A price-history chart turns "is this a good price?" into a quick visual check. Here's how to read one in under a minute.
Where to find price history
Several free browser extensions and websites track prices at large online retailers and draw a chart of how each product's price has changed. Install one and it appears right on the product page.
Read it in three steps
- Find the usual price. Look for the level where the line spends most of its time. That's the real "regular" price, whatever the tag says.
- Find the recent lows. Look at the lowest points in the last 90 days and the last year. Those are the prices the item has actually sold for.
- Place today's price. At or near the recent low is a good deal. Around the usual price is not a deal, whatever the badge says.
Patterns worth knowing
- The fake spike. The price jumps up shortly before a sale event and then "drops" back to normal. The chart shows it immediately.
- Seasonal lows. Many products hit their lowest prices around big sale events (spring and summer sales, back-to-school, the November holiday sales). If one is a few weeks away, waiting can pay off.
- Slow slide. Electronics often drift down after a newer model launches. The previous generation is frequently the better value.
- Out-of-stock gaps. Breaks in the line usually mean the item was unavailable; prices right after a restock can be high.
Sales rank, the other useful line
Some trackers also chart a "sales rank". A lower rank means the product sells more often. A popular product at a historic low is usually a safe buy, since plenty of other shoppers found it worth the money.
Rule of thumb: if today's price isn't within about 10% of the lowest price in the last three months, add it to a watch list instead of buying.
Some links on Arqziop may be affiliate links. How we make money.