For Chandler, selling on Whatnot lets him show off his knowledge of coins, as well as his gregarious, playful personality (dad jokes included). It’s both fun and lucrative: Each of his streams garners between 80 and 150 viewers, and he can make $10,000-$20,000 in sales in an hour. The shop’s biggest day on Whatnot? Last year’s Black Friday bonanza brought in $215,000.
His Witter coworkers also host streams but tend to reap fewer sales. (“People really want to see me,” Chandler admits — after all, he has the most livestreaming experience and the deepest well of numismatist knowledge.)
While Chandler estimates that the livestreaming platform accounts for only 10%-15% of Witter’s business, he loves the showmanship, teaching opportunities, and community he has built through the app. Every so often he hosts educational streams about coin grading or authentication, without selling anything.
“I’m a really hypercompetitive person,” he said. “The type of knowledge that we have, a couple sentences can solve a puzzle for another collector. It’s very rewarding — insanely rewarding — to help people out.”
He has become friends with his online regulars, like the buyer who invited him to check out his horses, one of which went on to win the Kentucky Derby, and the Texas grandma who loves to ask about foreign coins.
“The best part about it is the people,” Chandler said. “Most of them are newer to collecting coins, so it’s a great way to introduce them.”