What 'excellent' actually means, what sellers tend to leave out, and the questions that get you a straight answer.
Condition labels are shorthand, and shorthand compresses detail. Two sellers can both write 'good' and mean quite different things. Knowing roughly where each grade sits — and what it hides — saves a lot of disappointment.
The grades
- New with tags — unworn, original tags attached. The only grade where you should expect zero wear.
- Excellent — worn lightly, no visible flaws at conversational distance. Some pieces will still show faint sole wear or a softened collar.
- Good — clearly worn, structurally sound. Expect honest signs of use: fading, light pilling, minor creasing.
- Fair — significant wear, possibly a repair or a flaw the seller should be naming explicitly. Priced accordingly, and fine if you know what you're getting.
What gets left out
The most commonly omitted details are odour, alterations, and repairs. None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but all three change what a piece is worth and none of them show up in a photograph.
- Has it been altered? Taken in, hemmed, sleeves shortened?
- Any repairs, reweaving, or replaced hardware?
- How does it smell — smoke, storage, fragrance?
- Are there flaws not pictured, however minor?
Ask all four before you buy. The answers cost the seller nothing and tell you a great deal about how carefully the piece has been described.