Last Updated: February 2026
Pricing is the single biggest lever you have as a reseller. Price too high, and your item sits for months collecting dust. Price too low, and you're literally giving away profit. The difference between a reseller making $2K/month and $10K/month often comes down to one thing: they know how to read sold comps.
Sold comps (comparable sales) are the closest thing to a crystal ball in reselling. They tell you exactly what buyers are willing to pay — not what sellers wish they'd pay.
Here's how to use them like a pro.
TL;DR — Key Takeaways
- Sold comps = recently completed eBay sales of the same or similar item — the single best pricing data source
- Always filter by "Sold Items" on eBay, not active listings (asking price ≠ selling price)
- Look at the median price, not the average — outliers will skew averages
- Factor in condition, completeness, and seasonality when comparing
- Sell-through rate tells you how fast an item moves — critical for inventory decisions
- Price 5-10% below the median if you want a fast sale, at the median for balanced, above for patience plays
- to calculate your actual take-home after platform fees
What Are Sold Comps (And Why Do They Matter)?
"Sold comps" is short for sold comparable sales. It's a term borrowed from real estate — just like an appraiser looks at similar homes that recently sold to determine a property's value, resellers look at similar items that recently sold on eBay to determine the right listing price.
Here's why this matters more than anything else:
Active listings mean nothing. Anyone can list a used t-shirt for $500. That doesn't mean it's worth $500. The only thing that tells you what an item is actually worth is what someone actually paid for it.
eBay makes this data freely available. It's one of the biggest advantages eBay has over other platforms — Poshmark and Mercari don't give you this level of sold data transparency.
Step-by-Step: How to Search eBay Sold Listings
Step 1: Go to eBay and Search for Your Item
Navigate to eBay.com and type your item into the search bar. Be specific but not too specific:
- Good: "Nike Air Max 90 size 10 men's"
- Too vague: "Nike shoes"
- Too specific: "Nike Air Max 90 infrared 2024 size 10 men's DS OG box"
Start with a medium-specific search and narrow down from there.
Step 2: Filter by "Sold Items"
This is the critical step most beginners skip.
On the search results page:
The results will now show in green text — these are items that actually sold and the prices buyers actually paid.
Step 3: Narrow Your Filters
Now refine your search:
- Condition: Match your item's condition (New with Tags, Pre-owned, etc.)
- Buying format: Filter for "Buy It Now" or "Auction" depending on how you plan to list
- Time: eBay shows sold items from the last 90 days by default — this is usually the right window
- Price range: If you see crazy outliers, you can exclude them with a price range
Step 4: Scan the Results
You're looking for items that are as close to yours as possible in:
- Brand, model, style, colorway
- Size (for clothing/shoes)
- Condition
- What's included (box, accessories, tags)
Ignore results that aren't truly comparable. A new-in-box item and a well-worn one aren't comps for each other.
How to Read Sold Comp Data Like a Pro
Finding sold comps is step one. Interpreting them correctly is where the money is.
Calculate the Median, Not the Average
Let's say you find 10 sold listings for your item at these prices:
$35, $38, $40, $42, $42, $45, $47, $48, $52, $95
- Average: $48.40 — but this is inflated by that $95 outlier
- Median: $43.50 — the middle value, much more useful
The median gives you the realistic selling price. One person overpaying or getting a lucky auction doesn't change what most buyers will pay.
Look at the Price Range
The range tells you about your pricing flexibility:
- Tight range ($40-$50): Market has strong consensus on value. Price accordingly.
- Wide range ($25-$95): Condition, photos, listing quality, and timing all matter a lot. You have room to optimize.
Check the Sell-Through Rate
This is a metric most resellers overlook, and it's incredibly valuable.
Sell-through rate = Sold listings ÷ (Sold listings + Active listings) × 100
Example:
- 30 sold listings in the last 90 days
- 50 active listings right now
- Sell-through rate: 30 ÷ 80 = 37.5%
What it means:
- Over 50%: Hot item. Sells fast. You can price at or above the median.
- 30-50%: Solid seller. Price at the median for a reasonable turnaround.
- Under 20%: Slow mover. You'll need to price competitively or wait.
- Under 10%: Very slow. Consider if it's even worth your time listing.
This number helps you decide not just how to price, but whether to buy the item for resale in the first place.
Common Pricing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Mistake #1: Pricing Based on Active Listings
I see this constantly. Someone finds their item on eBay, sees active listings at $80, and prices at $75 thinking they're being competitive.
But when you check sold comps, the item is actually selling at $45-$55. Those $80 listings? They're going to sit there for months. Don't join them.
Fix: Always check sold comps first. Active listings tell you what isn't selling at that price.
Mistake #2: Pricing Too High and Waiting Forever
"I'll just list it high and lower the price if it doesn't sell."
