Sports equipment is described by what it can still do, which makes the vocabulary refreshingly practical.
The three bands
Match condition — ready to use at a decent level. No faults that affect play. Practice condition — usable, with wear that shows. The everyday band and the one most used gear belongs in. Worn — usable with limitations, or needing work. Say what work.
Then say the specifics, because the bands alone mean too little.
The specifics, by item
Bats — face marks, edge cracks, toe condition, any repair, whether knocked in, grain count if you know it. Rackets — frame chips, grommet wear, string condition and age, grip condition, any crack at all. A cracked frame is a dead racket; say it. Shoes — sole and stud wear, upper creasing, inside condition, smell. Gym equipment — coating, rust, bearing noise, cable fraying, completeness of the stack. Balls — shape, seam, whether they still hold pressure.
The sentence that matters most
"It is usable as it is" — or it is not, and you say what needs doing.
That single sentence is the one a buyer is reading for, and getting it wrong is the one that turns into a return.
Declare repairs
Re-gripping, re-stringing, toe guards, re-glued soles, replaced bearings. A maintained item is a selling point. A hidden repair is not.
Questions people ask
Is a hairline crack in a bat a fault?
Yes, and many bats carry them. Show it, say whether it has been repaired, and let the buyer decide.
How do I describe string tension?
By saying when it was last strung and with what, if you know. Tension drops with time and buyers know that.
Does a smell need declaring?
Always, in any category where something has been worn. Naming the flaw raises the price.
More: condition words across every category, buying sporting goods.