Condition grades explained: what New, Like New, Good Used and For Parts mean

5 min read·Updated 19 August 2026

Why a fixed vocabulary matters

Most second-hand listings describe condition in words the seller chose: excellent, mint, slightly used, good working condition. None of those mean anything consistent, which is why buyers learn to discount them entirely and inspect everything themselves.

A fixed set of grades solves a narrow but real problem: it lets you compare two listings without having to interpret two different people's optimism. The grade is applied by the same party using the same criteria, so the words carry the same meaning across every category.

The four grades below are the ones used across this site. They are deliberately few. A ten-point scale sounds more precise but ends up just as subjective, because nobody can reliably distinguish a seven from an eight.

The four grades

The line between Like New and Good Used

This is the boundary that causes the most argument, so it is worth being precise. Like New means someone would struggle to tell it had been used at all: no scratches visible at normal viewing distance, no discolouration, no worn markings on buttons or handles, all accessories present.

Good Used means the item has visibly lived somewhere. Light scratches, a slightly faded panel, a shelf that has been replaced — none of which affect function. The distinction is cosmetic, not mechanical. Both grades mean the item works.

If an item works perfectly but is missing an accessory, it usually lands in Good Used rather than Like New, because completeness is part of what Like New promises.

What For Parts actually means

For Parts is not a polite way of saying broken beyond use. It means the item is being sold on the explicit understanding that it does not fully work, and that the buyer is purchasing it for components, for repair, or for a use where the fault does not matter.

This grade exists because faulty appliances still have real value. A refrigerator with a failed compressor may have a perfectly good door, shelves, thermostat and casing. A washing machine with a damaged drum may have a working motor and control board. Scrapping the whole unit wastes all of that.

Items in this grade carry no warranty, and the fault is described as specifically as it is known. If the fault has not been diagnosed, that is stated too — 'does not power on, cause not diagnosed' is more useful than a vague claim.

What is checked before a grade is assigned

The grade reflects a physical inspection, not the previous owner's description.

How the grade relates to price and warranty

Grade is one input into price, not the whole of it. A Good Used unit from a brand with easily available parts can be worth more than a Like New unit of an obscure model, because the buyer is pricing future repairability alongside present condition.

On warranty, the distinction is simpler. Eligible used appliances sold as Like New or Good Used carry a 15-day checking warranty from delivery, covering the core functions described at the time of sale. That window exists so you can run the item properly at home rather than relying on a brief demonstration.

Items sold For Parts carry no warranty, which is the point of the grade — the buyer is knowingly taking on a fault.

If you are selling

You do not need to grade your own item. Describe honestly what works, what does not, what is missing and what it looks like, and send photographs including any damage. The grade is assigned at inspection.

Being candid about a fault reliably produces a better outcome than hiding it. A fault disclosed up front is priced on its own; a fault discovered at collection makes everything else in the description suspect, and the price moves accordingly.