Value methodology
Distinguish source publication dates, automated checks and approved item reviews. Check freshness without assuming a recent page date proves current values.
A page fetched today can contain an old value. To judge freshness, follow the item from its source observation to its approved record instead of relying on a single site-wide date.
Draft guidance awaiting human editorial review. No publication or review date has been assigned.
A source publication date describes the source's own content. A check time describes when Trade Index fetched it. An editorial review date describes a recorded approval. These dates answer different questions.
A missing source date is not today's date. Repeatedly collecting the same undated page does not create new market evidence.
Shadow Dragon's stored baseline was recorded July 2, 2026. That date remains the baseline date even if the homepage, this guide or a scheduled source check is updated.
Open the item page and inspect whether a later approved state exists. If it does not, the honest conclusion is baseline only.
Verify game, unit and variant before judging freshness. A recent income-rate observation cannot refresh a pet score, and a recent variant quote cannot refresh a different version.
If a source changed its unit or page structure, the most recent fetch may require manual review rather than support a new value.
An unchanged decision means someone reviewed relevant evidence and recorded that decision. No later entry merely means no later approved entry exists.
The absence of a change is not proof that a source was checked, that a reviewer agreed, or that the item remained stable in the live game.
When reopening a trade draft, inspect the current item record. The old total may be a useful note, but it does not establish that the offer is still comparable.
If only one side has a recent approved review, note the uneven coverage. Do not describe the whole offer as recently verified.
Read the exact unit and item identity, inspect the latest source check, then inspect the latest approved review. Follow the editorial note if there is a conflict.
You can now state what is known: which record was checked, when the approval occurred, and which parts of your offer remain outside the evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no universal age threshold that proves a value wrong. Trade Index shows dates so you can judge the available evidence without pretending age alone measures accuracy.
A check is a separate event. Only an actual editorial review should supply the item's review date.
No. A later unchanged review needs its own recorded decision. Silence in the history is not a review.
Inspect the current item records and uncertainty flags when you return. A saved total does not prove that its evidence is still current.
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