GRADE ARetail-ready
Shop-floor condition, no repairs needed.
No holes, no stains, no fading beyond what the piece is meant to have. Hardware works, seams are sound, labels are intact. These go straight onto a rail with a price tag.
Typically bought by: Vintage boutiques, curated online sellers, premium market stalls.
GRADE BCommercial
Sound and sellable, with honest wear.
Light wear, small marks, or fading consistent with age. Nothing structural. Most buyers sell these as-is at a lower price point, or clean and press them into A-grade stock.
Typically bought by: Market traders, high-volume online sellers, regional wholesalers.
GRADE CWorkwear, rework and upcycle
Material value: repair, remake or cut.
Damage, heavy fading or missing hardware. Bought for the fabric, the hardware and the cut. The denim and workwear in this grade is often the most valuable to the right buyer.
Typically bought by: Rework studios, upcyclers, textile recyclers, repair-and-resell traders.