Whatnot Seller Tips: 15 Ways to Make More Money Per Show

The difference between a $500 Whatnot show and a $5,000 show isn't luck — it's strategy. Top sellers consistently outperform because they've optimized every aspect of their live selling: timing, pricing, engagement, inventory, and post-show operations.

We've studied what the highest-earning Whatnot sellers do differently and distilled it into 15 actionable tips you can implement starting with your next show. These aren't vague "be more engaging" platitudes — they're specific tactics with real impact on your bottom line.

1. Go Live at Peak Hours

The single easiest way to boost your show revenue is to go live when the most buyers are online. According to platform data and seller reports, the best times are:

• Weekdays: 6pm–10pm Eastern (3pm–7pm Pacific)
• Weekends: Saturday 2pm–10pm ET, Sunday 12pm–8pm ET
• Avoid: Weekday mornings, late nights (after midnight), Monday evenings

But here's the nuance: peak hours also mean peak competition. If 50 other sellers in your category are live at 7pm Saturday, your viewers are split 50 ways. Some top sellers intentionally schedule slightly off-peak — like Thursday at 5pm or Sunday morning — to capture viewers with less competition.

For a deep dive into timing strategy, read our best time to go live on Whatnot analysis.

2. Set a Consistent Schedule

The most successful Whatnot sellers go live on the same days at the same times every week. This builds viewer habits — your audience knows when to show up without you having to remind them.

Treat your Whatnot show like a TV series. Would you watch a show that aired at random times with no schedule? Neither will your buyers. Pick 2-3 time slots per week and stick to them religiously for at least 8 weeks before evaluating.

Pro tip: Announce your weekly schedule in your Whatnot bio and at the end of every show. "Same time Thursday and Saturday — set your reminders!"

3. Use $1 Auctions Strategically

Dollar auctions are Whatnot's secret weapon. Starting items at $1 creates excitement, urgency, and fear of missing out. But they're a tool, not a strategy — use them wrong and you'll give away inventory for pennies.

When $1 auctions work:

• Items with obvious market value (buyers know they're worth $20+, so they bid up)
• When you have 30+ viewers (enough competition to drive prices up)
• As show openers to build energy and attract algorithm attention
• For desirable items that create bidding wars

When to avoid $1 auctions:

• Low viewer counts (items will sell for $1-3)
• Items with niche appeal (not enough competing bidders)
• When you can't afford to let an item go below cost

The hybrid approach: Start your show with 3-5 $1 auctions on desirable items to build energy and attract viewers, then switch to Buy It Now or higher starting bids for the rest. This gives you the excitement of auctions without the risk of your whole show going for pennies.

4. Incentivize Bundles

Bundling is where the real money is on Whatnot. A buyer who wins one $10 item is fine. A buyer who wins 8 items for $80 is 8x better — and they're only paying shipping once.

Tactics to encourage bundling:

• "Everything you win ships together — keep bidding!"
• Offer bundle discounts: "Win 5+ items and I'll throw in a bonus"
• Group related items together in your show order (all Jordans back-to-back)
• Save the best items for mid-show so early buyers stick around to bid more

Track which buyers are building bundles during your show so you can give them shoutouts and encourage more bids. This is where having a tool like BundleLive helps — it tracks buyer activity in real time so you can see who's building a bundle and engage them directly.

5. Talk to Your Chat Constantly

Whatnot is entertainment first, shopping second. The sellers who make the most money are the ones who make their shows fun, interactive, and personal.

Engagement rules:

• Greet every buyer by name when they join: "Hey @Mike, welcome back!"
• Acknowledge every purchase: "Nice grab, @Sarah! You're building a killer bundle"
• Read and respond to chat comments between items
• Ask questions: "What do you guys want to see next? Cards or sneakers?"
• Tell stories about items: where you found them, why they're special, what they're worth

The #1 mistake new sellers make is going silent between items. Dead air kills shows. Always be talking — even if it's just narrating what you're doing.

6. Run Giveaways That Actually Work

Giveaways are the most effective way to grow your audience, but most sellers do them wrong. They give away high-value items to random viewers and get zero ROI.

Smart giveaway strategies:

• Buyer giveaways: "Everyone who's bought something in tonight's show is entered" — this incentivizes purchases
• Bundle milestone giveaways: "Hit $50 in purchases and you're in the drawing"
• Follower giveaways: Good for growth, but don't overdo — followers ≠ buyers
• End-of-show giveaways: Keep viewers until the end by announcing the giveaway at the start

Budget 5-10% of your expected show revenue on giveaway items. A $20 item given away in a $2,000 show is a 1% marketing cost that kept viewers engaged for 2 hours.

7. Use Pricing Anchors

Pricing psychology matters enormously in live auctions. Before putting an item up, tell viewers what it's worth:

"This PSA 10 Charizard comps for $150-180 on eBay. We're starting at $1. Let's see where it goes."

This does two things: it tells bidders the item is valuable (so they bid higher), and it creates a reference point that makes the final auction price feel like a deal. If it sells for $120, the buyer feels like they saved $30-60 even though they might not have bid that high without the anchor.

Always reference eBay sold comps, PSA population data, or retail prices when applicable. For help finding accurate comps, see our guide on pricing items using sold comps.

8. Structure Your Show Like a Pro

Random shows produce random results. Structured shows produce consistent revenue. Here's a proven show structure:

1. Opening (5-10 min): Welcome viewers, preview tonight's highlights, announce any giveaways. Build anticipation.
2. Warm-up (15-20 min): Start with mid-tier items and $1 auctions to build energy and get bids flowing.
3. Peak segment (30-60 min): Your best items. The stuff people came for. Price these higher or let auctions run longer.
4. Cool-down (15-20 min): Solid but not headline items. Buyers are in spending mode now.
5. Closer (5-10 min): Giveaway, thank buyers by name, announce next show, remind about your schedule.

