Data Methodology
One vocabulary
Exact SKU Market Intelligence and catalog pages do not share one unnamed “n” or one unnamed “Japan price.”
- Japan Sold — median of labeled completed-sale comps for one Exact SKU (set + number, Raw). Snapshot nis that sample. Source rows add up to snapshot n. A history date is a dated median. Its day n counts only that day's own observations. A date with no new comps is left blank and is not added into snapshot n.
- Japan Listed — active asking prices for the same Exact SKU. Never blended into Japan Sold.
- US Market Reference — one labeled Western number (TCGplayer, eBay Sold, or eBay listings). The source is shown. Blank until labeled. Listing asks are not US Sold.
- Catalog listing reference — on hub and guide rows that are not an Exact SKU sold sample, a median of Japanese marketplace listings. This is not Japan Sold.
None of these is a guaranteed purchase or sale price. A thin sample stays a thin sample.
Median, not average
Japan Sold and listing references use a median, which resists a single mispriced or bundled row better than a mean. When outliers are excluded, we say so.
Sample size and confidence
Snapshot n is the count behind the current Japan Sold median. Day nis that date's own observations, or blank when the date only repeats the snapshot. Source n (Mercari, Rakuma, Yahoo Auctions) adds up to snapshot n. Confidence uses snapshot n plus labeled US n — not a sum of history rows.
Exchange rate
USD conversions use a static exchange rate fixed at build time (currently ≈ ¥156 / $1, as of 2026-09-06), not a live quote. Landed Cost uses the same rate plus the proxy, shipping, and duty assumptions listed below. If JPY/USD moves before the next build, displayed USD can lag.
Estimated Landed Cost
The Estimated Japan Purchase Cost panel combines:
- Proxy handling fee ≈ ¥500 flat (Buyee-style, per item)
- JP domestic ship ≈ ¥800
- Intl shipping varies by category (small tracked parcel for cards, boxed parcel for figures)
- Duty $0 assumed under US Section 321 De Minimis ($800); not estimated above it
This is a single unified calculation used across every Sokumise page — Japanese and English — so the same card shows the same estimated total everywhere on the site. It is an estimate, not a quote. Actual proxy fees, shipping rates, and customs treatment vary by service and shipment. We assume no import duty under the current US Section 321 De Minimis threshold ($800); above that threshold, duty is not estimated (we do not invent a number).
Market Signal (Ana Score)
Market Signal describes observed market conditions (trend, liquidity, stability, cross-market gap magnitude, data confidence). It is not investment advice and never invents US prices. See Market Signal (Ana Score).
Charizard showcase (set identity)
The English page for Charizard ex SAR (#201/165) uses set-scoped Japan Sold only. Snapshot n is the labeled sold sample. Sold and Listed medians are never blended, and a history date does not create a new n unless that day has its own observations. We never copy the mixed Charizard hub average into that page. US references stay empty unless labeled — we do not invent US sold prices.
What we don't do
- We don't inflate or manipulate price gap calculations.
- We don't treat Market Signal as a review or rating of the card itself.
- We don't claim any price is a guaranteed purchase or sale price.
- We don't invent US sold prices to fill empty comparisons.
Metric lanes — never blended
Market Intelligence requires one vocabulary. Sold is not Listed. US Market Reference is not invented.
- Japan Sold
- Completed domestic sales median
- Median of labeled completed-sale comps for one Exact SKU (set + number, Raw/Ungraded). Includes source · n · observation date.
- Never blend active listing asks into this number.
- Japan Active Listings
- Active asks only
- Median of active marketplace asks for the same Exact SKU. Separate series from Japan Sold.
- Never treated as sold comps or as “the Japan price.”
- US Sold
- Western completed sales when labeled
- Identity-locked Western sold comps (e.g. filtered eBay Sold) when we have them. Shown with source · n · date.
- Never invented to fill a blank. Listing asks are not US Sold.
- US Active Listings
- Western asks when labeled
- Active Western listing asks for the same Exact SKU when labeled as listings (not sold).
- Never presented as sold market depth.
- US Market Reference
- Labeled Western reference used for gap
- The single labeled Western number we attach for comparison (TCGplayer market, eBay Sold, or eBay Listing — source is always shown). Blank until labeled.
- Never a mashup of unlabeled Western dollars. Thin n (<5) is marked thin, not “a market.”
- Landed Cost (est.)
- Door-to-door USD estimate
- Japan Sold converted with stated proxy + shipping + duty assumptions. Not a customs quote.
- Never equal to sticker yen FX alone.