The Ultimate Whatnot Seller Checklist: 50 Tips to 10x Your Shows

Whatnot sends push notifications to your followers when you schedule. 48 hours gives maximum visibility. Consistent scheduling trains your audience to show up.

Track revenue per show by day/time. Most sellers find weekday evenings (7-9pm local) outperform weekends for many niches. Test and measure — don't copy others blindly.

Plan your show in 10-minute blocks. Open with bangers, mid-show variety, close with deals. Having a roadmap prevents awkward pauses and dead air.

Start 3-5 items at $1 (hooks to build crowd), have your main inventory mid-range, and save 2-3 premium items for peak viewership. This structure maximizes total revenue.

Bad video = lost sales. Use a ring light or two softbox lights. Hardwire your internet if possible. Test audio — buyers leave shows with bad sound instantly.

"HUGE Vintage Pokémon Lot — PSA Slabs, Booster Packs, $1 Starts!" beats "My Tuesday Show." Include your niche, highlights, and price hooks. This shows up in search and notifications.

Free shipping at X items is powerful psychology. Set it at a number most buyers can reach (8-10 items). This drives up average order value dramatically.

Bins, labels, tape, boxes — all ready. You don't want to spend 3 hours sorting after a show. Pre-labeled bins or a bin assignment system saves hours.

Post 3-5 of your best items on Instagram Stories, TikTok, and X. "These drop tomorrow at 8pm on Whatnot 👀" creates anticipation and brings non-followers to the show.

Running out of inventory mid-show kills momentum. Better to have too much than too little. Unsold items just go in next show's lineup.

First 5 minutes = most viewers. Start $1 auctions on exciting items. The bidding frenzy signals to the algorithm that your show is hot, pushing you up in search.

"Congrats @SneakerKing99! Great pickup!" — this tiny thing makes buyers feel seen. They stay longer, bid more, and come back next show. It's free and it works.

Whatnot is social commerce. If you ignore chat, viewers leave. Answer questions quickly, react to comments, and build a vibe. Dead chat = dead show.

When someone wins an item, remind them how many more they need for free shipping. "You're 5 away from free shipping!" drives impulse bids on items they wouldn't otherwise buy.

If sales/minute drops below your average, switch categories or drop a $1 start. If it's hot, keep feeding that category. Watching your pace in real-time is a superpower.

Giveaways spike viewership and engagement. "Everyone type 🔥 for a chance to win this!" keeps lurkers active and attracts new viewers from the Whatnot algorithm.

"This retails for $80, starting at $1" is better than "I know this is expensive but..." Confidence sells. Know your comps and reference them naturally.

"Last one of these I have!" or "Ending this in 10 seconds — going, going..." creates real urgency. Don't fake it — but when it's real, lean into it.

Viewers can feel low energy through the screen. If you're fading, wrap up with a strong close rather than limping along. A 30-minute great show beats a 90-minute tired one.

"I'll be back Thursday at 8pm with a HUGE sneaker drop — hit that follow button!" Always seed the next show. Your end-of-show viewers are your most loyal buyers.

Whatnot buyers expect fast shipping. Under 48 hours gets you great reviews. Over 3 days gets you complaints. Batch your packing right after the show while it's fresh.

Assign each buyer a numbered bin during the show. Same buyer wins again = same bin. After the show, each bin = one shipping box. Zero sorting required.

Buyers dispute "missing items" — your photo is proof. Takes 5 seconds per package, saves hours of disputes. Store photos for 30 days minimum.

A handwritten "Thanks for supporting my show! -[Name]" card costs pennies and creates emotional connection. Buyers share unboxings. Your brand = memorable.

Poly mailers are cheaper and lighter for clothing/cards. Rigid items need boxes with bubble wrap. Damaged items = refunds + bad reviews. Pack smart.

A $100 thermal label printer (DYMO or ROLLO) pays for itself in a week. No more ink cartridges, no cutting labels. Print and slap — 5 seconds per package.

Many sellers don't account for shipping supplies. Track boxes, tape, labels, and postage per show. Subtract from revenue. Your "profit" might be less than you think.

If a buyer won 12 items, don't ship 12 packages. Combine into 1-2 boxes. Saves shipping costs, reduces waste, and buyers prefer fewer deliveries.

While the show is fresh, check: total revenue, sales per minute, peak periods, top buyers, and what sold vs. what didn't. Write down 3 things to improve next time.

"Hey @user, thanks for supporting tonight's show! I've got more [category] dropping Thursday 🔥" — personal touch turns one-time buyers into regulars.

Short clips of exciting moments, unboxings, or "this sold for $X!" posts drive traffic. You already created the content during your show — repurpose it.

Consistency builds habit. Your buyers will plan their week around your shows. "Every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm" is a brand promise. Keep it.

Do a "dual stream" or shout each other out. A sneaker seller + streetwear seller have overlapping audiences. Cross-pollination grows both channels fast.

"Every new follower during this show gets entered to win [item]!" This converts lurkers into followers. The cost of one giveaway item is nothing compared to lifetime follower value.

Track your shows with and without Promote. Compare revenue, subtract the Promote cost. Some sellers see huge ROI; others lose money. Know YOUR numbers.

Whatnot can change its algorithm tomorrow. Your email list and Discord are yours forever. Offer exclusive drops or early access to drive signups.

"If you loved tonight's show, a quick review helps more than you know 🙏" — most buyers don't think to review. Asking doubles your review rate.

Watch their shows. Note what works: their energy, item selection, pricing, show length. Then adapt it to your style. Imitation without understanding fails.

Accessibility builds loyalty. When buyers feel heard, they become advocates. A 30-second reply can earn you a lifetime customer.

If you gained 50 followers this week vs. 20 last week, what was different? More social posts? Better show time? Promote? Data reveals what actually drives growth.

Revenue - Whatnot fees - shipping costs - inventory costs - Promote spend = actual profit. Most sellers overestimate profit by 30-40% because they skip this math.

$30-50 for a ring light and $20 for a mount. Your video quality doubles. Better video = more trust = higher bids. This is the highest-ROI purchase a new seller can make.

Every show has a "golden window" where sales/minute spike 3-5x. Tools like BundleLive track this automatically. Once you know your peak, you can structure shows around it.

Manually telling each buyer their shipping status is unsustainable at scale. Use chat automation tools to remind buyers how close they are to free shipping thresholds during the show.

Tools like BundleLive auto-assign buyers to physical bins as sales happen. Your packer hears "Bin 4, SneakerKing99" and drops the item in. Post-show sorting: eliminated.

Don't just "feel" like Promote helps. Compare promoted vs. non-promoted shows: revenue, unique buyers, avg sale price. BundleLive's Promote tracker does this automatically.

Every second you spend navigating menus is a second you're not engaging buyers. Learn Whatnot's shortcuts. Use tools that let you manage sales with single keystrokes.

Auto-screenshot tools capture the video frame when each item sells. If a buyer claims "that's not what I saw," you have timestamped proof. Peace of mind for $0 effort.

Your top 10 buyers probably account for 40%+ of revenue. Know who they are, what they buy, and when they show up. Treat them like VIPs — because they are.

Week 1: improve your show schedule. Week 2: optimize pricing. Week 3: upgrade shipping. Small, consistent improvements compound into massive results over months.