This structure creates an arc — it gives viewers a reason to show up early and stay late. The peak segment in the middle is when your viewer count is highest and bid velocity is fastest.

9. Build a Repeat Buyer Base

Acquiring a new customer costs 5-10x more than keeping an existing one. On Whatnot, your repeat buyers are your business — they show up every week, they bid aggressively, and they tell their friends about your shows.

How to build loyalty:

• Remember your regulars and greet them by name
• Throw in small freebies for repeat buyers ("bonus card for my regulars")
• Give loyal buyers first dibs on rare items
• Ship fast with good packaging — the unboxing experience matters
• Follow up on Whatnot if there's an issue — never leave a problem unresolved

Your top 20% of buyers probably generate 60-80% of your revenue. Treat them like VIPs.

10. Cross-Promote on Social Media

Whatnot's algorithm helps with discovery, but relying solely on the platform for viewers is a mistake. The biggest sellers drive external traffic from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook groups.

• Instagram: Post story previews of your best items 2-4 hours before going live
• TikTok: Short videos of your best finds, sourcing trips, or show highlights
• Facebook Groups: Join niche collecting groups and share when you're going live (follow group rules)
• YouTube: Post show recaps or "top pulls" compilations

For a complete promotion playbook, check our guide on getting more viewers on Whatnot.

11. Niche Down Hard

The sellers making the most money per show are specialists, not generalists. A "Pokemon cards" seller will outperform a "random stuff" seller every time because:

• Collectors follow sellers in their niche
• You become known as THE person for that category
• You can price accurately because you know the market
• Your sourcing becomes more efficient

Pick a primary niche and become the best seller in it. You can run secondary category shows occasionally, but your bread and butter should be one thing done exceptionally well.

12. Optimize Your Inventory Mix

Your show inventory should follow the 20/60/20 rule:

• 20% "hero" items: High-value pieces that draw viewers ($50+). These are your marketing.
• 60% "bread and butter" items: Solid mid-range items ($10-50) that generate consistent revenue.
• 20% "volume" items: Lower-priced items ($1-10) that keep bid velocity high and newer buyers engaged.

Hero items attract viewers. Bread-and-butter items pay the bills. Volume items keep the energy up between big items. If your shows feel slow, you probably have too many mid-range items and not enough hero or volume pieces.

13. Invest in Production Quality

You don't need a professional studio, but basic production quality signals professionalism and keeps viewers watching:

• Lighting: Two ring lights or softbox lights. Budget: $30-60. The single biggest improvement you can make.
• Camera: Your phone is fine, but use a tripod or mount. Shaky cam = viewers leaving.
• Background: Clean, uncluttered. A branded backdrop or organized shelving looks professional.
• Audio: Use a lavalier mic ($15-25) or ensure your room doesn't echo. Bad audio is the #1 reason viewers leave immediately.
• Internet: Wired ethernet > WiFi. Buffering during a bidding war is show-killing.

Total investment for a professional setup: $100-200. It directly impacts how long viewers stay and how much they spend.

14. Track Everything, Optimize Relentlessly

What gets measured gets improved. After every show, you should know:

• Total revenue and average item price
• Number of unique buyers and repeat buyers
• Peak viewer count and average viewer count
• Which items sold above/below expected value
• Show duration and revenue-per-hour
• Bundling rate (what % of buyers bundled multiple items)

Most sellers don't track any of this — they just look at total revenue and call it a day. But the data tells you exactly what to optimize. If your revenue-per-hour drops after 90 minutes, your shows are too long. If your repeat buyer rate is below 30%, you have a retention problem.

BundleLive's analytics dashboard tracks all of these metrics automatically, giving you a post-show breakdown that tells you exactly what worked and what didn't.

15. Use Tools That Save Time

Time is your scarcest resource as a Whatnot seller. Every hour spent on admin tasks is an hour not spent sourcing, prepping, or going live. The right tools pay for themselves immediately:

• Bin management: Physical or digital systems to organize orders during the show (not after)
• Chat engagement tools: Monitor chat activity and identify top buyers in real time
• Label printing: Batch-print shipping labels instead of one at a time
• Analytics: Automated post-show reports instead of manual spreadsheets
• Cross-listing: If you also sell on eBay, use tools to manage inventory across platforms

BundleLive was built specifically for Whatnot sellers and handles bin assignment, Smart Chat monitoring, analytics, and shipping management in one tool. Sellers using BundleLive report saving 3-5 hours per week on post-show operations.

The Revenue Formula

Whatnot revenue comes down to a simple formula:

Revenue = Viewers × Conversion Rate × Average Order Value × Show Frequency

Each of the 15 tips above optimizes one or more of these variables:

• Tips 1, 2, 10, 13 → More viewers
• Tips 3, 5, 6, 7 → Higher conversion rate
• Tips 4, 8, 11, 12 → Higher average order value
• Tips 9, 14, 15 → Higher frequency (by reducing burnout and admin time)

You don't need to implement all 15 at once. Pick the 3-4 that address your biggest weakness and focus there. If you're getting viewers but they're not buying, focus on engagement and pricing. If buyers love your show but you only have 15 viewers, focus on promotion and timing.

For more on what top sellers earn, check out how much Whatnot sellers actually make. And if you're just getting started, our complete beginner guide covers everything from approval to your first show.