Guide
How to answer “what does it cost?” in a shopping agent
Shoppers often start with a budget, not a product: “I have about $100 for a knife set. What does that get me?” This guide follows one recorded answer to that question, from gaisho's category overview to what the agent said.
Find the product type
Identify the category from the question, and ask only if you must. When a word covers several types, gaisho lists them so the agent can pick the one the shopper means: “mattress” comes back with hybrid, memory foam, latex and other types to choose from.
Get the overview, with the needs as conditions
Pass the shopper's stated needs as conditions (a queen size, a 12-inch height) so every figure covers only matching products; the result says which were used. The knife-set question states no specs, so its overview covers the whole type.
Recorded output, Nov 5, 2026 · trimmed ## Knife Sets Live from current listings and offers; prices are per knife set. Key features 2. Storage type: knife block (most, ~$110) · blade guards only (some, ~$25) · … 4. Handle material: plastic (common, ~$60) · wood (some, ~$90) · stainless steel (some, ~$80) · pakkawood (some, ~$150) · … 6. Blade hardness: … · 58–60 HRC (common, ~$200) · 60 HRC and up (some, ~$240) Price levels | Low end | ~$21 | | Median | ~$89 | | High end | ~$370 | Brands - marketplace brands (common, ~$54) - national brands (common, ~$150) Breakdown by price band - $50–100: typical $75.98 ($54.99–$99.99) - $100–200: typical $149.00 ($110.17–$199.30)
The knife-set question's overview. Sections, features, brand lists and store details trimmed.
Say what the budget buys, and what more adds
Lead with what suits the need, then turn the figures into choices: the median says whether the budget is generous, the brand mix and the features say what extra money buys. Every figure below comes from the overview above.
What the agent told the shopper What about $100 gets you. It's a bit above what a typical set costs (about $89), so you can get a full set in a wooden block. … Online-only brands like this typically cost about $54, compared with about $150 for well-known brands.
What going up to about $200 adds. Sets between $100 and $200 typically cost about $149. The extra money buys: - Forged blades. … - Harder steel that stays sharp longer. Hardness of 58–60 on the steel-hardness scale (HRC) shows up around $200. - Nicer handles, such as pakkawood, a hard wood composite (about $150). - Longer warranties. …
From the final answer of a run that an AI reviewer ranked first of six for this question (Nov 5, 2026), trimmed. In a chat, the first reply would be a shorter version.
Respect what the figures mean
Price levels describe what a budget covers, not quality or any one product's price history. When few products meet the conditions, say the figures are rough. When a subtype is missing or can't be priced, say so rather than using the whole category's prices, and never invent a price or a product count.
Then go to products, if the question needs them
If the shopper wants picks, product research runs alongside the overview and the agent follows with options. In this run, the agent went on to name sets at each level and to check the price and the seller of its top pick.
Source: A recorded run on Nov 5, 2026 (the knife-set question, Claude with gaisho and its shopping skill), and gaisho's daily shopping skill as of Nov 6, 2026.