{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "record_type": "research_and_proposed_strategy",
  "checked_date_utc": "2026-10-06",
  "prepared_at_utc": "2026-10-06T21:52:42Z",
  "scope": "US used standalone RTX 4090, RTX 5090, RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell 96GB. eBay excluded. Research recommendations, not current listing admissions.",
  "recommended_measurement": {
    "sample_target": 12,
    "meaning": "An editorial minimum target of 12 distinct, current, screened standalone used units per comparable product/edition. It is not a statistical guarantee, and the UI must show the actual eligible n, including 0/12 or 6/12.",
    "headline": "Median current asking price based on n screened offers, with middle 50% price range, min/max, distinct seller/source/region counts, observed time, and rejected/pending counts.",
    "additional": "Separate 30-day seller-reported completed-sale comps and platform Sold comps from active asks. Never infer realized price from an ad disappearing, Closed flair alone, or an old asking price beside SOLD. Include final negotiated price only when explicitly stated; cite status and evidence type.",
    "sampling": "Search predeclared city/source/query cells in a stable order rather than only cheapest cards. Deduplicate overlapping-radius results by platform listing ID, then probable crossposts by physical unit photos/model/location/seller evidence. Do not count multiple observations or relists as new units. Do not multiply listings by claimed quantity without unit evidence.",
    "qualification": "Condition used; correct desktop SKU and VRAM; standalone fixed unit price; US seller location; active at observation; visible physical card/exact label or coherent diagnostics; consistent description with working/test evidence. Keep incomplete evidence pending, conflicting model/condition quarantined, WTB/bundles/new/parts/closed excluded.",
    "normalization": "Separate 4090 Founders/AIB/OEM and 5090 Founders/AIB/BTF/liquid variants where practical. RTX PRO 6000 full Workstation, Max-Q and Server each get separate samples. Never mix RTX 6000 Ada 48GB/Quadro/A6000 with Blackwell 96GB. Distinguish local ask from shipped all-in price; record known shipping/mandatory buyer fees and mark unknown fees, exclude tax from comparable base.",
    "freshness": "Keep source observation timestamps immutable. A dashboard reload or cached response is not a listing recheck. Expire manual observations at the existing 24-hour threshold unless re-viewed. Track first_seen/last_seen/current_ask/previous_ask/status_changed_at/sold_observed_at; unknown/unreachable is not sold.",
    "outliers": "Use median plus IQR as a robust descriptive display. Flag extreme prices for review but do not declare fraud or discard solely for being cheap. Show exclusion reason and cohort sensitivity for credible premium variants.",
    "inventory": "Only claim observed unique active listings by seller city/state and time. City hubs/radii are search provenance, not seller locations; partial coverage must not be labeled complete US inventory.",
    "source_links": [
      "https://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/prc/section1/prc16.htm",
      "https://itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/eda/section3/eda356.htm",
      "https://aapor.org/standards-and-ethics/best-practices/",
      "https://www.nvidia.com/en-sg/products/workstations/professional-desktop-gpus/rtx-pro-6000-family/"
    ]
  },
  "platforms": [
    {
      "platform": "Facebook Marketplace",
      "mvp_rank": 1,
      "current_path": "Ordinary visible Marketplace browser/app search and review. Existing 15-hub queries provide a repeatable manual sampling frame; user-controlled native saved-search alerts where the account/UI offers them.",
      "automation": "No approved general consumer Marketplace search feed was found in official developer documentation. Do not mistake Commerce product/inventory APIs or a third-party scraper's API for an authorized marketplace-wide data feed. Obtain Meta permission before a production automated collector.",
      "evidence": "Asking prices and listing availability only; Sold means seller marked unavailable, not disclosed negotiated sale price. Physical photos/diagnostics are evidence, not hardware authentication.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.facebook.com/help/463983701520800",
          "verified": "Readable official help describes authorized vs unauthorized automated scraping."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.facebook.com/help/2229494877335159",
          "verified": "Official Marketplace notification page located, but redirected to login; saved-search settings content could not be directly verified via public web in this audit."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.facebook.com/legal/automated_data_collection_terms",
          "verified": "Redirected to login; do not claim current detailed text verified."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://developers.meta.com/",
          "verified": "Official developer portal searched; no general consumer Marketplace search endpoint verified."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Keep manual observation/source/time labels; native alerts are a user workflow, not an export feed or guaranteed real-time refresh."
