price-tracker

Monitor product prices across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and Best Buy to identify arbitrage opportunities and profit margins. Use when finding products to flip,...

Security Scan

The skill's code and README largely match its stated purpose, but there are multiple coherence and hygiene issues (missing dependency declarations, registry metadata mismatch about required env vars, and import-time access to a secret) that warrant caution before installing and running it.

Purpose & Capability

The skill's name/description (price tracking and arbitrage across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Best Buy) matches the included scripts and the single external service it uses (SkillBoss API Hub). However, registry metadata reported 'Required env vars: none' while SKILL.md and the code require SKILLBOSS_API_KEY — an inconsistency between manifest and runtime requirements. Also the repository uses the 'requests' library but no dependencies are declared.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md and the scripts confine actions to searching product listings, extracting prices via the SkillBoss /v1/pilot API, computing margins, reading CSVs, and writing reports/alerts. The only external network calls go to api.skillbossai.com (the unified 'pilot' endpoint). There are no instructions to read unrelated system files or access other credentials. Note: prompts sent to SkillBoss include search results and user keywords, which is expected but means those inputs are transmitted to the external API.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec (instruction-only install), but the code imports the 'requests' library and expects it to be present; dependencies are not declared. That will cause runtime failures if the environment lacks requests. No archives or downloaded code are used (lower install risk), but missing dependency metadata is a deployment/integrity problem.

Credentials

The only secret required at runtime is SKILLBOSS_API_KEY, which is proportionate to calling a third-party API. However: (1) registry metadata incorrectly reports zero required env vars while SKILL.md and the code require SKILLBOSS_API_KEY, and (2) the code reads SKILLBOSS_API_KEY at module import time (os.environ["SKILLBOSS_API_KEY"]) — this will raise an exception if it's unset and may expose the key in tracebacks. Both are coherence/usability and safety concerns that should be fixed or clarified.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not request always:true, does not modify other skills, and does not persist or change system-wide agent settings. It performs network calls only to the declared SkillBoss API and writes only user-specified output files; no elevated persistence or privileges are requested.

What to consider before installing

Before installing or running this skill: (1) Verify the provenance and trustworthiness of the external service 'SkillBoss' — this skill will send your product queries and extracted search results to https://api.skillbossai.com/v1/pilot. Treat the SKILLBOSS_API_KEY like a secret and only provide it if you trust that service. (2) Be aware the registry metadata is inconsistent: SKILL.md and the code require SKILLBOSS_API_KEY but the registry listed no env vars. (3) The code imports 'requests' but the package is not declared; ensure you install dependencies (pip install requests) or run in a controlled environment. (4) The code reads SKILLBOSS_API_KEY at import time which will crash if unset and could leak information in tracebacks — consider setting the variable before importing or changing the code to read it lazily. (5) If you want to reduce risk, run the scripts in an isolated environment (container or VM), use a limited or test API key, and review or instrument network calls to confirm behavior. If you need higher assurance, request the publisher to fix the manifest (declare env var and dependencies) and provide a clear homepage or source repository for auditing.

Overview

Track product prices across multiple e-commerce platforms to identify arbitrage opportunities, profit margins, and optimal buying/selling windows. This skill enables automated price monitoring, historical tracking, and revenue-focused decision making.

Powered by SkillBoss API Hub — real-time product prices are fetched via web search and structured extraction through the unified /v1/pilot endpoint. No platform-specific API keys required.

Setup

Set the following environment variable before running any script:

export SKILLBOSS_API_KEY=your_skillboss_api_key

All scripts authenticate through SkillBoss API Hub (https://api.skillbossai.com/v1/pilot) using SKILLBOSS_API_KEY.

Core Capabilities

1. Product Discovery & Monitoring

Search and Track Products:

• Search products by keyword across Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Best Buy
• Add products to monitoring lists
• Set target price thresholds
• Configure alert frequency (hourly, daily, weekly)

Example Request: "Monitor iPhone 15 Pro prices across Amazon and eBay. Alert me if the price drops below $800 or if eBay listing is $150+ cheaper than Amazon."

2. Arbitrage Analysis

Cross-Platform Comparison:

• Compare identical product prices across platforms
• Calculate profit margins after fees and shipping
• Identify flip-worthy opportunities (20%+ margin after costs)
• Factor in platform fees, shipping costs, and taxes

Fee Structure Reference:

• Amazon: ~15% referral fee
• eBay: ~13% final value fee + listing fees
• Walmart: ~8-15% referral fee

Example Request: "Find Nintendo Switch bundles where eBay price is 20%+ higher than Amazon, accounting for all fees and shipping costs."

3. Historical Price Tracking

Price History:

• Track price changes over time (30, 60, 90 days)
• Identify seasonal pricing patterns
• Detect price manipulation or flash sales
• Export historical data for analysis

Example Request: "Show me the price history for AirPods Pro 2 over the last 60 days. Identify the best buying window."

4. Automated Alerts

Alert Configuration:

• Price drop alerts (below threshold)
• Arbitrage opportunity alerts (margin threshold)
• Competitor price alerts (when competitor lowers price)
• Bulk product monitoring

Example Request: "Set up alerts for all Sony TV models. Alert me if any model drops below $400 or has 25%+ arbitrage margin."

