Auction Sold Prices: Look Up What Items Actually Went For

Where can I see what an item sold for at auction?

On Auktia, an item's page doesn't disappear when bidding ends. If the item sold, the page stays up and shows what it went for, so anyone can look up the result later: the drill you were outbid on, the dresser style you keep seeing, the tool brand you resell.

Items that didn't sell drop out of search. So when a closed item turns up, it's a real sale, not an asking price nobody met. Each seller (auction house) also has a page showing its past results as items offered and sold, a quick read on how much of what it lists finds a buyer.

Is the sold price the hammer price or the all-in price?

Either, depending on one switch. By default a sold item shows its winning bid: the hammer price. Turn on the All-in pricing switch in the header and it shows the all-in figure instead: the winning bid plus the seller's buyer's fee (buyer's premium), sales tax and shipping.

The gap can be large. On a $100 winning bid with an 18% buyer's fee, 8.25% sales tax and $15 shipping, the winner pays $142.74. Comparing winning bids tells you what bidders were willing to bid; comparing all-in totals tells you what owning the item really cost, which is the number to set against a retail price. The all-in pricing guide explains the math.

How do I use sold prices as comps before I bid?

A comp is a comparable sale: what a similar item actually went for. A few minutes of comps before an auction keeps you from overpaying in the last minute of extended bidding (soft close).

1. Type the maker, model or keyword into the search box, the same words you'd use to find an open item.
2. Open the items that have sold and note what each went for. Turn on All-in pricing if you want to compare true totals.
3. Compare like with like: read each sold item's description and condition, and look at the photos. Open box and for parts are not the same item.
4. Decide the most you'd pay all-in, then find the matching bid. Every open item page shows Next required bid is $X, $Y all-in, so you can see how a bid turns into a total.
5. Enter that number as your max bid. Auktia bids for you one step at a time up to it, and nobody, including the seller, sees your max.

How can auction houses use sold prices to set opening bids?

Sellers set each item's starting bid (opening bid), and many items open at $1, often with no minimum price (reserve). Sold prices help decide when that works. If similar items have sold well, a low starting bid draws bidders in; if results are thin, a higher starting bid or a minimum price may protect the item. An item sells only if bidding meets its minimum price.

Auktia's AI writes a starting estimate when it lists an item from its photos, and Scan to list fills in a retail price from a barcode. Sold prices add a third view: what the same kind of item actually brought at auction. An auction estimate is a guess made before the sale; a sold price is the result.

What can't sold prices tell you?

Sold prices are evidence, not a guarantee. Read them with these limits in mind.

• One result is one day. An item that closed with a couple of determined bidders can go far above what the next one brings.
• Unsold items aren't in search, so a run of strong results can hide ones that didn't meet their minimum price.
• Costs differ by auction. Buyer's fees, sales tax and shipping vary, so compare all-in totals when the auctions differ.
• Condition is everything. Items are sold as is, and two units of the same model can be worth very different amounts.
• Distance counts. A pickup-only item far from you is worth less to you than the same item nearby, once you count the drive.