Glossary · Pricing
Market value, selling price and margin
What an item is worth and what you ask for it are two different numbers, and the gap between them has a job to do. These three words keep them apart.
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The short version
Market value tells you the range. Your store decides the number, and that number is the selling price. Margin is what has to be left between what you have in the item and what it sells for.
The terms
- Market value
An estimated reference for what an item is worth, based on third-party market pricing data rather than on any one store.
Often confused with
The selling price. Market value is referenced, not chosen. It describes a range the market suggests, and it is quoted separately for each completeness category.
In the store
A lookup returns one figure for a loose copy and a higher one for a complete-in-box copy. Neither is the price the store has decided on.
- Selling price
The price the store chooses for the item.
Often confused with
Market value. Market value is an outside estimate. The selling price is a decision the store makes, and only the store can make it.
In the store
Two copies of one title, bought at different prices in different condition, can sit on the same shelf at different selling prices.
- Margin
The relationship between what a store has in an item and what it makes when the item sells.
Often confused with
Markup. Markup is measured against what the item cost and margin against the selling price, so the same two numbers produce different figures.
In the store
An item bought close to market value leaves little room for the testing, cleaning and time it still needs before it sells.
Why the distinction matters
The mistake these three words prevent is pricing straight off a lookup. Market value is an estimate drawn from outside your store. It knows nothing about what you paid, what the item still needs, or how long a copy sits in your shop before someone buys it.
Treated as a price it fails in both directions: buy at market value and there is no margin left for the work, sell at it and you have ignored what the item cost you. RetroBase shows market value as context. The number on the item stays your decision. How to make that decision is covered in how to price used games for resale.
Frequently asked questions
Is market value the price I should charge?
No. Market value is an estimate of what an item is worth, drawn from third-party market pricing data. It tells you the range. Your store decides the number.
What is the difference between market value and selling price?
Market value is referenced from outside the store. The selling price is chosen by the store. They come from different places and are rarely the same number.
Is margin the same as markup?
No. Markup is measured against what the item cost and margin against the selling price, so the same two numbers give different figures.
Why does a lookup return several values for one game?
Market value is quoted separately for each completeness category, because a loose copy and a complete-in-box copy are effectively different products.
Market value as context, not as the price.
RetroBase brings market-value context into the pricing stage, so every item gets a price before it reaches Ready to Sell.
Choose RetroBase as a preferred source and Google shows these pages to you more often.
