How to Use eBay Sold Listings for Pricing: The Reseller’s Complete Comp Research Guide

Every profitable reselling decision starts with one question: what will this actually sell for?

Not what you hope it’s worth. Not what some random listing is asking. What buyers are actually paying right now — backed by real transaction data.

eBay sold listings give you that answer. They’re the single most powerful free pricing tool available to resellers in 2026, and learning to read them properly is the difference between consistently profitable flips and a growing pile of overpriced, stale inventory.

This guide covers everything: accessing sold data, interpreting the results, identifying pricing trends, calculating sell-through rates, and using that intelligence to make smarter buying and selling decisions. Whether you’re scanning items at a thrift store or deciding how to price a $500 find, this is the comp research system that professional resellers use every day.

Why Sold Prices Beat Listed Prices — Every Single Time

Walk into any thrift store and watch a new reseller pull up eBay on their phone. Chances are, they’re looking at active listings — items currently for sale. This is the most common and most expensive mistake in reselling.

Here’s a real example that illustrates why:

Scenario: You find a Keurig K-Elite coffee maker at Goodwill for $15. You search eBay and see active listings priced at $90, $85, $110, and $75. You think, “Easy — I’ll list at $80 and undercut everyone!”

Now check the sold listings. In the last 90 days, K-Elite units have actually sold for $45, $50, $42, $55, and $38. Suddenly, that $15 purchase looks less exciting — your actual margin after fees and shipping might be $10-15, not the $50 you imagined.

The problem with active listings:

• Overpriced items sit unsold for months (sometimes years)
• Sellers often list at aspirational prices they’ll never get
• There’s no way to tell which listings will actually convert
• High-priced outliers skew your perception of market value

What sold listings tell you:

• The exact price buyers paid
• The date of each transaction (recency matters)
• Whether it was auction or Buy It Now
• Shipping cost included or separate
• Approximate volume of sales (demand signal)

This isn’t just better data — it’s a completely different category of information. Active listings show you hope. Sold listings show you reality.

💡 Pro Tip: A quick rule of thumb — if you see 20 active listings for an item but only 2-3 sold in the last 90 days, that market is oversaturated. The actual selling price will likely be at the bottom of the active listing range, not the middle.

How to Access eBay Sold Listings: Complete Walkthrough

Desktop Method (Fastest)

Quick Filter Method:

1. Go to ebay.com and search for your item
2. On the results page, look at the left sidebar
3. Under “Show only”, check “Sold items”
4. Results now display with prices in green (sold) or red (didn’t sell)

Advanced Search Method (More Control):

1. Click “Advanced” next to the search bar
2. Enter your search terms
3. Scroll to “Search including”
4. Check “Sold listings” and/or “Completed listings”
5. Set date range, condition, price range, and other filters
6. Click “Search”

The Advanced Search is more powerful because you can filter by date range, price parameters, specific categories, and listing type simultaneously.

Mobile App Method

1. Open the eBay app and search for your item
2. Tap “Filter” (or the filter icon)
3. Scroll down and toggle “Sold Items” ON
4. Tap “Show Results” or “Apply”

The mobile app method works while sourcing at thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales — but the screen is smaller and harder to analyze. For serious research, use desktop.

Shortcut: eBay Sold Link Generator

Skip the manual filtering entirely. Our free eBay Sold Link Generator creates a direct URL to sold listings for any search term. Enter your keywords, copy the link, and you’re looking at sold data in under 5 seconds. This is especially useful when you’re sourcing in the field and need to check comps quickly on your phone.

Understanding Green vs. Red: Sold vs. Completed Listings

This distinction is critical and often misunderstood.

