How to read a pre-owned listing in ten seconds
Five things to check before you tap buy: the grade, the label photo, the price against the market.
How to read a pre-owned listing in ten seconds
Buying pre-owned is where the best pieces are, and where the most mistakes get made. Five things to check before you tap buy.
1. The condition grade, not the adjectives.
Platforms use fixed grades: new with tags, never worn, very good, good, fair. Read the grade first. “Barely worn” in the seller’s description is not a grade.
2. The photos are the seller’s, so look for the three that matter.
The label, the inside, and any flaw the description mentions. A listing with only front-on shots is a listing where you have not seen the wear.
3. The price against the market.
If the same piece sells for £500 everywhere else and this one is £120, it is not a bargain. It is a question. Check the seller’s other listings and reviews before you decide.
4. Sizing is by the label, not the platform.
An Italian 42 and a UK 10 are the same thing on one platform and different things on another. Find the label photo.
5. Returns and authentication.
Some platforms authenticate before dispatch, some offer returns, some offer neither. Know which one you are on. SUWI labels listings that carry a platform authenticity guarantee, and marks the rest “check it’s genuine”.