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.