New to Whatnot?
Joining me for a live sale is easier than you might think.
If you've never shopped a live sale before, I'll walk you through the basics—from creating your account to bidding on your first vintage treasure.
What Would You Like to do First?
Bidding
When a seller offers an item, they'll usually take a minute or so to show it to you, describe it, and point out anything you need to know.
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When the seller is ready to accept bids, they'll “run” the item — which simply means the bidding has started.
You'll see a yellow bar at the bottom of your screen that says “Bid $___ >>.” If you'd like to bid that amount, simply swipe the yellow bar to the right.
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Just above the item description, you'll see who is currently winning the auction. If that's you, you don't need to do anything! If someone else places a higher bid, their information will appear there and your yellow bid bar will update with the next amount you can bid.
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The seller determines how long the auction runs, usually anywhere from about 10 seconds to one minute. During most auctions, a bid placed in the final few seconds adds a little more time to the clock, giving everyone a chance to bid again. Some auctions may use a setting that ends the bidding exactly when the timer reaches zero.
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If you win, Whatnot will display a message on your screen letting you know the item is yours.
Prebids
A prebid lets you place a bid on an item before the seller actually “runs” it. If your prebid is the winning bid when the auction ends, you've purchased the item, so only prebid on something you're prepared to buy.
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Prebidding During a Live Show
While you're watching a show, you can browse through the seller's Auction tab to see other items that will be offered.
If you find something you're interested in, select the item to see its information and a larger photo. You'll also have the option to place a prebid.
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You can accept the starting bid or enter a higher maximum bid. Whatnot won't automatically bid that entire amount. Instead, it will bid for you as needed, up to the maximum you've chosen. This can give you an advantage once the item is run without requiring you to continually place bids yourself.
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Prebidding can also be a good way to let the seller know you'd like to see that item run soon. Sellers will often run items with prebids promptly because they know someone is already interested and has committed to purchasing the item if their bid wins.
Prebidding Before the Show
You can also visit a seller's profile before the show begins and browse the items they've listed for an upcoming show.
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If you see something you'd like, you can place your prebid in advance. Sellers will often run items with prebids early in the show.
This is especially helpful if you can't attend the live show. Your bid will still be active when the item is run. If no one bids more than you, you'll win the item without having to be there.
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Remember: A prebid is an actual bid. If yours is the winning bid when the auction ends, the item is yours and you'll be charged for the purchase.
Requests
Most sellers don't run their items in the order they appear in the Auction tab. They may start with items that have prebids, choose something they think will be popular, or run items that buyers request during the show.
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If you see something in the seller's Auction tab—or spot something in their selling area that you'd like a closer look at—you can simply ask the seller to run it.
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While you're watching a show, you'll see a continually moving Chat on your screen. You can swipe the Chat to the left if you'd like it out of the way while you're looking at an item, but you'll usually see it running alongside the show.
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Chat is how you'll communicate with the seller during a live auction. To request something, simply type a message such as:
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Could I please see item 21?
Could I please see the blue vase?
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If the seller has numbered the items, using the item number is especially helpful because it allows them to locate the listing quickly.
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Here's a helpful tip: Put a question mark (?) at the end of your request. Whatnot recognizes it as a question and displays it differently in the Chat, making it easier for the seller to spot while they're busy running the show.
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If several buyers make requests, sellers will generally try to work through them in the order they're received.
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Don't be shy about making a request. Sellers want to know what you'd like to see!
Shipping
Buyers typically pay the shipping costs for items purchased on Whatnot. Whatnot automatically calculates shipping based on the combined packaged weight of your purchases and other factors.
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For most U.S. shipments, once your combined package reaches 1 pound, shipping is $7.75 for up to 5 pounds. That means you can often purchase several additional items from the same seller without paying additional shipping—as long as the combined packaged weight stays under 5 pounds. Packages weighing more than 5 pounds may have additional shipping charges based on their weight and destination.
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And don't let 5 pounds fool you! Once boxes and packing materials are included, it can take surprisingly few purchases to reach that weight.
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What is “Max Shipping”?
Some sellers choose to help with shipping costs by offering what sellers often call “max shipping.” This means the seller sets a maximum amount the buyer will pay for shipping during that show.
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For example, if a seller offers $7.75 max shipping, you'll pay no more than $7.75 in shipping during that show, regardless of how many items you purchase. If your actual shipping costs more, the seller pays the difference.
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Shipping rates and policies are set by Whatnot and may change.
Your Whatnot Screen - What Everything Means
There can be a lot happening on the screen during a live show! Here are the features you'll use most often while you're shopping with me.
New to live auctions?
You don't have to buy anything. Come in, watch for a while, say hello in the chat and see how everything works. Once you've watched a few items run, the screen will make a lot more sense.
1 — Host Profile
This is my Whatnot profile. Tap my name or photo to view my profile and follow Rust & Roses so you can find my upcoming shows and get notified when I go live.
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2 — Show Notes
Tap Show Notes for information I've added specifically for that show. It's a good place to check for important details before or during the sale.
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3 — Live Chat
This is where you'll see the live conversation during the show. You'll see people joining, comments from other shoppers, and messages from me or my moderators. Tap Say something... near the bottom of the screen to join the conversation. Don't be shy—we really do want you to say hello.
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4 — Current Item
This area shows the item currently being auctioned, including its photo, item number and title, condition, shipping cost and other item details.
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5 — Share
Enjoying the show? Tap Share to send the live show to a friend or share it with someone who might enjoy treasure hunting with us.
6 — Tap Shop to see all the items I've loaded into the show. You can browse item photos and descriptions without leaving the live show.
7 — Current Bid & Countdown
This shows the current bid price and the time remaining on the auction. Keep an eye on both when you're interested in an item—the price can change as other shoppers bid.
8 — Swipe to Bid
When you want to bid, swipe the yellow Bid button to the right. The amount shown on the button is the bid you're about to place. As bidding increases, the amount shown on the button will update.