Selling Broken & Damaged Clothing

78 guides to selling clothing that are broken, damaged or incomplete. Every one covers what it is worth at Fair and For Parts, how to grade and photograph the defect, and what buyers ask before committing.

Clothing is where ‘damaged’ most often means ‘repairable’. Moth holes, a failed zip, a missing button, a fallen hem and light staining are all routine fixes that a confident buyer will do themselves. Two things sell a flawed garment: naming the flaw in the title rather than burying it, and photographing it close and lit. The craft and upcycling market is real and buys deliberately — damaged wool, denim, leather and silk are bought for the material, not despite it.

Before you write it off

Wash it before you grade it. A large share of what is listed as stained is not, and the marks that survive an ordinary wash are the only ones worth describing. Check the seams from the inside, since a split seam is a five-minute repair rather than damage, and hold knitwear to the light — moth damage shows as pinholes long before it shows as a visible hole.

What a defect actually costs you

WishThrift grades run New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts. Fair is roughly 45% of the working price and covers heavy use or a described fault; For Parts is roughly 25% and covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen. Grades are seller-declared — nobody inspects them for you — so an honest grade plus a clear photograph of the defect is what actually closes the sale. All five grades explained.

Across the 78 guides below, For Parts prices run from about £1 at the low end to £88 at the top, against £4 to £350 for the same items in sound condition. Those are guide figures in sterling; WishThrift lists in your local currency and does not convert for you.

Every clothing guide

Frequently asked questions

Will anyone buy clothing with a hole or stain?

Yes, and two distinct groups do: people who will repair it, and people who want the material for craft and upcycling. Both are put off by vagueness rather than by damage. Put the flaw in the title, photograph it close, and price accordingly.

Is it worth repairing a garment before selling?

For a failed zip, a missing button or a fallen hem on a good-quality piece, usually yes — the repair is cheap and it moves the item up a grade. For fast fashion, almost never; the repair costs more than the difference it makes.

Listing is free and there is no commission. Neither side pays a buyer-protection fee either — create a free account to list yours, or browse the full faulty and damaged index.