How to Price Items to Sell on eBay (Read Sold Comps, Not Asking Prices)

3:00 video

Asking prices are what sellers hope for. Sold prices are what buyers paid. Here is how to price from the second one, in a minute per item.

The estimate, what you keep after eBay fees, and the range.
Three prices: Sells fast, Market and Patient, and how condition changes them.
Recently sold vs currently listed, and why the price follows the sales.
Competition, what you keep on each marketplace, and Should I Buy It for sourcing.
The recent sales behind every price, each with a link.
Get price in Scan history to re-check an old scan before you list. It does not use a scan.

Try it on your own item

Your first scan is free, no card. Works on the web and in the iPhone and Android apps.

Scan your first item free

Chapters

Transcript

What you will do

Most pricing mistakes come from one thing. Pricing off what's for sale, instead of what actually sold. Asking prices are what sellers hope for. Sold prices are what buyers paid. On eBay you can filter for sold items, but you're scrolling, guessing which ones match yours, and doing it again for every item.

Read the result

Here's the same idea, done for you. Take a photo of the item, or upload one. You get a number to start from. Here, 65 dollars. Under it, what you'd keep after eBay fees, and the full range we'd expect.

Three prices

Then three prices. Sells fast is the quick-sale end. Market is where most of these sell. Patient is what it can reach if you can wait. The scan reads the condition from your photos. If it's wrong, tap the right one, and all three prices adjust. Type what you'd pay into Worth it. It shows what you'd net at the market price after eBay fees, and tells you if the flip is worth it, thin, or a pass.

Sold vs for sale

This is the key comparison. Recently sold is what buyers paid. Currently listed is what sellers are asking. Here, listings ask about 26 percent more than items actually sell for, so the estimate follows the sales, not the asking prices. Want the reasoning? Open Why This Price. It explains what drives the value, like the original box and stand on this one.

Competition and profit

Competition shows how many are listed against how many sell. Few listed and selling well? Price toward Patient. A wall of listings? Price toward Sells fast if you want the money. You keep shows what lands in your pocket on each marketplace after its fees, and which one pays best for this item. Still at the store? In Should I Buy It, enter what you'd pay, and you see your profit after fees on each marketplace.

Check the comps

Further down are the recent sales behind the price. Real sales, what buyers paid, each with a link to the listing on eBay. Before you price anything valuable, open two or three and check they match your version and condition. For sale now is your competition. Nobody has paid those prices yet, which is why they often run higher. If the result isn't quite your item, open Not quite right, add the brand, model or size you know, and tap Re-scan with Details.

Before you list

When you list, the price box offers the same idea. Sell faster, Suggested, or Top price. One tap sets it, and you can type your own. Scanned something weeks ago? Open Scan history and tap Get price to check it against the latest sales before you list. That doesn't use a scan. And every week we check our prices against real sales, and publish the results on our accuracy page. Your first scan is free, no card needed. Try it free on the web or in the app, and price your next find from what actually sold.