I still remember the first time I almost lost $200 on a vintage Nikon camera. I was standing in a thrift store aisle, staring at a lens that looked valuable. I pulled up the eBay app, searched the model number, and saw a listing for $350. My heart jumped. I thought I’d struck gold. I bought it for $50, rushed home, and listed it.
It sat there for three months. Not a single bite.
When I finally dug deeper, I realized my mistake: I was looking at Active listings—what people wanted to get for the item—not Sold listings—what people actually paid. Eventually, I found the sold data and realized that camera regularly sold for $45. I broke even after fees, but I paid for that lesson with my time.
If you are trying to figure out how to see sold items on ebay, you are already smarter than I was. Whether you are a reseller trying to price inventory or a collector trying to avoid overpaying, knowing the "Sold" price is the only data point that matters. The "Asking" price is just a wish; the "Sold" price is reality.
The Basic Search Method (Desktop & Mobile)
eBay makes this data accessible, but they hide it behind a few clicks. The process differs slightly depending on your device, but the data pool is the same: you get access to the last 90 days of sales history.
On Desktop (The "Sidebar" Method)
If you are at your computer, this is the fastest way to get a broad view of the market.
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Enter your keywords: Type your product name (e.g., "Sony Walkman WM-2") into the main search bar and hit enter.
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Locate the Sidebar: Look at the left-hand side of the screen. You will see a long list of filters like "Condition," "Price," and "Buying Format."
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Find "Show Only": Scroll down nearly to the bottom of this sidebar until you see the Show Only heading.
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Check the Box: Click the checkbox for Sold Items.
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Note: eBay will automatically check "Completed Items" as well. This is normal.
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What you will see:
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Green Prices: These items sold. The price shown is (usually) what the buyer paid.
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Dates: The date shown is when the listing ended.
On the Mobile App (The "Filter" Method)
Standing in a garage sale driveway? You need speed. The app workflow is slightly different.
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Search: Type your item into the top search bar.
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Tap "Filter": This button is usually at the top right, under the search bar.
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Scroll Down: In the filter menu, scroll to the very bottom to find "Show More" or look directly for the "Sold Items" toggle (depending on your OS version).
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Toggle On: Switch Sold Items to "On."
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Tap "Show Results": The app will refresh with your data.
Now the tricky part... navigating the "Best Offer" trap. If you see a price with a line through it (strikethrough), that means the seller accepted a lower price than listed. The standard search will not tell you what that price was. We will cover how to solve that in the "Advanced Tools" section below.
The "Best Offer" Lie: Why Standard Search Isn't Enough
Here is where most new sellers get burned. You search for how to see items sold on ebay, you follow the steps above, and you see a rare comic book listed at $500 with a line through it ($500).
You assume: "Oh, they probably took $450 or $475." The Reality: They might have taken $150.
When a seller accepts a "Best Offer," eBay's standard search displays the original listing price with a strikethrough, not the actual transaction price. This skews the data massively. If you price your item based on that $500 strikethrough, you will be overpriced and invisible.
To see the real money, you need to use a dedicated ebay price checker or research tool that pulls backend data.
How to See What Items Actually Sold For (Advanced Tools)
If you are serious about accuracy—especially for high-value items—you cannot rely on the basic 90-day search. You need tools that reveal the accepted offer price and look back further than three months.
1. Terapeak Product Research (The "Seller Hub" Powerhouse)
For years, Terapeak was a paid subscription. Now, it is free for all eBay sellers, and it is the single most powerful tool for how to find recently sold items on ebay.
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How to access: Go to Seller Hub > Research tab > Terapeak Product Research.
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Why it wins:
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Real Prices: It shows the actual price paid, even for Best Offers. No more guessing.
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2-Year History: Unlike the standard search (90 days), Terapeak lets you see previously sold items up to 2 years back (and sometimes 3).
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Sell-Through Rate: It calculates the percentage of items that actually sold vs. those that didn't.
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(Parenthetical aside: I once sourced a niche industrial part that showed zero sales in the standard 90-day search. I checked Terapeak, set the range to "Last Year," and saw it sold once every 4 months for $300. I bought it, listed it, and it sold three months later. Without Terapeak, I would have left it on the shelf.)
I use Closo to automate checking these price trends daily – saves me about 3 hours weekly – because manually running Terapeak searches for every single SKU is a fast way to burnout.
