How to compare skin prices across marketplaces
On one site skin costs 1,000, on another 850, on a third 40 in dollars. It is pointless to compare these three numbers with each other: behind them there are different currencies, different commissions and different conditions for obtaining the item.
Why price tags of platforms cannot be compared directly and how to reduce them to one number, taking into account commissions, replenishment, withdrawal and blocking.
Why displayed prices are not directly comparable
Steam counts in the balance of a wallet that cannot be cashed out. Third-party sites count in money that can be withdrawn. These are different currencies in essence, not in name.
Commissions are hidden in different places. Somewhere they are already in the price tag, somewhere they are added during payment, somewhere they appear when replenishing the balance of the site, and somewhere - only during withdrawal.
Plus blocking. An item that will arrive to you in a week and an item that is available immediately are different products, even if they have the same name.
Compare a single net figure
When purchasing, consider this: how much money will be spent on the card for the item to be in your inventory. This includes the lot price, site commission, commission and replenishment rate.
When selling, it’s the other way around: how much money will come to the card after the item leaves. Price minus site commission, minus withdrawal commission, minus conversion.
Only these two numbers can be placed side by side and compared. Everything else is window dressing.
Worked examples
skin on the Steam Marketplace costs 1,000 rubles. To buy it, you top up your Steam wallet with 1,000 rubles - there are usually no losses here, so the entry price is exactly 1,000.
The same skin on a third-party site costs 850 rubles. But replenishing the balance of the site comes with a payment system commission, say 4%, and not 850 is credited to the account, but you need to deposit about 885. Plus a block for seven days.
Result: 1,000 versus 885. There is a difference, but it is half as much as it seemed from the window, and you pay for it with a week of waiting. Whether it’s worth it is up to you to decide, but now the decision is made based on honest numbers.
- Check the minimum withdrawal amount - sometimes it is more than your transaction.
- The conversion rate at the site rarely coincides with the exchange rate.
- Compare prices at the same time: the market moves in hours.
When a better price means more risk
The price is noticeably lower than the market for all items at once - this is not the effectiveness of the site, but a signal. Most likely the service has problems with payments or it has been down for the last few months.
Other signs after which it is better not to take risks: there are no clear withdrawal conditions, verification is asked after the item has been received, support does not respond, and the reviews are the same and written on the same day.
The check is simple and costs a penny: make the first transaction on the cheapest item and finish it until the money is credited. Until the entire chain is verified, large sums are not transferred there.
Frequently asked questions
Why are prices higher at Steam than on third-party sites?
The Steam balance cannot be cashed out, so it is valued lower than real money. Plus, the commissions and composition of the audience differ.
Which price source is considered the main one?
The market in which you are actually going to make a transaction. Price on another market - reference information.
What should be included in the calculation besides the price?
Platform commission, commission and replenishment rate, withdrawal commission, minimum withdrawal amount and item blocking period.
Can price aggregators be trusted?
As a guide - yes. They collect offers from several sites, but show ad prices and may not take into account commissions, withdrawals and item availability. Check the original site; Calculate the total amount yourself.
The site offers a price much lower than the market. Is it profitable?
Rather dangerous. A systematically low price usually means problems with payments or the imminent closure of the service.
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