Guide
How We Value Squishies
Every value on SquishyTrade comes from real secondary-market activity — not a guess, a single listing, or a seller’s asking price. Here is exactly how we calculate what a squishy is worth, and how to read the number.
Where the numbers come from
A squishy’s resale value is built from real prices on the marketplaces where these items actually trade:
- eBay sold listings — completed sales, i.e. what buyers genuinely paid, not what sellers are asking.
- StockX — the most recent sale and the current lowest ask for items listed there.
- Mercari — additional realized resale prices for items that trade there.
We favor realized sales (what something sold for) over open asks (what someone hopes to get), because a sold price is the honest signal of value. For each item we also show the sample size behind the number — how many recent sales it is based on — so you can judge how settled the price is.
How often values update
An automated pipeline refreshes the catalog daily. Each run records a new price observation and appends it to that item’s price history — we never overwrite the past, so the history table on every item page is a real, accumulating record you can scroll back through. The Squishy Market Index aggregates the whole catalog into live, date-stamped market stats.
Why the headline value can differ from the cheapest listing
For hot chase variants, the most recent sale and the lowest current ask can be far apart — a squishy might have last sold for $500 while the cheapest listing right now is $160. That is normal: thin supply and swings in demand mean sold prices and asking prices drift apart. When they diverge sharply we say so right on the item page, and show both numbers, rather than hiding the gap. Treat the headline value as a recent-sale benchmark, then compare it against the live listings before you buy or trade.
Rarity
Each item also carries a rarity tier — standard, uncommon, rare, chase, or grail — set from how scarce it is across the sources we track. Rarer items sell out faster and tend to carry the biggest resale premiums over retail. See the squishy glossary for what each tier means.
What the value is — and isn’t
Our values are estimates from market data, not appraisals. They tell you what comparable squishies have recently sold for, so you can spot a fair price, an overpriced listing, or an inflated trade — but the actual price of any single sale depends on condition, completeness, timing, and the buyer. SquishyTrade is a value guide and discovery site, not a store: we never handle payments, take a cut, or hold inventory. We just track the market so you know what something is really worth before you buy, sell, or trade. Browse the catalog to see it in action.
Frequently asked questions
How does SquishyTrade calculate resale value?
From real secondary-market prices — primarily eBay sold listings, plus StockX (last sale and lowest ask) and Mercari. We favor completed sales over asking prices and show how many recent sales each value is based on.
How often are squishy values updated?
Daily. An automated pipeline refreshes the catalog every day and appends each new reading to the item’s price history, so you can see the trend over time.
Why is the value higher than the cheapest listing I can find?
The headline value reflects recent sold prices, while the cheapest listing is a current ask. For chase squishies the two often differ because supply is thin and demand swings — we show both numbers on the item page so you can compare.
Are SquishyTrade values official appraisals?
No. They are estimates from real market data to help you judge a fair price. The price of any single sale still depends on condition, completeness, and timing. SquishyTrade is a value guide, not a store, and never handles payments.