An asking price is what a seller currently requests for a Pokémon card. A sold price records a completed transaction. They answer different questions: active listings show current supply and seller expectations; completed sales provide evidence of what a buyer paid.
Neither number becomes a reliable appraisal simply because it appears on a screen.
The difference in one table
| Price type | What it represents | Useful for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active asking price | A seller’s current listed price | Seeing current availability, competition, and the range sellers are testing | The card may never sell at that amount |
| Completed sold price | A completed marketplace transaction | Seeing evidence of buyer acceptance at a particular time | Details, condition, shipping, offers, and exact printing may differ |
| App estimate | A calculation from selected marketplace data | Quickly summarizing a defined sample | Quality depends on the matches, filters, freshness, and methodology |
| Professional appraisal | A qualified opinion for a specific item and purpose | Higher-stakes insurance, estate, or specialist decisions | Requires expertise and more evidence than a marketplace scan |
Active listings and completed transactions provide different evidence, so one view does not replace the other.
What active listings can tell you
Active listings answer questions such as:
- Are many comparable copies available right now?
- What range are sellers currently asking?
- Is one low listing an outlier among much higher asks?
- Are most visible results graded, bundled, or from another region?
- What search terms lead to the relevant supply?
They are especially helpful when you want current marketplace context or a link to inspect available copies. They do not prove demand or a likely sale price.
What sold listings add
Completed sales show that a transaction occurred. They can provide a better picture of buyer behavior, particularly when several recent sales match the exact printing and comparable condition.
Even then, inspect:
- the sale date;
- whether the listing was auction or fixed price;
- whether a Best Offer changed the visible amount;
- shipping and taxes;
- raw versus professionally graded state;
- condition and card defects;
- language, finish, edition, and collector number; and
- whether the listing was a lot or included extras.
The word “sold” does not repair a bad comparable.
Why the exact printing comes first
Imagine comparing three Charizard listings. One is Base Set Unlimited, one is a later reprint with similar artwork, and one is a graded slab. The prices can be real and still be useless as one combined sample.
Before opening marketplace results, establish the card’s name, set, collector number, language, finish, and edition. The exact-printing identification guide gives you that one-line identity.
How Foily uses price information
Foily’s current product displays a provider’s general market estimate, not its own feed of active or completed listings. It shows the value with its observation time and converts it to your selected display currency.
The lookup keeps the game, card name, collector number, and set identity aligned before using a provider value. It can still miss a mismatch, and the estimate is not adjusted to the condition of your physical copy.
When the exact printing is ambiguous or a current provider value is unavailable, Foily does not invent a price estimate.
Saved collection amounts are scan-time snapshots. They do not refresh automatically and are not a live portfolio value.
A sensible research sequence
- Identify the exact printing.
- Inspect active listings to understand current supply and seller expectations.
- Remove mismatched cards, lots, slabs, and irrelevant formats.
- Check recent completed sales separately when you need evidence of buyer transactions.
- Adjust your interpretation for condition, shipping, location, and timing.
- Use specialist help for consequential appraisal or authentication decisions.
The listing comparison checklist makes step three repeatable.
The honest label matters
“Typical asking price” and “market value” are not interchangeable labels. The first describes a sample and methodology. The second can sound like a definitive conclusion about your exact card.
Foily deliberately labels its number as a general market estimate and keeps the observation date visible. It is context, not a guaranteed sale price or an appraisal of your copy.