Selling on Whatnot

You’ll remember that Selling on Whatnot guest Stephen joined The Next 100 Days a while back to talk about building an Amazon business from scratch.

Since then, things have moved on quite a bit. Stephen’s been deep into a newer side of the business, live selling on Whatnot. The team has been selling trading cards (Pokemon, specifically) and pulling in over $400,000 in the last seven months alone, teaching complete beginners with zero collectibles background to do the same.

This podcast features a discussion with Stephen Somers and his evolution from Amazon to the Whatnot live-selling platform.

Summary of the Podcast

Key Takeaways

• Business Model Shift: Stephen’s company, Marketplace Superheroes, evolved from importing from China to a brand-direct wholesale model on Amazon and a live-selling strategy on Whatnot.
• Whatnot’s Live-Selling Model: The platform combines live video with rapid auctions, creating an interactive, social shopping experience.
• Pokemon Card Strategy: The company’s Whatnot success comes from selling foreign-language Pokemon cards to adult collectors (avg. age 33–38) who view them as an investment.
• Platform Economics: Whatnot charges shipping directly to the buyer and offers same-day payouts after a seller makes 1,000 sales, significantly improving seller cash flow.

Business Evolution: Amazon to Selling on Whatnot

• Amazon Strategy: Evolved from importing from China to a brand-direct wholesale model.
  • Process: Partner with smaller brands → improve their Amazon marketing → buy wholesale from them.
  • Rationale: As brand sales grow, wholesale orders increase, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
• COVID-19 Challenge: A freight company venture faced an 8x increase in shipping costs, creating a $1.1M problem.
  • Resolution: The profitable training business offset the losses, providing a critical lesson in risk management.
• Whatnot Expansion: The company’s first expansion beyond Amazon in 12 years, driven by the belief that live social commerce is a major trend.

Whatnot: The Live-Selling Platform

• Platform Concept: A hybrid of QVC, Instagram, and Tinder, focused on live, interactive auctions.
• Core Functionality:
  • Live Streams: Sellers host live video shows to auction items.
  • Rapid Auctions: Bids are placed via a “swipe right” feature during short (e.g., 5-second) auctions.
  • Buy-It-Now: An option for immediate purchases is also available.
• Growth & Competition:
  • Revenue: ~$8–11B globally in 2025.
  • Competitors: TikTok (with a new auction platform) and eBay (with eBay Live).

Whatnot Case Study: Pokemon Cards

• Niche: Foreign-language Pokemon cards, chosen for their high value and appeal to adult collectors.
• Auction Process:
  1. A sealed booster pack is shown live.
  2. Viewers bid on the pack.
  3. The pack is opened live to reveal the cards.
  4. The winner receives all cards from the pack.
• Key Metrics:
  • Sales: >£400k since Oct 2025.
  • Profit Margin: 25–35%.
  • Orders: >60,000 with zero returns, as buyers see the exact product they win.
  • High-Value Finds: One card pulled was worth £800, increasing to >£1,000 after professional grading.

Getting Started on Whatnot

• Investment: £500–£1,000 for initial stock and setup.
• Seller Account: Free to create.
• New Seller Bonus: Whatnot offers cash matches on first-week sales (e.g., £150 bonus for £150 in sales) to attract streamers.
• Recommended Approach: Use a company entity for Amazon to appear professional to brands; a sole trader is sufficient for Whatnot initially.

Next Steps

• Listeners: Visit marketplacesuperheroes.com for free training on the Amazon and Whatnot models.

Sponsor – inCruises

Graham Arrowsmith’s company Finely Fettled is an inCruises Independent Partner and invites you to find out more about inCruises.

inCruises Link

The Next 100 Days Podcast Co-Hosts

Graham Arrowsmith

Graham founded Finely Fettled in 2014 to provide data from The UK High Net Worth Database to marketers targeting affluent and high-net-worth customers.  He’s the founder of MicroYES, a Partner for MeclabsAI, creating lead generation AI Agents & Workflows and introducing the MeclabsAI Platform. Graham is an inCruises Independent Partner, and is building up interest from people around the world in the World’s Largest Travel Membership – inCruises. You can sign up and access 21,000+ cruises, hotels and tours by clicking HERE

Kevin Appleby

Kevin specialises in finance transformation and implementing business change. He’s the COO of GrowCFO, which provides both community and CPD-accredited training designed to grow the next generation of finance leaders. You can find Kevin on LinkedIn and at kevinappleby.com

Clips from the Podcast