Frequently Asked Questions

What is free, and what requires Pro?

Free gives you everything you need to track your collection: full Discogs import, daily market prices, 7-day price history, sparklines, top 3 movers, sales history per record, and what's currently for sale on Discogs. Pro (€3.99/mo) unlocks the analytical layer on top: full price history, portfolio value chart, P&L tracking vs purchase price, the full movers leaderboard, sell candidates and sleeping giants filters, For Sale intelligence, the Stats page, and CSV export.

Why is sales history free?

Sales history — the actual prices buyers have paid for a record — is one of the most useful signals in the app, and it's unique to WaxTracker. We keep it free because we want every user to benefit from it from day one. It's also the best way to understand what your collection is really worth, which is the whole point of the app.

What does P&L tracking unlock?

When you add purchase prices to your records, Pro shows you the profit or loss on each card, your total unrealised gain/loss across the whole portfolio, and full P&L sorting in the movers leaderboard. It turns WaxTracker into a proper investment tracker, not just a price watcher.

What are Sell Candidates and Sleeping Giants?

Sell Candidates are records in your collection that show strong sell signals — high market price relative to what you paid, rising demand, shrinking supply. Sleeping Giants are records with unusually high want counts but very few copies for sale — the ones quietly appreciating without much attention. Both are Pro-only smart filters in the collection view.

What is the Stats page?

The Stats page (Pro) gives you a full analytical breakdown of your collection: portfolio value over time, biggest gainers and losers with full history, breakdown by format, decade, country, artist, label, and price range. It's the complete picture of what you own and how it's performing.

What is For Sale intelligence?

The For Sale page (Pro) shows all your active Discogs listings compared to current market price. You can see instantly which records you're pricing above or below market, sorted by the gap. It's designed to help you price competitively and sell faster.

Can I cancel Pro at any time?

Yes. Cancel from the Pro button in the app header — it takes you straight to your billing portal. You keep Pro access until the end of your current billing period.

I'm a serious collector. Is Pro worth it?

If you track even 50 records and care what they're actually worth, yes. The P&L alone tells you which records have been good investments and which haven't — information Discogs doesn't give you. At €3.99/mo it costs less than a used 7".

What is "Market Value"?

Market Value is the median asking price for a VG+ (Very Good Plus) copy of that record on the Discogs marketplace, updated every day. It tells you what sellers are currently asking — which is the most relevant number if you are thinking about selling. VG+ is the standard because it is the most common tradeable condition for vinyl.

Why is Market Value based on listing prices, not actual sales?

Because listing prices are what you compete against as a seller. If 20 copies are listed at €30, that is the market you are entering. Sales History — what buyers actually paid — is shown separately on each record's detail page. Together they give you the full picture.

Why does my record's Market Value look unrealistically high or low?

A single outlier listing can skew the median — one seller pricing a common record at €200 will pull the number up, even if every other copy is listed at €25. This is a known limitation of listing-based pricing. When this happens, check the Sales History on the record page: what buyers have actually paid is a more reliable signal than a handful of unusual listings.

My record shows no Market Value. Why?

There are currently no copies of that pressing listed for sale on Discogs, or the release has no marketplace data yet. This is common for very rare pressings, regional releases, or records that almost never trade. The value will appear as soon as a copy is listed.

How often does Market Value update?

Daily, every morning at 04:00 CET. Our price fetcher pulls fresh data from Discogs for every record in your collection.

What condition is Market Value based on?

Always VG+ (Very Good Plus). This is the Discogs standard for pricing and represents a well-played record with no major defects. If your copy is in better or worse condition, adjust accordingly — NM copies typically sell for 20–40% more than VG+, and VG copies for 20–30% less.

Does Market Value account for where I am in the world?

Discogs pricing skews European — most listed prices are in EUR, and the Discogs marketplace is most active in Europe. If you are buying or selling in the US, Canada, Japan, or elsewhere, prices may reflect the European market more than your local one. WaxTracker has a currency converter built in (EUR, GBP, USD, CAD, JPY and more) — tap the currency selector next to the price mode toggle on the dashboard.

