How to tell if a sale is actually a good deal
WhattAPrice Editorial · Aug 12, 2026 · 4 min read
A discount badge is a marketing decision. Price history is a fact. Here is how to read one against the other.
Retail list prices are set by the seller and can be raised before a sale so the discount looks larger. The number that matters is what the product actually sold for over the last 30, 90 and 365 days.
Start with the 90-day average. If today's price is below it by more than ten percent, the discount is real movement rather than a repackaged list price.
Then check the historical low. A price that matches or beats the recorded low is usually as good as it gets in that cycle. A price five percent above the low often returns within a few weeks.
Finally, look at volatility. Products that swing weekly reward waiting; products that step down once or twice a year do not.