What's That Really Worth?
Here's how to judge if auction prices are fair.George Campbell
Whether you're bidding or selling on Internet auction sites, you need to have some idea of what price a particular item typically realizes. Fortunately, there's an easy way to find out.
Both EBay and Amazon.com Auctions let you search for items in completed auctions. To search in completed auctions on EBay, first search for an item in any search box. When the initial item list appears, click the Search Completed Items link near the top of the page. On Amazon.com Auctions, click Advanced Search on any page, type your search term in the Keyword box, then click the radio button next to "completed auctions" and click Search Now.
Once you have a list of completed auctions in your browser, look for those items that match yours as closely as possible, then click on the links to those items. Pay special attention to condition, age, and similar information. Try to check several similar items and take an average of the winning bids. That will help you estimate a figure close to what the price of any similar item will fetch in a future auction.