From Summer QVC Dreams to Live Auctions on WhatNot

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be doing my own version of QVC to sell our outdoor gear, I would have laughed.
I still remember being a teenager, spending summer days glued to the TV, watching those energetic hosts make everything seem like a must-have. They were so good at it! And now, here we are — Todd and I — selling our handcrafted outdoor gear live… but not on QVC.
We’re on WhatNot, the live auction app. And honestly? We’re having a blast.

How We Got Started on WhatNot

Our journey onto WhatNot started thanks to a few friends in the outdoor community.
First, Taylor Martin from Best Damn EDC introduced us to Zac at Blade Show West, the representative for the knives and hunting category. At the time, I thought it sounded like fun — but I couldn’t quite see how it would fit into everything else I already juggle as a business owner.

Fast forward a few months. We were set up at Georgia Bushcraft, selling our gear, when our friend Dominic from MaxLevelEDC brought up WhatNot again.
He was convinced we’d do really well — with our one-of-a-kind pieces, prototypes, and mystery bags (which have always been popular).
Thanks to his encouragement, I decided to dive deeper: I reached out to Zac, started watching other live shows, and soaked in everything I could.

One thing I noticed right away: WhatNot offers some nice incentives.
New customers get money off their first order, sellers can earn a referral bonus when they help new buyers sign up, and if you're a seller and you refer another seller who signs up and goes live, you get a bonus too!
It’s a pretty encouraging setup whether you're thinking about buying or selling.

Jumping In — And Figuring It Out

We set up our WhatNot store and jumped into a pretty full schedule in November of 2024, wanting to give it a real test run.
There was a lot to figure out:

• When should we schedule shows?

• Would it be new customers or familiar faces?

• What items would people love most?

• Where should we start our auction prices?

• Should we talk to the camera or just show our hands?

Since we already do Make It Monday videos and love interacting with our community, we decided to be fully present — talking to the camera, laughing, and sharing the stories behind our gear.
And let me tell you: Todd turned out to be a natural. He keeps things lively and says the funniest things without even trying.

The Results — and What We Learned

In our first month of shows, we sold over $10,000 worth of gear.
It was exciting and a little overwhelming. We cleared out a lot of standby inventory and even started making gear specifically for the auctions.
We quickly learned what show times worked best for our audience and which products people were most excited about.

But — and this is important — we also realized that trying to run a full-time handcrafted business and host multiple live shows a week wasn’t sustainable.
There just weren’t enough hours in the day to make all the gear, keep up with everything else, and not burn out.

So, we adjusted. Now, we schedule one WhatNot show a month, and we make sure our customers know the dates in advance. We also keep three upcoming shows visible so people can plan ahead and save the ones they’re excited about.
This balance lets us still enjoy some weekends to ourselves — and keep making gear we’re proud of.

Why We Love It — And Why You Might Want to Try It

WhatNot has been a wonderful addition to our business — not just financially, but because it lets us connect with people in a whole new way.
We get to show off the tiny details we care so much about: the craftsmanship, the fabric choices, the thought we put into every stitch.

It’s been fun, exciting, and surprisingly personal — exactly the kind of connection we love.

If you’re thinking about trying WhatNot, whether to buy some amazing handmade items or sell your own creations, it’s definitely worth checking out.
With discounts for new buyers, referral bonuses for sellers, and rewards for helping other sellers join, it’s a very welcoming place to start.

And if you know someone who might love it too, feel free to share this post with them!