Set a sealed alert when you want the cleanest price comparison and the lowest risk of missing parts. Set a used alert when condition flexibility matters more than certainty and you are prepared to inspect photos, sprues, and the seller's description before buying. If you would happily buy either, use separate watches rather than one blended target.
Sealed is the better default for a first watch. Used can be the better purchase, but only after you price the condition and completeness risk instead of treating every listing as the same kit.
Why sealed and used need different targets
A sealed full box is usually easier to compare with another sealed full box. Used listings can mean opened but complete, clipped from sprues, partly built, primed, painted, missing instructions, or missing models. SprueSentry separates these condition tiers because a single blended price would hide the decision you are actually making.
| Watch | Best for | Main risk | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sealed | Gifts, first armies, complete projects | Paying a premium for certainty | Exact box identity, shipping, taxes, and current seller terms |
| Opened or on sprue | Builders who want a complete kit for less | Missing sprues, bases, transfers, or instructions | Every frame and loose part shown or listed |
| Built or primed | Players saving assembly time | Poor joins, weapon choices, damage, or thick primer | Clear close-up photos and the exact model count |
| Painted | Ready-to-play forces or repaint projects | Condition and taste vary too much for a generic floor | Paint quality, conversions, damage, and stripping effort |
Start with the purchase, not the discount
Before entering a target, decide what would make you reject the listing even if the price looked attractive. A first-time buyer may need a complete box with instructions. An experienced hobbyist may be comfortable identifying every sprue from photos. Those are different risk budgets, so they should not share one alert.
- 1Open the exact box page, not a broad search for the faction.
- 2Choose the condition tiers you would genuinely buy.
- 3Set a ceiling based on the all-in amount you can accept, not the headline listing price alone.
- 4Keep sealed and used thresholds separate when both are acceptable.
- 5When an alert fires, re-check the live listing, shipping destination, seller terms, photos, and included parts before checkout.
How to set a sealed alert
Use the exact box page, choose the sealed tier, enter the most you will pay, and confirm your shipping destination. The step-by-step controls are covered in How to set a price alert on SprueSentry. A watch records your target; it does not reserve stock or guarantee that a listing remains available when you open it.
How to set a used alert without inviting noise
Pick only the used tiers you can evaluate. Opened and on-sprue is not the same decision as assembled or painted. If you cannot identify missing components from listing photos, do not set the target low and hope. Read Sealed vs opened vs painted 40K kits first, then use How to spot incomplete used 40K kits as the inspection checklist.
- +Look for one photo that accounts for every sprue, model, base, and loose component.
- +Treat stock photos as insufficient evidence of what the used lot contains.
- +Check whether assembly choices or conversions remove options you need.
- +Include shipping and any buyer-side costs before calling the listing a deal.
- +Walk away when the description and photos disagree.
When should you set both?
Set both when you have two honest purchase rules. For example, you may accept sealed at a higher ceiling and opened-complete at a lower one. Separate watches preserve that tradeoff. One catch-all watch makes the first cheap but unsuitable listing look like success.
The right alert does not find the lowest number. It filters for a kit you would still want after reading the listing.
What an alert cannot tell you
An alert is a discovery tool, not an authentication, completeness, seller-quality, or checkout guarantee. Marketplace facts can change after a check. SprueSentry can classify listing signals and match your target, but the listing and seller remain the source of truth at purchase time.
If the photos do not let you verify the exact kit and its condition, a lower price does not repair the missing evidence. Wait for a clearer listing.