# Whatnot > Live shows for cards, collectibles and vintage. Your camera, light and sound sell as much as the stock does. Whatnot sells through live shows. Buyers watch you open packs or hold up items and bid in real time, so they judge your camera, light and sound along with the stock. Most Whatnot sellers start with cards or small collectibles from a desk. Buy an overhead phone mount, glare-free light and a clip-on mic first, then packing kit: a good show can leave you with 40 orders to ship the next morning. [What sells on Whatnot UK](https://sellersetups.com/trends/whatnot) ## Selling on Whatnot from home You sell in live shows. Buyers join, bid or buy at a set price while you show each item, and the orders land in your account after the show. New sellers apply and may be asked about their category and stock. Check Whatnot’s current seller help pages for the steps in the UK. ## The show setup An overhead phone arm shows cards and small items flat on the desk. Two LED panels from the sides keep holo cards and glossy boxes free of hotspots, and a clip-on mic keeps your voice clear over background noise. Run the show from a second device if you can, so you can watch chat without covering the camera. Spend on a stable connection before a new phone. ## Preparing stock before you go live Pull every item for the show in running order, already sleeved or bagged. Put a small number on each one that matches your show list. Set aside a space for sold items during the show, so you pack the next morning from one pile. ## Labels and dispatch after a show Whatnot provides the shipping labels for orders. A thermal printer runs them off one after another without ink or trimming, which speeds up the evening after a busy show. Buyers who win several items in one show usually expect them combined. Check your order list for each buyer before you pack, and dispatch within the time Whatnot asks of sellers. ## Packing cards and collectibles Single cards go in a penny sleeve and toploader, then a board-backed mailer. Sealed product and figures go in a box with padding all round. Keep supplies in arm’s reach of the label printer, so a busy show doesn’t turn into a slow night of packing. ## Growing your shows Run shows at a regular time so buyers learn when to find you. Keep a short list of what sold and at what price, so you can plan stock for the next show. As orders rise, add a second shelf of packing supplies and pack in batches by mailer type. Cross-list slower stock on other sites rather than holding it for shows. ## Common mistakes - Using a front-facing ring light on holo cards creates a glare spot, so angle two panels in from the sides. - Going live with stock still in boxes slows the show, so pull and number items in running order first. - Packing a buyer’s items separately when they won several wastes postage, so check the order list and combine. - Relying on a weak Wi-Fi signal drops your stream, so test the connection where you’ll film. - Leaving packing for days after a big show annoys buyers, so plan the next morning for dispatch. ## Setups - [Clearance lock-up setup for Whatnot, Etsy and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/clearance-lockup-live-and-etsy): Sort a cleared unit into four zones in a weekend, open mystery crates live, and keep the 20 year old pieces back for Etsy. - [Whatnot clothing setup for live shows and TikTok Shop](https://sellersetups.com/setups/clothing-live-show): A rail, a tripod at eye height and soft light: the spare-room kit for selling women’s fashion and vintage live, then packing the sold pieces the next day. - [Coin and jewellery selling desk](https://sellersetups.com/setups/coins-jewellery-desk): A precision scale, capsules, a light box for close-ups and a careful posting routine, for selling coins and small jewellery from one desk. - [Comic back-issue room for Whatnot shows and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/comic-back-issues-live): Long boxes, bags and boards, an overhead phone and board-stiffened mailers for selling back issues live in the evening and on eBay in between. - [Crystal live-show garage for Whatnot and TikTok Shop](https://sellersetups.com/setups/crystal-live-shows-garage): Bulk tumbled stones in tubs, an overhead phone, LED panels and small boxes for running crystal live sales several nights a week at volume. - [Japanese import reseller with proxy buying](https://sellersetups.com/setups/japan-proxy-import-desk): Prize figures, Japanese-language card boxes and stationery bought through a proxy, then sold on Whatnot shows and eBay listings from a spare room. - [Outdoor gear setup for a shed or garage, eBay and Whatnot](https://sellersetups.com/setups/outdoor-gear-shed-seasonal): Tents pitched on the lawn before listing, tackle sold live in lots, and a 40 kg scale for the family tent that a medium parcel will not take. - [Pro Whatnot streaming setup for card breaks](https://sellersetups.com/setups/pro-whatnot-streaming): A two-camera studio with app-controlled lights, a button pad for angles and a packing line, for card breakers posting 80 to 300 orders a week. - [Whatnot card break setup for sports and football cards](https://sellersetups.com/setups/sports-card-breaks): An overhead rip camera, a sorting system for hits per buyer and Large Letter packing, for running football and sports card breaks on Whatnot