Example scenario · illustrative, not a real seller
An example item cost $12 and receives an $18 offer. The offer exceeds the purchase price, but it says nothing yet about fees, packing, postage or the time needed to complete the sale.
What you’ll get
- Keep market evidence separate from your cost floor.
- Calculate what an offer actually leaves.
- Use markdowns as planned decisions, not wishful demand claims.
Price has two different evidence trails
Market research asks what sufficiently similar items actually sold for. Cost planning asks what a proposed transaction would leave under your assumptions. Neither question can replace the other.
Use the sold-comparisons manual to remove different editions, conditions and shipping arrangements. Use the cost tools only after you have a defensible receipts scenario and the applicable fee scope.
Worked example: the offer is $3 short
A chosen $18 offer less $12 acquisition and $9 of other operating costs leaves a $3 loss before time and omitted expenses. The other-cost total is hypothetical, not a published fee rate.
Raising your asking price does not automatically solve that shortfall; it must remain supported by the market evidence. Before buying, the sourcing ceiling is often the more useful boundary.
Decide what to change
If the price case does not work, reduce a legitimate cost, choose a different target, try a suitable fulfilment route or pass. For existing stock, use the markdown manual to set a review rather than assuming waiting creates value.
Your floor tells you whether the deal fits you, not what the market owes you. Keep that distinction visible when negotiating.
Worked example · hypothetical, not a real seller
Keep the example in view
| Chosen $18 offer | Dollars |
|---|---|
| Acquisition | 12 |
| All other operating costs | 9 |
| Operating remainder | -3 |
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.
Practical questions
Does my required price establish market value?
No. It is a cost constraint based on your assumptions. If buyers' relevant comparisons are lower, change the costs, target or purchase decision rather than inventing a higher value.
Is a sale above acquisition always profitable?
No. Fees, shipping, packing, repairs and other costs can exceed the apparent difference. Count time separately as well.
Do this next · one concrete move