How do I check if a sale price is actually a discount?

Use a price-history tool like CamelCamelCamel, Keepa, or Honey to see what the item sold for over the last 90 days. If today's 'sale' matches the rolling average, it's not a real deal — it's marketing.

What's a good discount percentage to look for?

There's no magic number, but for everyday products a 20–30% drop from the genuine recent average is solid. Anything above 40% deserves a second check — verify the item is current-generation and sold by a reputable seller, not a clearance dump.

Why is the strikethrough 'original price' often misleading?

Retailers can list MSRP or an old peak price as the 'was' price, even if the item rarely sold at that level. Always compare against recent street prices across at least two retailers, not the strikethrough.

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