eBay Sold Listings: The Primary Price Source
eBay's sold and completed listings are the most comprehensive real-transaction price database available for collectible figures. To access sold listings on eBay, search for the figure you want to research, then in the left sidebar under 'Show only', check 'Sold items'. This filters results to show only completed transactions with actual sale prices — not asking prices.
Look at the last 30 to 60 days of sold listings for a meaningful price sample. A single sold listing tells you one data point; 10 to 20 sales gives you a reliable price range and trend. Note the condition of sold pieces (in box vs opened, mint vs some wear) because condition makes a significant price difference for most collectibles.
The eBay sold listings filter works on both desktop and mobile browsers. On the eBay app, search for the figure and then use the filter (funnel icon) to select 'Sold' under listing type. The mobile filter is slightly harder to find but provides the same data. This is the first place experienced collectors check before any significant transaction.
Dedicated Price Tracking Tools
PriceCharting.com tracks secondary market prices for a wide range of collectibles including vinyl figures, art toys, and Pop Mart releases. It aggregates sold listing data from eBay and other platforms and displays price history charts that show how values have moved over months and years. For popular figures with significant sales volume, the price history charts are genuinely useful for understanding whether a figure's value is trending up, down, or stable.
Pop Mart's own secondary market platform (available through the Pop Mart app) shows current asking and recently completed sale prices for Pop Mart figures specifically. Because it's the first-party marketplace for Pop Mart releases, it often has more price data for those figures than general platforms. For Labubu and other Pop Mart figures, this platform provides the most relevant and specific pricing context.
StockX has expanded beyond sneakers to cover designer toys and collectibles. Its authentication service and standardized condition grading make it particularly useful for high-value pieces where authenticity is a concern. Prices on StockX tend to run slightly above eBay for equivalent pieces because the authentication guarantee commands a premium, which is worth knowing when comparing data across platforms.
Setting Up Price Alerts
eBay allows you to save searches and receive email notifications when new listings matching your search appear. Save a search for any figure you're considering buying (for buying alerts) or any figures similar to ones you own (for market monitoring). Navigate to your search results and click 'Save this search' above the results list — eBay will email you when new listings appear.
Google Alerts (alerts.google.com) can supplement marketplace alerts for figures that get covered by collector media or resale blogs. Set up an alert for the figure name plus 'price' or 'value' to catch any articles, forum discussions, or market analyses about that figure's value. Google Alerts is free and takes thirty seconds to configure.
Several collector-focused Discord servers maintain price channels where members share notable sales in real time. For actively traded figures like recent Pop Mart releases, these channels often surface significant transactions faster than formal platforms. Finding and joining the relevant Discord community for your collecting area is worth the effort if you buy and sell regularly.
Building a Price Research Habit
Before any significant purchase on the secondary market, spend five minutes checking eBay sold listings for recent comparable sales. This single habit prevents the most common secondary market mistake: overpaying for a figure because you relied on the asking price rather than checking what people have actually paid. Five minutes of research can save a significant percentage of a figure's purchase price.
Before listing a figure for sale, check the same data from the buyer's perspective. Set your asking price based on the median sold price for comparable condition pieces in the last 30 days, not on the highest outlier sale or on what you paid. Priced at a fair market rate, figures sell faster and are less likely to sit unsold while comparable listings move.
Maintain a price history note in your collection catalog for figures you acquired at significant cost. Note the purchase price, note any notable sold listings you see over time, and track whether the piece is trending up or down. Over years, this history informs better decisions about when to sell, whether to insure at current value, and how your collection's value has evolved.