When you enable “Completed listings” in Advanced Search, you see both outcomes:

Why Red (Unsold) Data Is Valuable

Most resellers skip right past the red-priced listings. Don’t. They contain crucial information:

• Price ceiling indicator: If 10 listings at $80 are red but listings at $55 are green, you’ve found the price ceiling
• Demand signal: Lots of red means low demand or an oversaturated market
• Competition gauge: Multiple unsold listings = many sellers competing for few buyers
• Title/photo insight: Compare what sold vs. what didn’t — often the difference is listing quality, not just price

Example: You’re researching a vintage Pyrex mixing bowl. Completed listings show:

• $45 — Green (sold)
• $75 — Red (didn’t sell)
• $40 — Green (sold)
• $80 — Red (didn’t sell)
• $50 — Green (sold, Best Offer accepted)
• $65 — Red (didn’t sell)

The story is clear: this bowl sells in the $40-$50 range. Anything above $55-$60 won’t move. Price yours at $48-$52 for a fast sale, or $55 with Best Offer enabled if you’re patient.

💡 Pro Tip: When you see a green price with a strikethrough (Best Offer accepted), the displayed price is the listed price, not what the buyer actually paid. The accepted offer could be 10-30% lower. We’ll cover how to find those real numbers later in this guide.

Building a Proper Comp Search: Getting Accurate Results

Garbage in, garbage out. Your sold listing research is only as good as your search terms.

Search Term Strategies

Too broad: “Nike shoes” → Returns thousands of results across every model, size, and condition. Useless.

Too narrow: “Nike Air Max 90 OG Infrared 2020 size 10.5 deadstock with box” → Might return zero results. Also useless.

Just right: “Nike Air Max 90 Infrared” → Returns enough results to identify a price range, while being specific enough to be relevant.

The Comp Search Formula

For most items, use this structure: Brand + Model + Key Identifier

Essential Filters to Apply

After your initial search, refine with these filters:

1. Condition: Match the condition of your specific item (New, Used, Refurbished)
2. Sold in: Last 90 days (default) — go to 30 days for fast-moving items, 180+ days for rare items
3. Buying format: Separate auction results from Buy It Now (they reflect different buyer behaviors)
4. Price range: Exclude outliers by setting a reasonable floor and ceiling
5. Category: Make sure you’re in the right eBay category (auto-category can place items incorrectly)

💡 Pro Tip: Check your item on our Brand Resale Value Index before diving into eBay comps. It gives you a quick baseline so you know whether the brand is even worth researching in depth.

Calculating Average Selling Price: Average vs. Median

Once you have your sold comp results, you need to calculate the realistic selling price. Most resellers just eyeball it — “looks like these sell for about fifty bucks.” That’s leaving money or time on the table.

Simple Average (Mean)

Add up all sold prices, divide by the number of sales.

Example — Bose SoundLink Mini II sold prices (last 60 days): $45, $50, $42, $55, $48, $60, $52, $45, $200 (sealed new in box), $47

Mean = ($45 + $50 + $42 + $55 + $48 + $60 + $52 + $45 + $200 + $47) ÷ 10 = $64.40

But wait — that $200 outlier (sealed NIB) is skewing your average upward. If your unit is used, $64.40 is a misleading number.

Median (Better for Most Situations)

Line up all prices from low to high, pick the middle value.

$42, $45, $45, $47, $48, $50, $52, $55, $60, $200

Median = ($48 + $50) ÷ 2 = $49

Much more accurate. The median of $49 correctly represents what a typical used Bose SoundLink Mini II sells for, without being dragged up by the one sealed unit.

When to Use Which

The 80th Percentile Strategy

Advanced resellers use the 80th percentile for pricing optimization. Sort your comps from low to high and find the price that 80% of sales fell at or below. This gives you a realistic ceiling for a well-listed item.

Using the Bose example (excluding the NIB outlier): $42, $45, $45, $47, $48, $50, $52, $55, $60

80th percentile ≈ $55

This means: with great photos, a detailed title, and competitive pricing, you can realistically aim for $55. Price at $48-$50 for a fast sale (within 7 days) or $55-$58 if you can wait 2-4 weeks.

You can validate your calculated target price instantly using our Flip Profit Calculator — plug in your buy price, selling price, and platform fees to see your actual net profit and ROI.

The Best Offer Problem: Finding Real Accepted Prices

One of the biggest blind spots in eBay sold data is Best Offer sales. When an item sells via Best Offer, eBay shows the original listed price with a strikethrough and the words “or Best Offer” — but it does not show what the buyer actually paid.

