Spotted vs ThriftAI and Flippr: Scan Before You Drive, or Scan in the Store
Updated October 20, 2026
Two different moments
Scanner apps like ThriftAI and Flippr work once you are standing in front of an item: take a photo and they estimate what it is worth. That is useful at the table, but you have already made the drive.
Spotted works the night before. It reads the photos sale organizers post, names the items and shows eBay values, so you choose which sales to visit. Details about ThriftAI and Flippr here are from their App Store listings as of October 20, 2026. As of October 20, 2026, Spotted listed about 6,900 estate, garage and yard sales starting within three weeks, from multiple sources; about 3,300 had items identified from their photos, and close to 4,000 of those items had eBay comparisons.
| Spotted | ThriftAI | Flippr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it helps | Before you go: picks sales | In the store: one item at a time | In the store: one item at a time |
| What it reads | Sale listing photos | Your photo | Your photo |
| Finds sales | Yes, by city | No | No |
| Price | City pages free; app by subscription | $9.99/month or $19.99–$49.99/year | From $7.99/month |
Use them together
They do not compete much. Spotted narrows a weekend to the two or three sales with the best items; a scanner checks pieces the listing photos did not show.
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