Reselling guide · Pricing
How to read the market price of second-hand
90% of flips that go wrong start from a price read wrong. Here is how to read it right, in ten minutes.
Sold listings versus open listings
Two worlds live side by side on every marketplace. Open listings are asking prices: anyone can ask 400 € for something worth 90, and that listing can sit online for years. Sold listings are transactions: somebody actually paid that figure.
If you estimate from open listings you are relying on other sellers' hopes. It is the fastest way to pay twice what an item is worth and then sit on it for six months.
How many solds you need to trust the price
Three solds are not a market: they are three anecdotes. Below ten transactions in 90 days the estimate is indicative and must be treated as such — meaning you only buy with a very wide safety margin.
The three most common distortions
The lot disguised as a single item. A «Nintendo 64» sold for 180 € is often a console with five games and two controllers. Compare it with your bare console and the comparison is wrong.
The undeclared condition. Between a «like new» garment and one «with flaws» there is often 50% of difference. Filter by condition or read the descriptions, not just the titles.
The shipping hidden in the price. A sale at 45 € with free shipping is not the same as a sale at 45 € plus 9 € of shipping. Always normalise to the all-in price.
From market price to buying price
The market price is not what you pay: it is the starting point for working out what you can pay. Take off the channel fee, shipping, packing and the margin you want. What is left is your buying ceiling.
Example: Sennheiser HD 25 headphones
Median of real solds (47 transactions)95,00 €
− eBay fee 11.5%−10,93 €
− shipping and packing−7,50 €
= net received76,57 €
Target margin 60% on cost÷ 1,60
Maximum buying price47,85 €
If the seller will not go below 60 €, it is not a deal: it is a favour you are doing them. Vintaflip's calculator runs this maths for you on every channel.