    },
    {
      "platform": "Craigslist",
      "mvp_rank": 4,
      "current_path": "Official saved searches plus email alerts for regional searches. Account login needed to enable alerts.",
      "automation": "Current terms require a separate written/electronic license for software interoperability and prohibit robot/script/scraper collection and manual equivalents. Public browser accessibility does not establish permission for an automated production feed. Do not expand collector automation without platform authorization.",
      "evidence": "Active asking prices. Removed/expired/flagged URLs are not completed transactions. Native alerts include renewed/reposted/edited matches and contain at most 20 results, so deduplication is necessary and an email is not exhaustive inventory.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.craigslist.org/about/help/account/features/searches/",
          "verified": "Readable official saved-search instructions."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.craigslist.org/about/help/account/features/alerts",
          "verified": "Readable official alerts; dynamic frequency, max20 results, renewed/reposted/edited posts."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.craigslist.org/about/terms",
          "verified": "Readable current official terms; USE section."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Native alerts for the user, seek a data license before production automated discovery/refresh."
    },
    {
      "platform": "OfferUp",
      "mvp_rank": 2,
      "current_path": "Official mobile app search alerts and similar-item alerts; login required. Change search city/area for nationwide coverage; desktop public listing review where available.",
      "automation": "Terms prohibit unprovided automated means and third-party apps interacting without prior written consent. No sanctioned general search feed verified.",
      "evidence": "Local asking prices and seller-marked Sold status. Current platform only supports local in-person transactions; national shipping retired in2025. Old shipping claims are not a current OfferUp shipping service.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://help.offerup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360031995332-Get-notified-about-items-you-want",
          "verified": "Readable official search/similar-item alert instructions; alerts can return related products."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://help.offerup.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032334711-Search-for-items-to-buy",
          "verified": "Readable official search matching and area/filter guidance."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://help.offerup.com/hc/en-us/articles/41043186552980-Nationwide-shipping-ending",
          "verified": "Readable official current local-only policy and historical 2025 transition."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://offerup.com/terms",
          "verified": "Readable official automation/prior consent restrictions."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://help.offerup.com/hc/en-us/articles/51328857940756-Best-practices-for-selling",
          "verified": "Readable official seller-marked Sold guidance; negotiated price can differ from ask."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Add systematic multiple-city manual observations, keep local pickup and asking-price tags; only approved partner integration can become an automatic feed."
    },
    {
      "platform": "Mercari US",
      "mvp_rank": 3,
      "current_path": "Official save-search updates and Like price-drop notifications; public active and Sold listings reviewed manually. US listings only; exclude Mercari Japan imports when estimating US used seller prices.",
      "automation": "Prohibited Conduct disallows robots/crawlers/scrapers or interfaces not provided by Mercari. No official broadly available US consumer search/sold API verified; Japan Shops or unofficial scraped APIs are not substitutes.",
      "evidence": "Mercari explicitly recommends similar Sold listings for valuation. Public Sold displayed prices may support platform-reported sold comps; delivery/transaction completion and negotiated-price handling are not established by that help page, so do not label independently verified settlement.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.mercari.com/us/help_center/topics/account/guides/how-it-works/",
          "verified": "Readable official: use similar sold listings; save searches for similar listing updates; Like items for price-drop notification."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.mercari.com/us/help_center/topics/listing/policies/prohibited-conduct/",
          "verified": "Readable official automation restriction."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Add separate Sold-comparable ledger with price/status/source/date, scrutinize physical item and desktop model, do not combine Sold and active asks."
