How CostBuddy Works
A step-by-step guide to identifying products and getting accurate price estimates with CostBuddy.
Capture Your Product
Start by taking a photo or video of the product you want to identify. You can use your device's camera directly or upload an existing image.
Tips for Best Results
- • Ensure good lighting so product details are visible
- • Include any visible brand logos or model numbers
- • Capture the whole product, not just a portion
- • Avoid blurry images - hold your camera steady
- • Multiple products? Include them all in one shot
Review Identification
Our AI analyzes your image and identifies the products it finds. You'll see a list of detected items with their brand and model information.
Correct Match?
If the identification is correct, simply proceed to the next step.
Wrong Match?
Tap the edit button to correct the brand, name, or model manually.
You can also remove any incorrectly detected products or items you don't want to price by tapping the trash icon.
Select Specifications
Many products come in different variants - storage sizes, colors, editions, etc. CostBuddy discovers available options and lets you select the exact configuration.
Why This Matters
Specifications can dramatically affect value. For example:
- • iPhone 15 Pro 128GB vs 1TB - $300+ difference
- • PS5 Digital vs Disc Edition - $100 difference
- • Limited edition colors may be worth more
Select the specifications that match your product. If you're unsure, some specs (like color) won't significantly affect the price estimate.
Get Your Valuations
CostBuddy searches multiple sources to provide you with two key valuations:
Retail Price
Current new price from legitimate retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and brand stores. Shows "Discontinued" if no longer sold new.
Used Price (Est.)
Estimated used market value based on recent eBay sold listings for similar items in good condition.
Click on the price cards to view the source - retail prices link directly to the retailer, while used prices link to eBay sold listings so you can verify the data.
Understanding Your Results
What "~" means
The tilde (~) before used prices indicates an estimate. Used prices vary based on condition, included accessories, and seller reputation. Our estimate represents typical prices for items in good condition.
Discontinued Products
If a product shows "Discontinued" for retail, it means it's no longer being manufactured or sold new. You can still see the used market value, which may be higher than the original retail price for sought-after items.
Price Differences
A large gap between retail and used prices is normal - used items typically sell for 30-70% of retail depending on the product category, age, and demand. Electronics depreciate faster than collectibles.
Ready to Try It?
Start identifying products and getting valuations in seconds.
Open CostBuddy