2. 130Point.com (The Quick "Sales Detective")
If you are on mobile and the eBay app's Terapeak feature is being glitchy (it happens), 130Point.com is the best third-party price tracker for ebay.
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How it works: You search the specific item name. It pulls API data to show you the "Best Offer Accepted" price.
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Use Case: Perfect for trading cards (Pokémon, Sports) where "Best Offer" is the standard.
Sold vs. Completed: Don't Make This Mistake
One of the most common errors I see with new users searching how to sort by sold on ebay is confusing "Sold" with "Completed."
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Sold Items (Green): A buyer paid for this. Money changed hands. This is market value.
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Completed Items (Green & Red/Black): This list includes everything that ended—both items that sold AND items that did not sell.
If you only check "Completed Items" without checking "Sold," you will see a lot of high prices in red/black text. These are unsold listings.
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Example: You might see a Beanie Baby listed for $10,000 (Unsold). If you use that as your comp, you are hallucinating.
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The Lesson: Always ensure the price is Green. If it’s not Green, it’s just a dream.
How to find "Comp" Trends (Beyond Just Price)
Looking at the price is step one. But to really understand how to see previously sold items on ebay effectively, you need to look at the context of the sale.
1. Keyword Stuffing
Look at the titles of the sold items. Did the one that sold for $50 use the word "Vintage," while the one that sold for $30 didn't? Copy the winning keywords.
2. Photo Quality
Did the high-dollar sales have a white background? Did they show the tags?
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Opinion: I honestly believe that 50% of the price difference between a $20 sale and a $35 sale is just lighting. If you take a photo of a shirt on a wrinkled bedspread, you are signaling "discount."
3. Time of Sale
Check the date. Did this item sell for $100 in December but only $60 in July? Seasonal demand is real. If you are selling a winter coat in June, look at the sold comps from last winter (using Terapeak) to set your price, not the clearance prices from last week.
People always ask me...
"How far back can I see sold items?"
Common question I see. On the standard eBay search (Desktop/App), you can only see the last 90 days. After 90 days, the data falls off the public cliff. However, if you use Terapeak inside Seller Hub, you can view data for the last 2 to 3 years. This is critical for rare or long-tail items that don't sell every week.
"Why can't I see the sold price on some items?"
If you see "Price hidden" or a similar message, it usually means the item was sold as a "Private Listing." Sellers sometimes use this for sensitive items or high-value goods where buyers prefer privacy. Unfortunately, there is no hack to see these prices; they are blocked by design.
"Does watching an item help me see the sold price later?"
Yes! If you are eyeing an active listing but aren't ready to buy, add it to your "Watch List." When it sells, it will move to the "Ended" section of your Watch List, and you can usually see the final sale price there, even if it disappears from search results quickly.
Conclusion
Learning how to see sold items on ebay is the single most valuable skill in e-commerce. It transforms you from a gambler into an investor. It stops you from overpaying at the thrift store and prevents you from underpricing your treasures online.
Remember the hierarchy of truth:
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Standard Search (Green Prices): Good for quick, recent checks.
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Terapeak: Essential for historical data and uncovering "Best Offer" prices.
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130Point: The backup plan for specific "Best Offer" investigations.
Stop guessing what your items are worth. The data is there, hiding in plain sight (or behind a filter menu). Use it.
If you are ready to take your reselling seriously, you might want to read our guide on [how to increase eBay selling limits]. And if you are struggling to keep track of all these sold listings across different apps, check out our breakdown of [cross-listing tools] to save your sanity.
FAQ
Here's something everyone wants to know: Can I see sold items on the eBay app? Yes, you can. Open the eBay app, search for your item, tap the "Filter" button at the top right, scroll down to the "Show More" section, and toggle the switch for "Sold Items". This will refresh your feed to show only items that have successfully sold in the last 90 days.
Common question I see: How do I find the actual price of a "Best Offer" sold item? The standard eBay search shows a strikethrough price for Best Offers, which is inaccurate. To see the actual price, you must use Terapeak Product Research (found in the "Research" tab of eBay Seller Hub) or a third-party tool like 130Point.com. These tools access the sales data to reveal the exact amount the buyer paid.
People always ask me: Why do some sold items have a red price? If you are viewing "Completed Listings," a red price typically indicates the listing ended without a sale (unsold). A green price indicates a successful sale. Always ensure you have the "Sold Items" filter checked specifically, not just "Completed Items," to avoid using unsold data for your pricing research.
