A comp — short for comparable sale — is a recent transaction of an item like yours. Comps are how the whole market agrees on value. Reading them well is the difference between a fair price and a guess.
What makes a good comp
- Same item: same set, year, edition, and variant.
- Same condition: same grader and grade, or genuinely equivalent raw condition.
- Recent: within weeks or a few months, since markets move.
- Actual sold price, not an asking price.
Read the distribution, not one number
Look at the range and the count of sales. A cluster of similar prices is a reliable signal. A single high sale surrounded by lower ones is usually noise — a bidding war, a rare error, or a private motivation you can't replicate.
Adjust honestly
If your copy is a half-grade lower, a different variant, or missing an insert, discount for it. Buyers will, so you should too.
Trust the median of many, not the maximum of one.