What is Sales History?

Sales History shows individual completed transactions from the Discogs marketplace — the actual price a buyer paid, the condition of the record, and the date of the sale. This is ground truth: real money exchanged between a real buyer and seller. It is different from Market Value, which shows what sellers are currently asking.

Why does Sales History sometimes look very different from Market Value?

Because asking price and selling price are not the same thing. Sellers can price freely, and buyers do not have to pay what is asked. A record with a €50 median listing price might have a sales history showing copies consistently selling for €25–30. That gap is one of the most useful signals in WaxTracker — it tells you whether the listed price is realistic or wishful.

What is the "Sold 90d" price on the record detail page?

The median price of all completed sales for that record on Discogs in the last 90 days. If there are fewer than 5 sales in that window, it is shown but treated as low-confidence. It gives you a grounded view of what the record actually fetches, separate from what sellers are asking.

How often does Sales History update?

New records added to your collection are scraped the next day. Every Sunday, all records in your collection get a full refresh to catch new sales added during the week.

Why do some records have no Sales History?

Not all releases trade regularly on Discogs. Rare pressings, regional releases, or records that almost never change hands may have sparse or no transaction history. This is normal — it usually means the record is either very scarce or not in demand.

How is my total portfolio value calculated?

It is the sum of the current Market Value (VG+ median listing price) for every record in your collection. Records with no market data on Discogs are excluded from the total. The number represents what your collection could be worth if sold at current asking prices — not a guaranteed sale value.

How is P&L (profit/loss) calculated?

P&L is Market Value minus your purchase price. If you paid €15 and the record is currently listed at €40, your unrealised gain is €25 (+167%). You need to enter a purchase price on the record for P&L to show. We never guess or estimate what you paid.

What does "unrealised" mean?

Unrealised means the gain or loss exists on paper — the record has gone up or down in value, but you have not sold it yet. Once you mark a record as sold and enter a sale price, the P&L becomes realised.

What currency does WaxTracker use?

WaxTracker has a built-in currency converter supporting EUR, GBP, USD, CAD, AUD, CHF, JPY, and Scandinavian crowns. Rates are pulled from the European Central Bank daily. Use the currency selector next to the price mode toggle on the dashboard — your choice is saved automatically. Note: the underlying data from Discogs is in EUR; conversion is applied on display.

Where does WaxTracker get its pricing data?

Currently from one source: Discogs, the world's largest vinyl marketplace with over 16 million releases and an active secondhand market. Market Value comes from the Discogs marketplace API. Sales History comes from completed transaction data on Discogs. We are exploring adding eBay completed sales as a second source — particularly useful for rare records where eBay is the primary trading venue.

Why only Discogs and not eBay, Bandcamp, or record store prices?

Discogs has the most structured, release-specific pricing data for used vinyl — listings are tied to exact pressings, not just album titles. eBay is the most relevant second source and is on our roadmap. Store prices (Juno, Dusty Groove etc.) reflect retail/new stock and are less relevant for valuing a used collection.

Is WaxTracker affiliated with Discogs?

No. WaxTracker is an independent tool that uses the public Discogs API. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with Discogs.

How accurate is the data?

As accurate as Discogs. WaxTracker does not adjust, estimate, or interpolate any prices — we display what Discogs reports. If a price looks wrong, the most likely explanations are an outlier listing skewing the median, or a mismatch between the pressing in your collection and the release ID on Discogs.

Can I trust WaxTracker prices for insurance or valuation purposes?

As a reference point, yes — but not as a formal appraisal. For insurance valuations, use WaxTracker data alongside recent eBay completed sales and, for high-value records, a specialist dealer assessment. Our prices reflect the Discogs secondhand market at a point in time, not replacement cost or auction estimates.