Grade A vs Grade B: What's the Difference in Vintage by the Kg?
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If you're thinking about buying vintage clothing by the kilo for resale, one of the first things to understand is the difference between Grade A and Grade B. This distinction determines the quality of the items you'll receive and, as a result, your resale margins.
What Grade A Means in Vintage by the Kg
Grade A is the highest quality tier in the wholesale vintage clothing market. A Grade A item has to meet precise criteria:
- No visible stains — The item is clean and ready to be worn or resold
- No structural damage — No holes, tears, broken seams or faulty zips
- Intact colours — No excessive fading or alteration of the original colour
- Working elastics and buttons — All components are in good condition
- Recognisable brands — Generally includes well-known, sought-after labels
In practice, a Grade A item is ready to be photographed and listed right away on Vinted, Depop or at a market stall.
What Grade B Means in Vintage by the Kg
Grade B includes vintage items with minor flaws that can still have commercial value:
- Small stains — Little marks that could come out in the wash
- Signs of wear — Light fading, pilling, small marks
- Minor defects — A missing button, a loose seam
- Brand mix — May include lesser-known labels alongside premium ones
Grade B costs less per kg, but it takes more sorting and prep work before resale. Margins per recovered item can be higher, but the reject rate is significantly higher too.
Comparison: Grade A vs Grade B for Resale
Here's a practical comparison for resellers:
- Prep time: Grade A = immediate | Grade B = needs cleaning, repairs, sorting
- Reject rate: Grade A = close to zero | Grade B = 15-30% of items may not be resellable
- Price per kg: Grade A = higher | Grade B = lower
- Margin per item sold: Grade A = more predictable | Grade B = variable, depends on how much you manage to recover
- Best for: Grade A = those who want efficiency and speed | Grade B = those with the time and skills to restore items
Grade A and Grade B from WintageClub: Declared Grade and Tolerance
At WintageClub you'll find both grades. The Mix Brand Kilo Box, the KiloBox Brand Premium and the Levi's Only Box come in Grade A and Grade B versions; the Kilo Box Grade A and Kilo Box Grade B collections group the formats by grade. Grade A is for those who want stock that's ready to sell; Grade B costs less per kg and is meant for those who have time to work on the items and want to make their margin on the recovery.
The grade is declared on the product page and it's what you receive, with a natural tolerance of 10-15%: a Grade A box may contain that share of items with small imperfections, because vintage is hand-selected second-hand goods, not new product.
Every item in our Kilo Boxes is checked by hand by our team. We know what matters because we're sellers too: we actively sell on Vinted and other platforms, so we select items with the same standards we apply to our own inventory.
This means a grade that's declared and respected. Brands, on the other hand, rotate with available stock and aren't guaranteed individually: every box is a different lot.
How to Verify the Grade of a Box
Before buying from any supplier, here's what to check:
- Ask about the returns policy — A serious supplier offers quality guarantees
- Look for reviews — Other resellers' experiences are the best indicator
- Check the claims — "Grade A" should really mean Grade A, not a mix
- Order a test box — The best way to try out a supplier