and locking mechanism, plus the net
What to state in the listing
Alongside the flaw itself, buyers of damaged table tennis tables want these confirmed:
- Full size or compact, and the playing surface dimensions
- Top thickness in millimetres, and indoor or outdoor
- Whether it folds and rolls, and the folded footprint
- Surface condition, plus whether the net, bats and balls are included
Size, thickness and storage: “Full Size Table Tennis Table, 19mm Top, Folds and Rolls”. Top thickness is the quality signal players search on. Say indoor or outdoor, since outdoor tops are weatherproofed and play differently.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Say so and give the folded footprint. Storage is the main constraint for home buyers and the usual reason a table is being sold.
Sight along the surface and check with a ball. Warping ruins the bounce and is common on tables stored in damp garages.
Say which. Indoor tops swell and delaminate if left outside, and buyers planning garden use need to know.
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:
- Folding designs with working wheels
- Flat playing surfaces with no warping
- Thicker tops, which play better
- Complete with net, posts and bats
If the work would cost more than the gap between £75 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is damaged and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Steady with a Christmas lift and a spring bump. Folding tables sell considerably faster than fixed ones.
Getting it to the buyer
Collection only — large, heavy and awkward even folded. Say whether it rolls on its wheels and whether it fits through a standard doorway folded.
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 table tennis table selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sell a damaged table tennis table?
Yes. A damaged table tennis table typically is worth £12 to £75 against £50 to £300 undamaged, and there is a real market in repair, restoration and craft stock. Warped or water-damaged tops
Is it worth repairing first?
Only where the repair is cheap and visibly done well. What buyers pay for is folding designs with working wheels — 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. Say so and give the folded footprint. Storage is the main constraint for home buyers and the usual reason a table is being sold. Vague wording is what produces the message asking for a refund.
See also: what table tennis table is worth by condition · how to sell table tennis table · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.