and eBay. - [Squishy toy live shows from a bedroom corner](https://sellersetups.com/setups/squishy-live-corner): Needoh-style squeeze toys sold in fast Whatnot and TikTok Shop shows, packed in padded envelopes from one desk and three tubs. - [Toy and collectibles live selling setup](https://sellersetups.com/setups/toy-collectibles-live): Box protectors, double boxing and coded shelving for selling construction sets, die-cast cars and vinyl figures live on Whatnot and on eBay. - [Whatnot card setup: £300 starter kit](https://sellersetups.com/setups/whatnot-card-starter): Camera, lights and packing kit for running your first Whatnot card shows from a desk and shipping the orders next morning, for about £300. ## Guides - [Best time to sell on Whatnot, Vinted and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/guides/best-time-to-sell): When toys, school uniform, festival clothes and Halloween stock sell, plus Whatnot show times, Vinted Bumps and eBay auction end times. - [How to run football card breaks on Whatnot](https://sellersetups.com/guides/football-card-breaks): Running Premier League and Champions League card breaks on Whatnot: picking a format, filling spots, ripping on camera and posting each buyer’s cards. - [HMRC and selling online: reporting rules and records](https://sellersetups.com/guides/hmrc-selling-online): The platform reporting rules in plain English, when selling becomes trading, the £1,000 trading allowance, capital gains on valuables and the records to keep. - [How to promote your Whatnot show](https://sellersetups.com/guides/promote-your-whatnot-show): Get people into your next Whatnot show: short videos, posts between shows, product photos and turning buyers into regulars. - [What Whatnot, Vinted and eBay sellers keep](https://sellersetups.com/guides/reseller-earnings-maths): UK fees on Whatnot, Vinted and eBay, worked examples of profit per item after postage and packaging, and the levers that change what you take home. - [Buying return pallets and job lots to resell](https://sellersetups.com/guides/return-pallets-and-job-lots): Return pallets and job lots for UK resellers: the real cost per item, sorting and testing stock, electrical safety, and your rights as buyer and seller. - [Scams and disputes on Vinted, eBay and Whatnot](https://sellersetups.com/guides/scams-and-disputes): Empty box claims, false not as described cases, off-platform payment tricks, fake courier texts and chargebacks, with the evidence that wins a dispute. - [How to sell on Whatnot in the UK](https://sellersetups.com/guides/sell-on-whatnot-uk): Apply as a seller, sort UK shipping, build a stock list and run your first Whatnot show from a spare room with a phone and a ring light. - [How to sell Pokémon cards on Whatnot: setup and kit](https://sellersetups.com/guides/sell-pokemon-cards-live): The camera, light, sound and card protection a Pokémon seller needs for a first live show, and the order to buy it in. - [How to start a Pokémon card business in the UK](https://sellersetups.com/guides/start-pokemon-card-business): Turning a Pokémon card collection into a UK side business: choosing what to sell, where to sell it, stock records and when HMRC treats it as trading. - [How to start a small business from home in the UK](https://sellersetups.com/guides/start-selling-from-home): Which platform suits what you sell, what the first kit costs, and a checklist for your first week of orders from home. - [Trend reselling and spotting fakes](https://sellersetups.com/guides/trend-reselling-fakes): Labubu, Sonny Angels, Pokémon cards and trainers: read demand from live viewer counts, check stock before you buy, and stay on the right side of UK law. - [Whatnot lighting setup for cards and products](https://sellersetups.com/guides/whatnot-lighting-setup): Place two lights so holo cards show their surface without a white glare stripe, and products keep true colour on a phone camera in a Whatnot show. - [Whatnot production setup: lights, camera and audio](https://sellersetups.com/guides/whatnot-production-setup): Choosing which pro streaming kit to buy first, and which to skip, when your Whatnot shows outgrow a phone and a ring light. ## Questions ### Do I need a label printer for Whatnot? Whatnot generates the shipping labels for you. You can print them on a home inkjet at first, but once a show brings in more than a dozen orders, a thermal printer saves you cutting, taping and buying ink. It prints a label in a couple of seconds. ### Is a ring light enough for card shows? A ring light is fine for your face, but it reflects off holo cards and glossy boxes. Two LED panels angled in from each side give you even light with no hotspot in the middle of the card. If you sell sealed product and singles, start with the panels. ### Can I sell on Whatnot from the UK? Yes, Whatnot operates in the UK. Check its current seller application pages for the categories open to new sellers. ### How long does a Whatnot show need to be? Whatnot sets no required length. Start with a short show, see what sells and build from there. ### Do I need a second phone for shows? It’s optional. A second device for chat lets you keep the camera steady and still answer buyers. ### What should I sell in my first show? Sell stock you know well and can talk about, because Whatnot buyers bid with sellers who know their category.