Example scenario · illustrative, not a real seller
The highest “comparison” includes a case you do not own. The lowest has damage yours does not. Build a matched range instead of choosing the number you like.
What you’ll get
- A comparison sheet that keeps hidden amounts unknown
- A labelled worked example, a visual process and an editable comparison-range scratchpad.
- A device-only action checklist and one next move: Remove one mismatched comparison
Outliers are questions to investigate, not prices to inherit.
A search result becomes evidence only after you know what it represents. A completed listing is not always a completed sale, and a displayed original price may not reveal an accepted offer. Keep unknowns visible instead of filling them with the number you hoped to see.
Make identity a filter, not an afterthought
Write the exact model, version, size, edition and included accessories before searching. Compare markings and photos, not just a familiar product name. A later revision or a complete accessory kit can make a superficially similar result unsuitable.
For each candidate comparison, record why it matches and why it might not. If the product identity is uncertain, pause the purchase. Better price arithmetic cannot correct an unidentified item or establish authenticity.
Build a small evidence table
Suggested columns are: source link, date observed, stated model, condition, included items, visible item price, buyer shipping, known transaction status and uncertainty. Keep buyer identities out of your notes.
Do not label a hidden accepted-offer amount as known. Note “final accepted amount not visible.” A seller’s asking price belongs in a different column from a visible sale result. Current marketplace display features can change; inspect the actual result rather than assuming a filter provides every detail.
An explicitly invented comparison set
Suppose three visible examples show $32 with $8 shipping, $40 with shipping included, and $64 for an item with a hard case and extra accessory. The first two have the same $40 item-plus-shipping total; the third is not automatically evidence your bare item is worth $64.
These are illustrative figures, not scraped sales or category benchmarks. Buyer tax, location and terms can differ as well. Once you have a comparable buyer total, still rebuild your own seller fees and shipping cost; a buyer total is not seller profit.
Separate the market range from your cost floor
Use the minimum-price planner to discover what your costs require. Put that number beside, not inside, the researched comparison range. If the floor is above the range, do not delete the lower comparisons to rescue the purchase.
The offer-room tool can expose the same mismatch when you want to leave negotiating room. “I need this much” and “a buyer paid this much for a comparable item” are different statements.
Revisit the evidence when something changes
A missing charger, new defect or different shipping method can invalidate your original comparison. Update the record before publishing or accepting an offer. Date the evidence so a later review can distinguish a market change from a poor first match.
If no clean comparison exists, reduce exposure, investigate further or pass. Absence of evidence does not prove rarity, demand or a premium price. The useful result of research can be a smaller number—or no purchase at all.
Worked example · hypothetical, not a real seller
A comparison sheet that keeps hidden amounts unknown
A deliberately chosen planning example for this decision. It is not a real transaction, a product appraisal, an observed market result or permission to sell. Replace the inputs only after the relevant checks.
A chosen $38.00 cost floor sits beside, not inside, a hypothetical $32.00–$40.00 comparison range. The examples are not observed sales, an appraisal or a forecast. Check identity, condition, shipping and visible final amounts before using your own evidence.
| Measure | Example value |
|---|---|
| Cost floor ($) | 38 |
| Low chosen comparison ($) | 32 |
| High chosen comparison ($) | 40 |
Chosen example · edit the numbers
Comparison-range scratchpad
Illustrative inputs, not market benchmarks or an achieved outcome. Scratchpad values stay in tab memory, not saved by this application. Reload to reset.
Before the next transaction
With JavaScript and browser storage, only checked-step IDs can stay on this device. No buyer details or amounts are saved.
Is the median sold price a reliable value for my item?
Not by itself. A median cannot fix mismatched editions, hidden accepted-offer prices, different accessories or condition. First establish comparability and visibility of the actual transaction amount. Even a clean range is historical evidence, not a promise of another buyer.
Do this next · one concrete move
Remove one mismatched comparison
Explain the exclusion beside the evidence, then check whether the remaining examples really match condition, accessories, shipping and visible sale amount. Do not call these chosen scratchpad figures observed sales.
Take the next question to the bench →