Knowing how to find sold items on eBay is useful whether you're a buyer researching fair prices or a seller trying to set competitive listings. eBay keeps a record of recently completed sales, which gives you a clearer picture of what items are actually selling for—not just what people are asking. This helps you make smarter buying decisions and more accurate pricing strategies.
How to View Sold Items on eBay
To find sold items, start by typing your search term into the eBay search bar. Once the results load, scroll down the page and look for the filter menu on the left-hand side. Under the “Show Only” section, tick the box that says“Sold Items”. This updates the results to only show listings that ended with a successful sale.
If you also tick “Completed Items”, you’ll see both sold and unsold listings—helpful for seeing which items didn’t attract buyers and why.
Sold listings are marked in green text and include the final selling price, date sold, and any bids or offers placed. This is the most accurate way to see what someone was actually willing to pay, as opposed to current listings which are often inflated.
What Can You Learn From Sold Listings
Sold item history gives you insight into:
- Realistic pricing for similar items
- How often the item sells
- Seasonal trends and demand spikes
- Whether auctions or Buy It Now listings perform better
- How presentation (photos, titles, shipping) affects sale price
It’s a powerful tool if you’re selling and want to know what’s reasonable, or if you're buying and don’t want to overpay.
How Far Back Can You See Sold Items
eBay stores sold listing data for up to 90 days. If you're researching older trends, this is a limitation. However, for most users, three months of sales data is plenty to understand current market value. For rare or collectible items, there may be fewer recent sales, so you might have to check back regularly or look for similar alternatives.
Can You Search Sold Items on the Mobile App
Yes, you can filter by sold items on the eBay mobile app. Once you’ve performed a search, tap the “Filter” icon at the top right of the screen. Scroll down to “Show Only” and select “Sold Items”. The app will update to show only listings that have been purchased, with the same green pricing format as on desktop.
Using Sold Listings for Pricing Strategy
For sellers, sold listings are the best reference point when pricing new items. If you're listing something similar, checking recent sale prices can help you stay competitive. Avoid simply copying active listings—many items are priced too high and don’t sell. Looking at what’s already sold gives a far more accurate picture of what buyers are actually willing to pay.
What About Auction Results?
If the item was sold via auction, you can also see how many bids were placed, which helps show how competitive the item was. Items with lots of bids indicate strong demand, while listings with no bids or low sale prices may suggest oversupply or low interest.
Summary
Finding sold items on eBay is one of the most useful research tools the platform offers. It shows real-world prices, sales trends, and helps both buyers and sellers make better decisions. Whether you're tracking the value of a collectible or pricing a common household item, sold listings give you a reliable reference point that’s far more meaningful than current asking prices. Always look at sold history before making your next move.