Trade valuation
Also known as: trade price, trade-in value, wholesale price
A trade valuation is the price a UK motor trader would pay for a vehicle as trade stock — typically the wholesale or auction value rather than the retail (forecourt) asking price.
In the UK motor trade, every vehicle has at least three reference prices: the trade price (what a dealer pays to buy the vehicle), the retail price (what a dealer asks on the forecourt), and the sold price (what the vehicle actually achieved). The trade valuation focuses on the first.
Traditional trade valuations have been published in monthly guide books by CAP and Glass's — editorial assessments based on auction data and dealer reporting. Modern trade valuation platforms like DealerPricing use live market data, updated hourly, from actual UK listings and recently sold prices.
A trade valuation is most useful when you are buying at auction, considering a part-exchange offer, or pricing your own stock for the trade-to-trade market. Retail customers typically pay between 10% and 25% above the trade valuation, depending on vehicle, location and condition.