How To Use Camelcamelcamel

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When it comes to finding the best prices online, it’s not only about where you shop — but also when. Prices on nearly everything fluctuate throughout the year, and it’s frustrating to buy something only to see a better price for it a few weeks later. 

Knowing when to look for sales is a great way to avoid missing out on the best deals. Camelcamelcamel makes it easy to compare Amazon’s prices over time, which is a great way to plan when to shop. 

In this article, I’m going to cover the basics of how to use Camelcamelcamel to compare prices over time. 

This article was updated in October 2023 and I review it every 12 months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Getting Started

When you visit Camelcamelcamel.com you’ll have the option to log in or create a free account, but an account isn’t necessary to use the tool.

You can begin by browsing popular products or checking out the biggest recent price drops with the menu options across the top of the screen. 

You can also look for a product using the search bar, or you can simply enter the product’s Amazon URL, which is a little faster.

This Hamilton Beach electric stand mixer that was on sale for $219.99 at the time of writing (October 6, 2022). I simply copied the entire Amazon URL and pasted it into the search bar to track its price history. 

In the top right corner, I saw the current price and information on whether it was available directly from Amazon or from a third-party seller. When I scrolled down, I found the price history graph. 

The vertical axis shows prices while the horizontal axis displays the months and years. This product’s price history went all the way back to December 6, 2008. 

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To the right of the graph, you can choose a date range to view. You can also choose which sellers you’d like to track:

  • Amazon: This indicates the prices that Amazon itself lists for products in new conditions. This pricing will always appear as a green line.
  • 3rd Party New: This is the price that third-party merchants offer for new products. This pricing will always appear as a blue line.
  • 3rd Party Used: This is the price that third-party merchants offer for used products. Again, check the seller’s ratings, history and return policy before ordering. This pricing will always appear as a red line.

The dotted lines on the graph mean that the product was out of stock during that time. 

The Price History

I wanted to see the price history of this mixer from Amazon and third-party new sellers over the past year.

The graph showed that the lowest price this mixer sold for in the past year was $118.99 directly from Amazon. That price drop occurred in November 2022, which tells me that Black Friday is a better time to buy this mixer!

I opened the search up to include past years to get a better idea of when this mixer is typically on sale. Then, I was able to see that Amazon had offered the same mixer for $113.59 in November 2016. That further verified that November is probably the best time to make this purchase. 

Another Example

In November 2022, I tracked the prices of this 23andMe DNA test kit. Then, it was on sale for $99. In October 2023, I checked the prices again. It had risen to $229! I wanted to compare these prices to to previous prices, so I copied the Amazon URL and pasted it into the search bar on Camelcamelcamel.com.

While the product was out of stock from Amazon, it was still available from 23andMe. I could see from the graph alone that this was nearly the highest price the DNA test kit had ever been at Amazon, so this would not be a purchase to make right away! 

Looking more closely at the previous year, I could see that there were price drops around National DNA day in April, Memorial Day in the summer and again closer to Black Friday and the holidays. 

Below the graph, you’ll also find a table breakdown of the price history by the seller.

This is a great way to reference the highest and lowest prices quickly. You can also see a product’s current price and compare it to the average cost. 

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The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the best time to find deals, consider researching a product’s price history. To see a product’s previous pricing at Amazon, follow these simple steps:

  1. Enter a product’s direct Amazon URL in the search bar on Camelcamelcamel.com.
  2. Scroll down to see the price history graph.
  3. Select the sellers and date range you’d like to view.
  4. Look for the lowest prices on the graph and notice any trends. If the product is going on sale during certain months or holidays, that’s when you’ll want to shop!

There are two other great features available from Camelcamelcamel.

The first is the new browser extension: The Camelizer. You can download this extension on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Apple Safari. With the extension, you can easily check the price history of Amazon products without having to visit Camelcamelcamel’s website each time. You can learn more about The Camelizer browser extension and find links to download it here.

Also, Camelcamelcamel offers Amazon Price Watches. If you know that you’re looking to buy a specific product, enter it on Camelcamelcamel’s website. Just above the price history graph, you’ll see a place to create an Amazon Price Watch. There, you can enter an email address and the price you’d like to pay for the product. If/when it drops to that price, you’ll get an email!

Keep in mind that Camelcamelcamel is tracking the product’s price history only on Amazon.com. That means there’s always a chance you’ll find a better price available from a different store. For this reason, you should always be sure to comparison shop between vendors.

No matter where you plan on making your final purchase, take the time to check out the item’s price history. This could help you plan when to shop for the best deal. 

More Ways To Save:

What tools do you use to find the best deals? Let us know in the Clark.com community!

Article Updates
  • October 6, 2023: Updated current price history of both examples on Camelcamelcamel
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