There's no doubt about it, eBay is a great resource to help with evaluating items but only if you know how to use it. If used incorrectly, it can lead you in the wrong direction. When searching values on eBay, you first need to know exactly what your item is called. If you have a piece of pottery and you just search under "pottery", you will drive yourself crazy. Thousands of results will come up. You'll need to know the maker of the pottery first. And then, its design, form and pattern name will also help in narrowing down your search. Furthermore, keep in mind spelling. Many people misspell the name or type of item they have and then get no search results.
But most importantly, once you have the correct search term, it's vital that you search first under the "sold" items section. If you find your item(s) listed here, and listed several times, you will then have a fairly accurate guide to what it's worth. "Sold" items are actual sales showing you the dollar amount of what the item sold for. If you search under "current sales" then all you are seeing is an asking price or a starting price. Sellers can ask or start an auction for whatever amount they want. But that price is only a desired amount, not an actual amount of a sale. And if you look in "completed" sales and see several examples of the same item with various prices but no bids, then you can disregard those figures. Potential buyers all thought that price was too high.
Likewise, you can offer to sell your house for a million dollars but if all the other comparable houses on your street are selling in the $200,000 range, then that's what your house is worth. It's the same on eBay. You might see several similar items with starting bid prices at $500, but if all of the same types of items have sold for $25-50, then that is what the item is worth. So, don't be fooled by "current" sales figures.
But most importantly, once you have the correct search term, it's vital that you search first under the "sold" items section. If you find your item(s) listed here, and listed several times, you will then have a fairly accurate guide to what it's worth. "Sold" items are actual sales showing you the dollar amount of what the item sold for. If you search under "current sales" then all you are seeing is an asking price or a starting price. Sellers can ask or start an auction for whatever amount they want. But that price is only a desired amount, not an actual amount of a sale. And if you look in "completed" sales and see several examples of the same item with various prices but no bids, then you can disregard those figures. Potential buyers all thought that price was too high.
Likewise, you can offer to sell your house for a million dollars but if all the other comparable houses on your street are selling in the $200,000 range, then that's what your house is worth. It's the same on eBay. You might see several similar items with starting bid prices at $500, but if all of the same types of items have sold for $25-50, then that is what the item is worth. So, don't be fooled by "current" sales figures.