This matters enormously. If a listing was priced at $99 and sold via Best Offer, the actual accepted price might have been $70, $80, or $95. You don’t know. And if you’re using that $99 figure in your comp calculations, you’re overestimating market value.

How to Find Actual Best Offer Prices

Method 1: eBay Terapeak (Free with Seller Account)

Terapeak, built into eBay’s Seller Hub, is the single best tool for seeing actual Best Offer accepted prices. Here’s how to access it:

1. Go to Seller Hub → Research tab
2. Click “Terapeak product research”
3. Search for your item
4. Terapeak displays individual sold listings with the actual accepted price, not just the listed price
5. Filter by condition, time period, and category

Terapeak also shows:

• Average selling price over time (with charts)
• Total number of items sold
• Sell-through rate percentage
• Top listing formats
• Price trends (rising, falling, stable)

Method 2: Third-Party Tools

• WorthPoint: Shows actual sold prices for antiques, collectibles, and vintage items. Subscription-based ($25-50/month) but essential for high-value vintage research
• Makelisting/130point: Aggregates sold data with real accepted prices

💡 Pro Tip: Even without Terapeak, you can estimate Best Offer discounts. The typical Best Offer acceptance is 15–25% below list price. If an item “sold” via Best Offer at a listed $100, assume the real price was $75–$85. This is imprecise but better than using the full $100.

Sell-Through Rate: The Most Underrated Metric

Sell-through rate (STR) tells you what percentage of listed items actually sell within a given period. It’s a demand indicator that most resellers completely ignore — but it’s what separates “this looks profitable” from “this is profitable.”

How to Calculate Sell-Through Rate

Formula: STR = (Number of Sold Listings ÷ Total Listings) × 100

Using eBay data:

1. Search your item and note total active listings (e.g., 50)
2. Switch to sold/completed and count sold listings in the last 30 days (e.g., 35)
3. STR = (35 ÷ 50) × 100 = 70%

What STR Numbers Mean

Sell-Through Rate in Practice

Example 1: Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen

• Active listings: 800+
• Sold (last 30 days): 2,500+
• STR: Well over 100% (items sell faster than new listings appear)
• Action: Buy with confidence — these move immediately

Example 2: Generic Bluetooth Speaker (No-Name Brand)

• Active listings: 400
• Sold (last 30 days): 25
• STR: 6.25%
• Action: Avoid unless dirt cheap — extremely low demand relative to supply

Terapeak displays sell-through rate automatically, saving you the manual calculation. For quick pre-purchase research, our ROI Calculator for Resellers helps you model different scenarios based on how quickly you expect the item to sell.

Identifying Price Trends: Rising, Stable, or Declining

Static pricing data is useful, but trending data is powerful. An item selling for $50 today could be worth $70 next month if prices are rising — or $30 if they’re declining.

How to Spot Trends

Method 1: Manual Date Comparison

1. Search sold listings
2. Note prices from the last 30 days
3. Compare to prices from 60–90 days ago
4. Look for directional movement

Example — Nintendo Switch OLED (used, good condition):

• January 2026 average sold: $235
• December 2025 average sold: $245
• November 2025 average sold: $260

Trend: Declining. The Switch OLED is depreciating as the platform ages and rumors of a successor build. Not a great time to stock up on inventory. For more on gaming console price cycles, check our Console Price Cycle Tracker.

Method 2: Terapeak Price Charts

Terapeak offers a visual price chart showing average sold prices over 30, 60, or 90 days. Look for:

• Upward slope: Increasing demand or decreasing supply — consider holding inventory for higher prices
• Flat line: Stable market — price predictably and list confidently
• Downward slope: Declining market — sell quickly, don’t accumulate inventory

Seasonal Price Patterns

Many items follow predictable seasonal cycles. Sold data over 12+ months reveals these patterns:

Use the Best Time to List Calendar alongside your sold data research to time your listings for maximum returns.