    },
    {
      "platform": "Reddit r/hardwareswap / homelabsales",
      "mvp_rank": 5,
      "current_path": "Manual visible post searches for US [H] target GPUs and body asking prices; use explicit sold-price edits as seller-reported transaction comps. HardwareSwap rules, not casual forum claims, are the cited primary basis.",
      "automation": "Approved Reddit Data API with OAuth only after explicit approval; commercial product use requires permission and a contract. Free public JSON/RSS access is not a blanket license or workaround. Devvit runs apps on Reddit and is not an automatic grant for a commercial external aggregator. HardwareSwap community rules also restrict bots/scripts and third-party tools for post notifications or bulk user contact; platform API approval does not by itself establish community permission for those activities.",
      "evidence": "HardwareSwap rules require physical handwritten timestamps (within7 days), video timestamps for high value items with an exception for>15 confirmed trades, and actual sale-price edits. Rule compliance still not independent authentication. 'Sold for $X' is stronger than 'Closed' plus old ask, but still seller-reported unless supported by transaction records.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/hardwareswap/wiki/rules/",
          "verified": "Readable official community rules; current primary-page review confirms §10b sale-price and Closed edits, and §12Hiii notification/bulk-contact tool restrictions. Timestamp requirements support physical-item evidence but not independent authentication."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/hardwareswap/wiki/rules/timestamps/",
          "verified": "Readable official community timestamp guide."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/14945211791892-Developer-Platform-Accessing-Reddit-Data",
          "verified": "Readable Reddit official commercial permission/contract and approved API use."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://redditinc.com/policies/data-api-terms",
          "verified": "Readable current official Data API Terms, July20 2026 revision."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/16160319875092-Reddit-Data-API-Wiki",
          "verified": "Readable official OAuth documentation."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/es-es/articles/16471395473812-Bots-y-herramientas-de-moderaci%C3%B3n",
          "verified": "Readable Responsible Builder Policy in English at this localized URL: explicit approval required."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Highest-value next automation candidate once commercial access approved; implement edit/delete compliance and seller-reported sale-price separation, keep rejected/stale/closed posts outside active asks."
    },
    {
      "platform": "Swappa",
      "mvp_rank": 3,
      "current_path": "Manual GPU product/edition catalogues and native new-listing subscriptions. Current public 4090/5090 GPU pages and fixed-price listings verified.",
      "automation": "Terms §S require express API permission or written consent for robots/scrapers and redisplaying user content. Official inventory partners manage participating sellers' own inventory; that is not a general market search API.",
      "evidence": "Swappa distinguishes listed and sold aggregates where data exists; some GPU price pages have no data/sample count. Public Sold posts may be useful separate comps but don't infer fulfilled settlement from status alone. Approved listing status is not a guarantee; Enterprise Sellers have different review/photo rules.",
      "sources": [
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/catalog/product/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-4090",
          "verified": "Readable official catalogue and native subscription."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/catalog/product/asus-geforce-rtx-5090",
          "verified": "Readable official seven edition options and subscription."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/prices/gigabyte-geforce-rtx-4090",
          "verified": "Readable page currently says no pricing data, despite headline starting price; not a valid multi-sale sample."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/faq/selling.md",
          "verified": "Readable official listing review/verification and Enterprise Seller exception."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/terms",
          "verified": "Readable official Terms §S automation/content permission."
        },
        {
          "url": "https://swappa.com/partners",
          "verified": "Readable official inventory partner scope."
        }
      ],
      "next": "Useful supplemental manual source now; seek a permitted partner feed later. Add exact edition, delivered-price/fees, physical review rather than rely on category starting price."
    }
  ],
  "recommended_phases": [
    "Already implemented: actual screened sample count toward12 and middle50% price range. Next: systematic manual screening and source/region mix; PRO6000 edition separation; fresh comparable cohort with per-listing links.",
    "Next: separate Sold-comparable ledger sourced from explicit HardwareSwap sold-price edits, Mercari Sold pages and Swappa Sold pages; no invented conversion from ask to sale.",
    "Production automation: approved/licensed platform feeds or seller opt-in inventory/transaction imports. Server scheduler can process and deduplicate authorized inputs; cannot create permission for source access.",
    "Operational validation: collector health per platform, last successful search vs last listing check, observations-to-listings dedup ratio, rejection reasons, stale counts, coverage map, weekly manual accuracy audit."
  ],
  "already_live": {
    "manual_sources": [
      "facebook",
      "offerup"
    ],
    "automatic_refresh_scope": "Known Craigslist candidate URLs only; no new-listing discovery",
    "maximum_refresh_candidates": 20,
    "request_timeout_seconds": 8,
    "cache_seconds": 600,
    "manual_observation_expiry_hours": 24,
    "evidence_report": "https://flipdeal.app/dashboard/research",
    "sample_size_label": "Actual screened offer count toward a minimum12 collection target; shortfalls remain visible",
    "price_spread": "Median current ask with the middle50% range (25th–75th percentiles)"
  },
  "not_implemented_by_this_research": [
    "native alerts integration",
    "approved/licensed marketplace discovery feeds",
    "completed-sale median",
    "exhaustive US inventory",
    "independent hardware authentication"
  ],
  "updated_at_utc": "2026-10-06T21:59:16Z"
}