As for those with a past, let's just say "being used goods" is only ONE factor out of countless factors that go into making up one's Marriage Market Value. Generally speaking, water seeks its own level and you wouldn't WANT a huge mismatch a.k.a. a spouse "you didn't deserve" or "out of your league". You never know, nature might "right the wrong" by the spouse eventually cheating on you, once he/she figures out what a poor deal he got. Water seeks its own level. For a stable marriage, make sure you both have Total Scores in the same ballpark, when considering all the Factors:
Intelligence
Beauty
Health
Age
Wealth/income/career
Skills/talents
Personality/virtue/holiness
Virginity
Family/social support structure
etc.
If you're perfect, you can hold out for a perfect spouse. But in each area YOU are deficient, you have to be lenient in your choice of spouse as well. If you're a 5/10, you can't expect the universe to give you a 10/10 spouse. Frankly, you don't deserve it. Unless you're super healthy, rich, a renaissance man with dozens of skills, etc. then an ugly man could have a stable marriage with a 10/10 woman.
Also, for men, realize that hypergamy is a thing. If your wife could easily have done better than you, that's not a good foundation for a stable marriage. She's not dumb, especially if she has any female friends, and eventually she might be at least TEMPTED to try for another spouse, more in line with what she originally "deserved".