ReStory marketplace guide: donors, margins, and seller risk

The community price sheet predates the marketplace rebalance

A community spreadsheet posted on August 18 lists device prices, parts, screws and a repairability assessment. Its author distinguishes the recorded counts from the subjective repairability rating. It can help you plan what to inspect, but it predates the August 21 marketplace rebalance.

Read the prices in your current game before deciding on a purchase. We do not treat the older sheet as a current profit table or use it to rank guaranteed best flips.

Compare a donor with the part you actually need

Write down the current purchase price, usable parts you have inspected, any repair spending and the sale amount you can reasonably expect. An uncertain donor part should not count as guaranteed savings.

For a flip: estimated margin = expected sale amount − purchase price − repair parts − other costs you assign to the job. Keep your uncertainty buffer separate so you can see both the raw estimate and a cautious estimate. For a donor, compare the total donor cost with the replacement-part spending it actually avoids.

Read four fields before adding to cart

The release-build marketplace shows device condition, sell price, asking price, seller rating, and a short description. The tempting number is the sell price. It is also the easiest number to misuse because it ignores everything you must spend after delivery.

1. Compare asking price with the shown sell price.
2. Check whether your current license covers the device.
3. Assume the description can be incomplete or wrong.
4. Reserve cash for replacement parts and shop bills.
5. Buy only if the margin survives one unpleasant surprise.

Buy a donor for a reason

A donor is useful when you already know which expensive part you need and the device can supply it. "This might contain something good" is not a plan. Count the value of parts you can reuse soon, not every object inside the shell.

Unfinished donor frames can occupy shelf space. The official achievement list confirms that a shredder exists for broken parts, but early players may not own it. Storage has a cost even when the game does not charge a line item for it.

Seller stars are evidence, not insurance

The game tells you to check seller ratings, and the interface makes those stars prominent. Current Steam discussions also contain repeated reports of highly rated sellers delivering devices with far more damage than the description suggested.

That uncertainty appears intentional at least in part, but the launch balance is being debated. Use the rating to compare listings, then price the deal as if one major part is worse than advertised. If that turns the margin negative, leave it in the cart.

A simple margin check

Start with the listed sell price. Subtract the asking price, confirmed replacement cost, and a repair-risk buffer. Do not count reusable parts twice: once as profit on this flip and again as savings on a future job.

Repair or Scrap uses the same conservative idea in its calculator and donor guide. Its pre-release values can age, but the method is sound because it exposes assumptions instead of hiding them behind a single "profit" number.