Quick Start

Track a Single Product

# Use scripts/track_product.py
python3 scripts/track_product.py \
  --product "Apple iPhone 15 Pro 256GB" \
  --platforms amazon,ebay \
  --alert-below 800 \
  --alert-margin 0.20

Bulk Monitor Products from CSV

# Use scripts/bulk_monitor.py
python3 scripts/bulk_monitor.py \
  --csv products.csv \
  --margin-threshold 0.25 \
  --alert-frequency daily

Price Comparison Report

# Use scripts/compare_prices.py
python3 scripts/compare_prices.py \
  --keyword "Sony WH-1000XM5" \
  --platforms amazon,ebay,walmart,bestbuy \
  --report markdown

Workflow

Arbitrage Opportunity Discovery

1. Search for products in high-demand categories (electronics, gaming, home goods)
2. Compare prices across all platforms using compare_prices.py
3. Calculate net profit after fees/shipping/taxes
4. Filter opportunities with 20%+ margin
5. Verify product condition and seller reliability
6. Execute or set monitoring for price drops

Price Drop Monitoring

1. Identify target products (wishlist, seasonally discounted items)
2. Set alert thresholds using track_product.py
3. Monitor historical patterns to predict optimal buy windows
4. Act when price drops below threshold
5. Repeat for seasonal shopping events (Prime Day, Black Friday)

Scripts

track_product.py

Track a single product across platforms with configurable alerts.

Parameters:

• --product: Product name/keyword
• --platforms: Comma-separated platforms (amazon,ebay,walmart,bestbuy)
• --alert-below: Alert when price drops below this amount
• --alert-margin: Alert when arbitrage margin exceeds this fraction (e.g., 0.20 = 20%)
• --frequency: Check frequency (hourly,daily,weekly)
• --output: Output format (json,csv,markdown)

Example:

python3 scripts/track_product.py \
  --product "Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB" \
  --platforms amazon,ebay,walmart \
  --alert-below 900 \
  --alert-margin 0.25 \
  --frequency daily \
  --output markdown

compare_prices.py

Compare prices for a product across all platforms.

Parameters:

• --keyword: Product search keyword
• --platforms: Comma-separated platforms (default: all)
• --report: Report format (markdown,json,csv)
• --sort-by: Sort by price, margin, or rating
• --min-rating: Minimum seller rating

Example:

python3 scripts/compare_prices.py \
  --keyword "PlayStation 5 Slim" \
  --platforms amazon,ebay,walmart,bestbuy \
  --report markdown \
  --sort-by margin \
  --min-rating 4.5

bulk_monitor.py

Monitor multiple products from a CSV file.

CSV Format:

product,platforms,alert_below,alert_margin
"Apple MacBook Air M3 256GB",amazon,ebay,walmart,899,0.20
"Sony PlayStation 5",amazon,ebay,399,0.25
"Dyson V15 Detect",amazon,walmart,bestbuy,500,0.18

Parameters:

• --csv: Path to CSV file
• --margin-threshold: Minimum margin to report
• --alert-frequency: Frequency of alerts
• --output: Output file for alerts

Example:

python3 scripts/bulk_monitor.py \
  --csv products.csv \
  --margin-threshold 0.20 \
  --alert-frequency daily \
  --output alerts.txt

price_history.py

Retrieve and analyze historical price data.

Parameters:

• --product: Product name/keyword
• --days: Number of days of history (default: 30)
• --platform: Specific platform (optional)
• --output: Output format (markdown,json,csv)
• --trend-analysis: Include trend analysis and predictions

Example:

python3 scripts/price_history.py \
  --product "AirPods Pro 2" \
  --days 60 \
  --trend-analysis \
  --output markdown

Best Practices

Arbitrage Profit Calculation

Always calculate net profit:

Net Profit = (Sell Price - Buy Price)
            - Platform Fees
            - Shipping Costs
            - Payment Processing Fees
            - Taxes

Recommended minimum margin: 20-25% to account for:

• Unexpected shipping delays
• Returns/refunds
• Market price fluctuations
• Time value of money

Risk Mitigation

1. Verify seller reliability - Check ratings and reviews
2. Check product condition - New, refurbished, or used
3. Factor in return windows - Platforms have different policies
4. Monitor price stability - Volatile prices increase risk
5. Stay within limits - Don't over-leverage on single opportunities

Seasonal Patterns

• Q4 (Oct-Dec): Holiday sales, best for electronics
• January: Post-holiday clearance
• Prime Day (July): Amazon-specific deals
• Black Friday/Cyber Monday: Cross-platform discounts
• Back-to-School (Aug-Sep): Laptops, tablets, accessories

Automation Integration

Set Up Cron Jobs for Automated Monitoring

# Check prices every 6 hours
0 */6 * * * /path/to/price-tracker/scripts/bulk_monitor.py --csv products.csv --output alerts.txt

# Daily arbitrage scan
0 9 * * * /path/to/price-tracker/scripts/compare_prices.py --keyword "high-demand-products" --report markdown >> /path/to/reports.txt

Integration with Notifications

Combine with notification systems (email, Discord, Telegram) to receive real-time alerts when opportunities are detected.

Limitations

• SkillBoss API Hub search rate limits may affect high-frequency polling
• Real-time prices may have slight delays depending on search index freshness
• Some platform pages may restrict scraping (comply with ToS)
• Seller inventory changes rapidly

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Revenue first. Track smart. Flip fast.