Market price: observed, not set
The standard
An observed price formation rests on completed sales, not on asking prices: only the transaction that took place shows what is actually paid.
Criteria
- It arises from completed transactions, not from offers
- It names a point in time, for it changes with the market
- It can differ from the set release price
- It is verifiable, because it rests on transactions
Distinction
Market price ≠ release price: the release price is set, the market price settles. Market price ≠ worth: what a good costs does not say what it means to an individual. An observed price formation therefore measures the trade, not the esteem.