How to judge condition on secondhand archive (reading a photo-only listing)

SUBMARKET does not host product photos — the real ones are on the listing. That is not a limitation to work around; it is where the actual condition lives. Buying secondhand well is mostly about reading those photos and asking the right questions before you commit.

Always ask for these

• ·Flat measurements — shoulder, chest, length, sleeve. Japanese size tags (1–5, or S/M/L) do not map cleanly to Western sizing.
• ·Close-ups of the inner tags — brand tag, wash tag, and any product code. This confirms the line and era, not just the brand.
• ·The areas photos usually skip — underarms, cuffs, hem, collar, and the inside.

If a seller will not send extra photos or measurements, treat that as information too. On archive pieces it usually means pass.

By material — what goes wrong

Different fabrics fail in different ways. Match the check to what the piece is made of.

• ·Pleated synthetics (Pleats Please etc.) — check the pleats are still crisp, not pressed flat. A flattened pleat does not fully recover. Look for underarm discolouration and acetate yellowing.
• ·Knitwear — pilling at friction points (underarms, cuffs), moth holes, stretched-out ribbing at the hem and cuffs, and whether the shape still holds.
• ·Denim — fading and abrasion at the crotch and inner thigh, hem fraying, zipper action (look for the YKK stamp), and the true waist/thigh measurements (Y2K denim tags run off from the real size).
• ·Prints and graphics — cracking or peeling of the print. Cracking accelerates with washing, so a cracked logo will keep degrading.
• ·Tailoring / outerwear — shoulder-pad shape, lining tears, and re-hemming marks. An altered garment sells for less; ask if the length was taken up.

Reading condition grades

Grades are the seller's own judgement, not an independent inspection. Yahoo Auctions uses phrases like "未使用" (unused), "目立った傷や汚れなし" (no notable flaws), "やや傷や汚れあり" (some flaws). Treat these as a starting point, then verify against the photos. SUBMARKET maps them to a 1–10 rating, but the source is still the seller.

The honest baseline

Secondhand archive is rarely perfect, and minor flaws are normal at these prices — that is often why the piece is affordable. The goal is not a flawless item; it is knowing exactly what you are buying before you pay. A minor flaw you saw coming is fine. A major one you missed is the expensive mistake.

This guide is general. Specific brands have their own tells for era and authenticity — those need care, and we cover them separately.