How to check sold prices on eBay UK (app and desktop)
The asking price on eBay tells you what sellers hope for. The sold price tells you what buyers paid. Before you buy anything to resell, check the sold price.
TLDR: Search for the item, then turn on the Sold items filter. On desktop it sits under the filters on the left. In the app it is in the Filter menu. Compare like with like, add the postage, and ignore the single highest sale.
How to see sold listings on the eBay app
- Search for the exact item, for example the product name and the set.
- Tap Filter.
- Turn on Sold items.
- Apply the filter.
The results now show listings that sold, with the price the buyer paid. Sort by most recent first, so the newest prices sit at the top.
How to see sold listings on eBay desktop
- Search for the item on ebay.co.uk.
- In the filters on the left, find Show only.
- Tick Sold items.
You can also tick Completed items. That shows listings that ended without a sale as well. A long run of completed listings that did not sell tells you the asking prices are too high.
How far back the sold filter goes
The sold filter shows recent sales only, roughly the last 90 days. For older data, use Terapeak, which is the product research tool in eBay's Seller Hub. It goes back much further and shows averages, the number sold and the sell-through rate.
Older data matters for seasonal stock. A LEGO set or a Pokémon product can sell very differently in December than in March.
How to read sold prices without fooling yourself
Sold listings are only useful if you compare like with like. Most bad buying decisions come from these mistakes:
- Mixing conditions. A sealed item and an opened one are different products. So are a graded card and a raw card. Filter by condition, or read each title.
- Ignoring postage. Look at the item price plus postage. A £40 sale with free postage and a £34 sale plus £6 postage are the same sale.
- Trusting "Best offer accepted". eBay shows the original asking price crossed out. The buyer paid less, and the page does not show how much less. Treat that price as a ceiling, not a sale price.
- Pricing from the top sale. One high sale can be an auction with two keen bidders. Use the middle of the last ten to twenty sales.
- Missing the trend. If the newest sales are lower than the older ones, the price is falling. That often happens after a restock or a reprint.
Work back from the sold price to your profit
A sold price is not your profit. Take off the selling fees, the payment and postage costs, and the packaging. Then take off what you paid for the item.
For business sellers, eBay's fees on the total are the biggest deduction. Our guide to how much eBay takes from a sale works through the maths. For a wider method to decide whether an item is worth buying, read is an item worth reselling.
Check more than one marketplace
eBay is the biggest UK data set for sold prices, but it is not the only one. Clothing and trainers often sell differently on Vinted. Our comparison of eBay, Vinted and Depop covers where each kind of item sells best.
Where this connects
A sold price only shows you a margin when you can buy at retail price. Most limited stock sells out at RRP in minutes, and the margin goes to whoever gets to checkout first. Paragn runs monitors across more than 1,000 UK retailers and sends members an alert when stock lands. Pokémon restock alerts UK explains how that works.
Common questions
How do I see sold items on eBay UK?
Search for the item, then turn on the Sold items filter. On desktop it is under Show only in the filters on the left. In the app, tap Filter and turn on Sold items.
How far back do eBay sold listings go?
The Sold items filter shows recent sales, roughly the last 90 days. Terapeak, the research tool in eBay's Seller Hub, shows older sales data.
Why is the price crossed out on some sold listings?
That means the seller accepted a best offer. The crossed-out figure is the original asking price. The buyer paid less, and the page does not show the exact amount.
Should I include postage when I compare sold prices?
Yes. Compare the item price plus postage, because some sellers include postage in the price and some charge it on top.
What is the difference between sold and completed listings on eBay?
Sold listings ended with a sale. Completed listings include those, plus listings that ended without a sale. Many unsold completed listings mean the asking price is too high.