💡 Pro Tip: The smartest resellers buy during price troughs and sell during peaks. This requires capital and storage space, but the ROI is massive. Winter coats bought at garage sales in June for $5 routinely sell for $40–$80 in November.

Using Sold Data to Decide Whether to Buy

This is where comp research meets sourcing decisions — the moment of truth when you’re holding an item at a thrift store, estate sale, or garage sale and need to decide: buy or pass?

The 5-Minute Sourcing Decision Framework

1. Search sold comps (2 minutes): Use your phone to check eBay sold listings for the item
2. Check sell-through rate (30 seconds): Eyeball how many sold vs. active
3. Calculate potential profit (1 minute): Selling price minus buy price, fees, and shipping
4. Assess condition (1 minute): Does your item match the condition of the sold comps?
5. Make the call (30 seconds): If profit target is met with acceptable risk, buy it

Minimum Profit Thresholds

Every reseller needs personal minimums. Here are common benchmarks:

Use the Platform Fee Calculator to factor in exact fees from whatever platform you plan to sell on. The difference between eBay’s 13.25% and Poshmark’s flat 20% can shift a borderline deal from profitable to unprofitable. Our Platform Fee Comparison Tool lets you see fees side by side.

Case Study: Complete Sourcing Decision

The find: Vintage Levis 501 jeans (Made in USA, dark wash, W34 L32) at an estate sale for $8.

Step 1 — Check sold comps: Search “Levis 501 Made in USA W34” with sold filter. Results:

• $65 (vintage dark wash, similar condition)
• $72 (vintage medium wash, better photos)
• $55 (vintage, some wear)
• $80 (deadstock vintage)
• $60 (vintage, minor staining)

Step 2 — Median sold price: $65

Step 3 — Calculate profit:

• Sell price: $65
• eBay fees (13.25%): -$8.61
• Shipping (USPS Priority padded flat rate): -$9.45
• Cost: -$8.00
• Net profit: $38.94
• ROI: 487%

Step 4 — STR check: 15+ sold in 30 days vs. ~25 active = ~60% STR. Healthy.

Step 5 — Decision: BUY. Excellent ROI, proven demand, fast-moving category.

For a deeper dive into sourcing strategies, check our guide to sourcing inventory and our list of best things to flip for profit.

Building a Comp Spreadsheet: Track Pricing Like a Pro

Serious resellers maintain a pricing spreadsheet for items they sell regularly. This gives you historical reference without having to re-research from scratch every time.

Simple Comp Spreadsheet Template

Update this spreadsheet every 2-4 weeks for your core inventory categories. Over time, you’ll develop an intuitive sense of values backed by real data.

The Margin vs. Markup Calculator is helpful when building your spreadsheet — it converts between margin percentage and markup percentage so you can standardize how you track profitability across categories.

Categories Worth Tracking Regularly

If you sell these categories frequently, build a comp sheet:

• iPhones by model and storage tier
• Gaming consoles by model and bundle configuration
• Popular sneaker models (Jordan retros, Dunks, New Balance 550s)
• Designer brands you source often (Coach, Kate Spade, Lululemon)
• Seasonal categories (winter coats in fall, camping gear in spring)

Advanced Techniques: Comp Research for Power Sellers

Factoring in Shipping

eBay sold prices can be misleading if you don’t account for shipping. An item that “sold for $50” with $12 shipping cost the buyer $62 total. An item that “sold for $55 with free shipping” cost the buyer $55 total.

When comparing comps, always calculate the total cost to buyer (item price + shipping). Then, figure out your shipping cost and adjust your pricing accordingly.

Use the Shipping Box Size Calculator and First Class vs Priority Calculator to estimate your actual shipping costs before listing.

Auction vs. Buy It Now Price Differences

Auction sold prices are typically 10–20% lower than Buy It Now prices for the same item. This is because:

• Auctions create urgency but limit the buyer pool to those watching at that moment
• Many auction sellers start at $0.99 with no reserve, accepting whatever the market gives
• BIN listings with Best Offer still anchor higher psychologically

If most of your comps are auction sales, add 10–15% to get the BIN equivalent price. If most comps are BIN, expect to match those prices with a well-optimized listing.

