Start with executable quantities
A price gap is a starting observation. It is not the return on a shipment. Open Market Intelligence, select a hub and inspect an item. Compare the amount you intend to move with the quantities actually offered. Buying 10,000 units may consume several sell orders, so multiplying the cheapest ask by 10,000 can understate your cost.
EVE distinguishes immediate trades into existing orders from placing your own order. The latter introduces waiting, competing orders and possible relisting costs. Choose which workflow your plan assumes before comparing routes. Record the observation timestamp and hub; a price without its place and time cannot support a later review.
Walk both sides of the book
Write down the purchase quantity, the cost across available asks, and the proceeds across destination bids. Check minimum-volume constraints on buy orders. If your intended quantity exceeds visible executable demand, separate the supported quantity from the remainder. Do not value the whole cargo at the best bid simply because one small order offers it.
Nexus trade operations combines multiple cargo lines. Start with a small manifest, use current observations, then increase a quantity and inspect the change in costs and available depth. Missing supply is a constraint to resolve, not a zero-cost ingredient.
Charge the operation for its real costs
Sales tax and broker fees are different costs. The rates depend on your character and venue; use the in-game quote. Modifying an order can incur another broker fee. Include expected relisting costs when your exit relies on a standing sell order.
Add hauling costs and check cargo volume against the actual usable hold. Keep collateral separate from expenditure: it ties up working cash even when it may later return. A route can show a positive modeled margin and still be impossible with your current liquid ISK.
Try a second scenario with less favorable sale prices or a smaller executable quantity. Compare the remaining margin with the effort and cash commitment. This is sensitivity analysis, not a forecast of what the market will do.
Save the decision and revisit the evidence
Save the manifest to My Nexus with a name that identifies the source and destination. Keep the inputs that explain the decision, then reopen the operation before execution and recalculate. An old saved operation is a reusable plan, not a reservation of those orders.
Build a cargo manifest · Return to EVE Nexus
Sources and related reference
Planning from observed data; confirm current in-game conditions before committing resources.