eBay have increased the look back period for completed listings in certain categories from 15 days to as much as 60 days. This is largely in the collectables categories where it is much more useful to see past prices than in say iPads.
The new look back periods
Collectables category increased from 45 days to 90 days.
Antiques, Art, Coins, Dolls & Bears, Pottery, Porcelain & Glass, Sports Memorabilia, Stamps, Toys & Games categories have also been increased from 15 days to 60 days.
How to find historical sale prices on eBay
All you need do to find out past prices items have sold for is to click on the “Advanced Search” tab at the top of most eBay pages, enter the relevant keywords, check the “Completed Listings” box and click the “Search” button.
Longer look back periods
It’s well known that Terapeak is the best research tool for eBay (They licence eBay’s data direct), although unlike eBay’s tools it’s a paid for service. However if you want to know historical prices items have actually sold for on eBay Terapeak has data available that goes back an entire year, although you’re restricted to reports of 90 days at a time. Mind you… run four reports and you have a whole year’s worth of data if you want it!
9 Responses
This is a very poor idea.
Why let buyers check out past sales for 90 days?
It could have a significant impact on auction bids and BIN sales and reduce final values of current auctions.
And this will hit ebay where it hurts them most!
15 days is enough. If buyers want more info then they should be charged a fee of say £10 per month. And this fee paid by buyers should be used to subsidise sellers fees. But anyway it should not be offered.
I have checked and all my sales are now visible for the last 90 days to anybody who can be bothered to look.
Competitors, the tax man, the vat man, etc. This could put a lot of “private business” sellers off selling so more revenue lost for ebay.
Crazy!
I include myself in the ranks of those who are not bothered by the taxman and the vatman spying on my turnover for the quarter.
But there are those that will be!
If it puts off “private business” sellers from listing that is a good thing in my book.
I am however slightly troubled by competitors (and buyers?) being able to spy on my actual sales for a 90 day period though. I don’t mind them checking turnover (which they can do easily on another site) but lists of individual sales for an extended period is another matter.
It will also put off potential buyers from bidding or buying as they can now see item volumes for 90 days and something that over a 15 day period may appear unique and a must buy over a 90 day period may suddenly appear less so.
It will extend the gap for example between my listing unique items that I happen to have in bulk. So a slight rethink on my sales strategy may be required.
I may of course be entirely wrong and slightly paranoid about all this!
Unfortuneately ebay have this habit of making a lot of sellers paranoid! 🙂
The other issue with the historic data on ebay is that it is full of auction and BIN stuff that has not sold. What is the point of that?
You then see exactly the same auction or BIN item that has not sold put up for sale at exactly the same price by the same seller only to not sell again!
(I partly blame the free listing days for this)
So now we are going to be subject to seeing multiple duplications of the same item in the historic data that has not sold.
Crazy!
Hi,
I’d just like to mention a tool I’ve built that I think solves many of the above mentioned issues – marksight.com
It lets you search completed ebay auctions and see real sold prices based on keywords.
Hi Chris,
I must apologize as I guess I let myself get carried away. My only excuse is I don’t consider my service spam, because it’s a real one and I don’t even try to get paid for it, instead attempting to reach as many people as I can – if that even counts as an excuse 😉
Overall, I think your posts are great, especially for someone trying to learn the ropes of eBay; or someone like me – trying to figure out what people need. Thanks for the kind nudge in the right direction and good fortunes to you!