Live selling
The short answer: Live selling, selling products in real time on livestreams, has unsteady pay: Chris Koerner says it fluctuates so much, and Taylor Jo calls Whatnot super unpredictable. Whatnot takes an 8% commission on the price each item sells for, as Reaper Reviews and ResellMaven both describe. (Chris Koerner; Reaper Reviews) Philly Phlipper sells from home without a warehouse, so live selling suits people who want to work from home. (Philly Phlipper)
| Reported startup cost | $0–$5,400 2 reports by 2 creators, Feb 2026–Sep 2026 |
|---|---|
| One creator's reported earnings | $200/hr 2 reports by Chris Koerner, Dec 2025–Feb 2026 |
| One creator's reported hours | 1–4 hrs/week Reported by The Side Hustle Show, May 2026 |
From 23 quotes by 8 creators. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on live selling
How much do live sellers make?
On live selling earnings, Chris Koerner told one guest who started with no account or following that she had made $200 in an hour so far. A golf shop owner on The Side Hustle Show said his margins are generally lower on Whatnot sales than in his brick-and-mortar shop. (Chris Koerner; Side Hustle Nation)
What do people doing live selling say?
“You had no presence, no account, no following and you've made 200 an hour so far.”
“You had no presence, no account, no following. And you've made $200 in an hour so far.”
“So, I think $5,400 was my total investment for $350,000 of merchandise.”
“somewhere in the neighborhood of free if you already own some of this and somewhere in the neighborhood of probably like a hundred to a two hundred dollars when you're wanting to get some inventory or a thermal label printer”
How much does it cost to start live selling?
Reported live selling startup costs run from close to free if you already own the gear, per Reaper Reviews, to $5,400, which Chris Koerner says bought $350,000 of merchandise. Facebook lives carry no fees, according to one seller Chris Koerner featured. (Chris Koerner)
- Open a seller account on a live platform such as Whatnot. (Chris Koerner)
- Buy liquidation goods at 80-90% off. (Chris Koerner)
- Start auctions at $1.
- Plan fulfillment before going live.
How many hours a week does live selling take?
The golf shop owner on The Side Hustle Show grew live selling from 1–4 hours a week into a full-time gig. MellowState sold part-time on Whatnot for over three years before going full time. (The Side Hustle Show; MellowState)
Who is live selling a good fit for?
Chris Koerner says live selling can be done in your house or apartment. MellowState says Whatnot sellers decide how their store fits their inventory, space and time. (Chris Koerner; MellowState)
Because Taylor Jo finds Whatnot income unpredictable, skip it if you need a fixed paycheck. (Taylor Jo)
Which platforms do people use for live selling?
Platforms people doing live selling use: DripShop, Jamble, Whatnot.
Is live selling worth it?
Pros
- A reseller with a brand-new Whatnot account and zero followers sold out his first 2-hour show as Whatnot pushed viewers to him. (Chris Koerner)
- MellowState kept out-of-pocket shipping to about 13 cents per item across a 302-item kids clothing show. (MellowState)
Cons
- Shipping giveaways costs about $4 each unless sellers use MellowState's envelope settings that cut it to 78 cents. (MellowState)
- Liquidation stock needs checking: Kip Roland tests returns, and another reseller tested every unit before selling. (Chris Koerner)
What are the risks of live selling?
The common live selling trap, in a reseller's words to Chris Koerner, is getting emotional and buying a brand you really like that buyers don't recognise. Kip Roland warns that copying brands that do well for other Whatnot sellers can mean paying too much for them. (Chris Koerner)
What are the alternatives to live selling?
- Online Marketplaces: Often covered together (36 shared videos).
- Reselling clothes: Often covered together (24 shared videos).
- Thrift Store Flipping: Often covered together (13 shared videos).
- Furniture Flipping: Often covered together (2 shared videos).
- Liquidation Pallet Reselling: Often covered together (3 shared videos).
Live selling FAQ: what else do new sellers ask?
How do Whatnot sellers get paid?
Reaper Reviews transfers Whatnot payouts to a bank account. (Reaper Reviews)
Should you start every auction at $1?
MellowState suggests $1 starts for sellers whose auctions already get bid past a $3-$5 start, trialled over 5-10 shows. (MellowState)
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on live selling.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 31 Mar 2026.
- Taylor Jo, YouTube, 21 Oct 2026.
- Reaper Reviews, YouTube, 19 Oct 2026.
- ResellMaven, YouTube, 2 Jul 2026.
- Philly Phlipper, YouTube, 14 Oct 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 18 Feb 2026.
- Side Hustle Nation, YouTube, 6 Oct 2026.
- The Side Hustle Show, podcast, 21 May 2026.
- Reaper Reviews, YouTube, 28 Sep 2026.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 19 Feb 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 16 May 2026.
- MellowState, YouTube, 23 Sep 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 31 Mar 2026.
- MellowState, YouTube, 24 Sep 2026.
- MellowState, YouTube, 13 Oct 2026.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 16 Dec 2025.
- MellowState, YouTube, 22 Sep 2026.
- ResellMaven, YouTube, 7 May 2026.
- Chris Koerner, YouTube, 21 Mar 2026.
Other data behind this page (10)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time or part-time | full time capable | Accepted | Chris Koerner; MellowState |
| Income volatility | high | Accepted | Chris Koerner; Taylor Jo |
| Payout methods (whatnot) | Bank transfer | Accepted | Reaper Reviews |
| Platform fee (facebook) | 0% | Accepted | Chris Koerner |
| Platform fee (whatnot) | 8% | Accepted | Side Hustle Nation; Reaper Reviews |
| Schedule control | own schedule | Accepted | MellowState; Philly Phlipper |
| Work mode | remote | Accepted | Philly Phlipper; Chris Koerner |
| Common pitfalls | Buying inventory on emotion and overpaying for brands other sellers do well with | One report | Chris Koerner |
| Common pitfalls | buying brands you personally like that buyers don't recognise, so their perceived value is low | One report | Chris Koerner |
| Platform fee | 0% | One report | Chris Koerner |