Reading “Item Not Paid” Situations

Not every green-priced item actually completed the transaction. Some buyers win auctions and never pay. eBay doesn’t distinguish these in sold listings, but you can spot potential non-payment cases:

• Auction prices that seem wildly high relative to other sales
• Buyers with zero or very low feedback winning high-value auctions
• Items from the same seller relisted shortly after “selling”

Take extreme outlier prices with a grain of salt. One more reason to use median instead of average.

💡 Pro Tip: For high-value items ($200+), use at least 10-15 comps spanning 60-90 days. The more data points you have, the more reliable your pricing will be. For detailed listing optimization, check our eBay listing optimization guide.

Third-Party Tools for Advanced Sold Research

Terapeak (Built Into eBay — Free)

• Best for: Serious eBay sellers who want trend data, actual Best Offer prices, and sell-through rates
• Access: Seller Hub → Research → Terapeak
• Limitations: Only covers eBay data (not Poshmark, Mercari, etc.)

WorthPoint

• Best for: Antiques, vintage items, and collectibles
• Cost: $25–$50/month
• Killer feature: Access to years of historical sale data, including items that have since been removed from eBay
• Worth it if: You regularly sell vintage or collectible items worth $50+

Underpriced App

• Best for: Quick, comprehensive deal analysis across all categories
• Killer feature: AI-powered comp analysis that pulls sold data, calculates average selling prices, factors in fees on multiple platforms, and tells you whether a deal is worth taking — all in under 30 seconds
• Great for: Sourcing decisions when you don’t have time for manual research

Instead of spending 5-10 minutes per item doing manual comp research, Underpriced runs the analysis instantly and gives you a profit estimate across platforms. This is especially powerful when you’re at a busy estate sale or thrift store and need to make fast decisions on 20+ potential items.

Common Comp Research Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake 1: Comparing Different Conditions

A “Used — Good” iPhone 14 is worth significantly less than an “Excellent” or “Like New” one. Make sure your comps match your item’s condition. Use the Condition Grade Impact Calculator to understand exactly how condition affects pricing in your category.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the Date

Sold data from 6 months ago may be irrelevant. Electronics depreciate monthly. Seasonal items shift dramatically. Always weight recent sales more heavily than older ones.

Mistake 3: Too Few Comps

Three sold listings isn’t enough data. Aim for 8-15 comparable sales for reliable pricing. If you can’t find enough comps, broaden your search slightly or extend the date range.

Mistake 4: Forgetting Fees and Shipping

A $50 sale isn’t $50 in your pocket. After eBay’s 13.25% final value fee, PayPal/managed payments processing, and shipping costs, you might net $32-$36. Always calculate net profit, not gross. The Break-Even Price Calculator shows you the minimum price you need to sell at to avoid a loss.

Mistake 5: Not Checking Multiple Platforms

eBay sold data is the gold standard, but some items sell better (and for more) on other platforms. Vintage clothing often commands higher prices on Depop or Poshmark. Gaming items may do better on local marketplaces. Use our Crosslisting Platforms Comparison to identify the best-fit platform for each item.

For a full guide on selling across multiple marketplaces, see our article on reselling on multiple platforms.

How Underpriced Automates This Entire Process

We built Underpriced because we were tired of spending 5-10 minutes researching comps for every single sourcing decision. Here’s what would take you 10+ minutes of manual work:

1. Search eBay sold listings
2. Filter by condition
3. Calculate median/average price
4. Factor in platform fees
5. Estimate shipping costs
6. Calculate net profit and ROI
7. Decide buy/pass

Underpriced does all of this in under 30 seconds. Take a photo of the item (or enter the details), and our AI:

• Pulls real sold comp data
• Calculates the realistic selling price
• Factors in fees for eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, and other platforms
• Estimates shipping costs
• Shows you the projected net profit and ROI
• Gives you a clear buy or pass recommendation

It’s like having a pricing analyst in your pocket. And for beginners still learning to read comps, it’s an invaluable training tool — compare the AI analysis to your own research and learn where your estimates differ.