The problem: eBay's search algorithm favors fresh listings. An item that's been sitting for 3 months gets pushed down in search results. By the time you lower the price, you've lost the new-listing visibility boost.
Fix: Price right the first time. You'll sell faster, turn your capital faster, and actually make more money over the course of a year.
Mistake #3: Pricing Too Low Because You Want a Quick Sale
Underpricing by $5-10 might make sense if you need to move inventory fast. But I see resellers pricing 30-40% below comps because they "just want it gone." That's leaving real money on the table.
If sold comps show $50, pricing at $35 means you gave away $15 in profit. Do that 100 times and you've lost $1,500.
Fix: If you want a fast sale, price 5-10% below the median sold price. That's enough to be competitive without giving away your margin.
Mistake #4: Not Accounting for Condition Differences
A "pre-owned" item in excellent condition is not the same as one with stains and holes. When reviewing comps, look at the photos and descriptions to match condition levels.
Fix: Be honest about your item's condition. If yours is in worse condition than most comps, price lower. If yours is pristine, you can justify the higher end of the range.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Shipping in Your Price
If comparable items sold at $50 with free shipping, and you list at $50 plus $8 shipping, your effective price is $58 — you're 16% more expensive.
Many buyers sort by "Price + Shipping." Your $50+$8 listing shows up at $58, well above the $50 free-shipping listings.
Fix: Build shipping into your price. Most successful eBay sellers offer free shipping and adjust their item price accordingly. to calculate your true costs.
Advanced Pricing Strategies
Seasonal Pricing Adjustments
Some items have dramatic seasonal price swings:
- Winter coats: Peak value Oct-Dec, bottom out in May-July
- Swimwear: Peak May-July, worthless in winter
- Tax season (Feb-Apr): Electronics and bigger purchases spike
- Back to school (Jul-Sep): Clothing, backpacks, tech
- Holiday season (Nov-Dec): Almost everything peaks
Check sold comps from the same time period last year if possible. An item that sold for $60 in December might only fetch $35 in March.
Condition-Based Price Tiers
Create mental price tiers based on condition:
- New with tags/sealed: Top 15-20% of comp range
- Like new/excellent: Median to slightly above
- Good/used: Below median, maybe 15-25% under
- Fair/heavily used: Bottom 25% of comp range or below
Lot Pricing vs Singles
Sometimes you'll find that individual items sell for more than lots, and sometimes the opposite is true. Always check both:
- Search for the item individually AND as part of a lot
- Calculate the per-item value both ways
- If 5 items sell for $10 each individually but a lot of 5 sells for $35, you make $15 more selling singles (minus the extra shipping and listing time)
The "Best Offer" Strategy
If you see that many sold comps show "Best Offer Accepted" (eBay shows this but doesn't reveal the accepted price), expect that the actual selling price was 10-20% below the listed price.
Factor this in when you see sold prices that seem high — some of those are best offer acceptances at lower prices.
Putting It All Together: A Real Pricing Example
Let's say you sourced a North Face Nuptse jacket, men's size L, in excellent used condition, for $40 at a thrift store.
Step 1: Search eBay for "North Face Nuptse 700 men L" → filter by Sold Items
You find 25 sold listings in the last 90 days:
- Range: $65 - $180
- Median: $110
- Most sales clustered between $90-$130
Step 2: Narrow to your condition
Pre-owned, good condition, with no major flaws:
- 15 comparable sales
- Median: $105
Step 3: Check sell-through rate
- 15 sold + 20 active = 43% sell-through
- Solid. Not a super fast mover, but healthy demand.
Step 4: Consider seasonality
It's February — still cold in most of the US. Winter jacket demand is moderate. If it were October, you might price 10-15% higher.
Step 5: Set your price
- List at $109.99 with free shipping (Buy It Now, Best Offer)
- Set your minimum auto-accept at $90
- Shipping will cost you about $10
Step 6: Calculate your profit
- Sale at $105 (assuming an offer slightly below asking)
- eBay fees (~13%): -$13.65
- Shipping: -$10
- Cost of goods: -$40
- Net profit: $41.35
- ROI: 103%
Not bad for a thrift store find.
The Faster Way: Let Technology Do the Research
Everything I described above works. But it takes 5-10 minutes per item. If you're sourcing 20+ items at a thrift store, that's over an hour just doing pricing research — standing in the aisle with your phone, squinting at tiny eBay filters.
Skip the manual research. SnapList pulls sold comps instantly from a photo — try it free at snaplist.com.
Snap a photo of the item, and SnapList identifies it, pulls recent sold comps, and gives you a recommended price range in seconds. It even factors in condition and seasonal trends. It's the tool I wish existed when I started reselling.
Want to know how fees affect your profit on each platform? Check out our fee comparison guide for a complete breakdown. And if you're wondering about timing, read our guide on the best time to list guide for maximum visibility.