FAQ: eBay Sold Listings for Pricing Research

Q: How far back does eBay show sold listings?

A: eBay’s default sold/completed listings filter shows the last 90 days of data. Using Advanced Search, you can sometimes access slightly older data. Terapeak extends this to 365 days of historical data, and WorthPoint has data going back years. For most items, 90 days of sold data is sufficient for accurate pricing.

Q: Why do some sold prices show a strikethrough?

A: A strikethrough green price means the item sold via Best Offer. The displayed price is what the seller listed it at, not what the buyer actually paid. The accepted offer is typically 15–25% lower. Use Terapeak to see the actual accepted price.

Q: Should I include auction sales in my pricing research?

A: Yes, but weight them differently. Auction prices tend to be 10–20% below Buy It Now prices because they represent what one specific set of buyers was willing to pay at a specific moment. If you plan to list as BIN, use auction comps as a floor and BIN comps as your target.

Q: How many sold comps do I need for reliable pricing?

A: Aim for 8–15 comparable sales within the last 60–90 days. Fewer than 5 comps means you’re working with unreliable data. If you can’t find enough comps, your item might be rare (which could mean high value or no demand — investigate further).

Q: What if I can’t find any sold listings for my item?

A: Try broadening your search: remove specifics like color or size, search by brand + category instead of exact model, or check alternative platforms (Mercari, Poshmark sold data). If nothing comes up anywhere, the item either has no resale market or is extremely rare. For rare items, check WorthPoint or niche collector forums. See our eBay sold listings pricing guide for additional search strategies.

Q: Do sold listings include shipping costs?

A: It depends. Some listings include free shipping (meaning the shipping cost is baked into the sale price), while others show a separate shipping charge. Always look at the total cost to buyer (item + shipping) when comparing comps. You can check whether a listing offered free shipping by clicking into the individual listing.

Q: How do I account for items sold in lots or bundles?

A: Lots and bundles can heavily skew your averages. If you’re pricing a single item, exclude bundle listings from your comps. Add “-lot” or “-bundle” to your search to filter most of these out. Use the Listing Title Optimizer to ensure your own listings don’t get bundled into lot searches.

Q: What’s the difference between “sold” and “completed” listings?

A: “Sold” shows only items that were purchased (green prices). “Completed” shows both sold items (green) AND unsold items (red). Completed listings are more informative because the red listings tell you what prices the market rejected. Always use “Completed” for full market analysis.

Q: How accurate is eBay sold data compared to other platforms?

A: eBay has the largest dataset of any resale platform, making it the most statistically reliable. However, prices can differ by platform — for example, Poshmark fashion items often sell for 10–20% more than eBay equivalents due to the audience. Our platform comparison guide breaks down how prices vary across marketplaces.

Q: Can I use eBay sold data for items I’m selling on other platforms?

A: Absolutely. eBay sold data is the baseline for pricing on any platform. Adjust up 10–20% for fashion items on Poshmark/Depop (willing-to-pay-more audience), down 10–15% for Mercari (more price-sensitive buyers), and match eBay prices for electronics on Swappa. For more on multi-platform selling, see our guide on how to start reselling.

Start Making Data-Driven Pricing Decisions Today

Pricing based on gut feeling or active listing prices is the fastest way to either undersell your inventory or let it collect dust. eBay sold listings give you the real market data needed for confident, profitable decisions.

The framework is simple:

1. Search sold comps with precise search terms
2. Calculate the median (not just the average)
3. Check sell-through rate to gauge demand
4. Account for fees, shipping, and condition differences
5. Make data-driven buy and sell decisions

Once you internalize this process, you’ll make faster sourcing decisions, price items more accurately, sell inventory faster, and ultimately put more profit in your pocket.

And if you want to shortcut the entire process, try Underpriced free — get 10 free AI-powered deal analyses and see how automated comp research can transform your reselling workflow. No credit card required, no commitment. Just faster, smarter pricing decisions backed by real sold data.