Choosing the right marketplaces to showcase your products is crucial for success. Luckily, Vendoo allows you to easily crosslist to multiple platforms, so you don’t ultimately have to choose. It streamlines the process of managing your inventory across multiple platforms, eliminates the tedious task of manual crosslisting, and equips you with valuable tools for maximizing your profits.
Nevertheless, let’s compare two robust marketplaces, Whatnot vs. eBay, to help you determine where to start.
eBay is a household name in the online selling world. It's a giant marketplace with millions of active buyers searching for everything under the sun, from vintage clothing to collectible toys. For beginners, eBay offers a familiar and established platform with a well-defined auction system alongside fixed-price options. You can sell almost anything, making your opportunities endless. This broad reach allows you to tap into a diverse customer base, potentially leading to faster sales of your pre-owned treasures.
Whatnot is a new but fast-rising star in the e-commerce world, specifically catering to collectors and enthusiasts. It functions as a live-streamed auction platform, allowing you to showcase your unique finds and interact with potential buyers in real time. You can also load up your marketplaces with items that are always for sale just like you do with traditional reseller marketplaces. This format fosters a more personal experience and can ignite bidding wars, potentially driving up the final sale price of your special items like rare sneakers, vintage video games, or collectible trading cards.
If you crave the thrill of live auctions and the excitement of audience interaction, then Whatnot might be your perfect stage. This platform thrives on a live-streamed environment where you, the seller, become the auctioneer. You showcase your products in real-time, answer questions from viewers, and build excitement around your offerings. The fast-paced format encourages bidding wars, potentially leading to higher selling prices for your unique finds.
On the other hand, eBay offers a more traditional approach. You create listings with detailed descriptions, high-quality photos, and competitive pricing here. You can choose from various formats like auctions with starting bids and ending times, fixed-price listings for a set sale price, or even the "Buy It Now" option that allows immediate purchases. While lacking live interaction, eBay caters to a wider audience and provides more control over the selling process.
Understanding your target audience is crucial for maximizing your sales potential. Here's a breakdown of who frequents each platform:
Think of Whatnot as a virtual treasure trove for collectors and enthusiasts. This platform attracts passionate individuals with a keen eye for unique finds. Think trading card aficionados, sneakerheads, or vintage video game enthusiasts. Here, your audience actively seeks specific items and is often willing to engage in bidding wars to secure their coveted pieces. While the platform as a whole is dominated by men, specific categories like fashion and jewlery have more female sellers. There are buyers and sellers of all ages, but it tends to skew just a bit younger than the eBay marketplace demographics.
While Whatnot caters to a niche audience, eBay boasts a much broader spectrum of buyers. This platform attracts individuals looking for everything from everyday essentials to luxury goods. Here, you'll encounter bargain hunters seeking the best deals, casual shoppers looking for a specific item, and even collectors searching for that missing piece to complete their set. The sheer volume of users on eBay allows you to tap into a diverse customer base, potentially leading to faster sales of a wider range of products. The general demographics for eBay users are a slightly higher male audience of buyers between the ages of 35 - 64. You’ll also encounter buyers from all over the world and can participate in a global shipping program.
Fees can be a major deciding factor when it comes to choosing a platform. Here's a breakdown of the selling fees and commissions you'll encounter on eBay and Whatnot:
A flat 8% commission fee applies to the final selling price of the item, with some exceptions.
For the "Coins & Money" category, the commission drops to 4%
The payment processing fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction for payment processing. This fee is calculated on the total amount the buyer pays, including the item price, tax, and shipping cost.
Read our blog post about Whatnot selling fees here.
The eBay final value fee and payment processing fees are now combined. The amount of the final value fee varies for different categories but for many popular categories the final value seller fee is 13.6% on the total amount of the sale (up to $7,500) + 2.35% on the portion exceeding $7,500.
There's also a separate insertion fee (typically around $0.35 per listing) depending on the listing format and category. You can get a number of free listings per month if you have different eBay store subscriptions. Get a full breakdown of eBay seller fees here.
Want even more details about eBay selling fees? Read our blog article here.
Yes, but with limitations. Here's the breakdown:
Absolutely! eBay thrives on a global marketplace, allowing you to reach a vast audience of international buyers. Here's a breakdown of selling globally on eBay:
Each of these marketplaces offer tools that help sellers find success, but they way that go about it is very different.
Whatnot caters specifically to the live auction format, offering unique seller tools that enhance the live-streamed experience and engagement with potential buyers. Here are some of the key features that set Whatnot apart:
You might also be interested in How Does Whatnot Work? A Guide For Sellers & Buyers
eBay, as a long-established and multifaceted selling platform, boasts a wider range of tools compared to the niche focus of Whatnot. Here are some unique features that can benefit eBay sellers:
This central hub streamlines your selling experience on eBay. It provides features like:
Selling on eBay? Here's a must-read for sellers! Best Selling Items on eBay 2024
The main difference between these two marketplaces is the “live” factor. The majority of Whatnot sales happen during live shows. If live streaming isn’t your jam, then the old fashion static sales posts on eBay might be more your style. Both platforms include a bidding or auction style format if you want, but on Whatnot that auction is going to happen live in a matter of seconds whereas on eBay that auction can happen off-camera and over a longer time period. On both marketplaces you can sell items for a set price using the “buy it now” option. In fact, this is how many items are now sold on eBay.
Thrive in a live, interactive selling environment.
Specialize in unique or collectible items.
Want to build a community around their brand.
Prefer a more traditional listing format.
Want to reach a broader audience across various categories.
Value established brand recognition and global reach.
Whatnot is a newer platform and doesn’t have the same vast audience as eBay, however the demand is high on Whatnot and the selling happens much faster. The main difference is live selling vs traditional selling. If you love the adrenaline rush of live auctions and want to turn over your inventory faster then Whatnot might be the best platform for you. If you enjoy selling each item individually for a set or negotiated price, then eBay is perfect for you. Each platform has its pros and cons. For example, it can be harder to build your own audience in Whatnot but on eBay your item can be found by anyone if you have great keywords.
We asked Google’s AI search to gather data about what Whatnot sellers say about the platform and here are some key takeaways:
Whatnot has mixed reviews from sellers. While some praise its live auction format and the ability to sell quickly, others express concerns about low prices, scams, and the platform's focus on engagement over profit. Some sellers find that items sell for significantly less on Whatnot compared to other platforms like eBay or Poshmark.
We asked Google’s AI search to gather data about what eBay sellers say about the platform and here are some key takeaways:
eBay reviews about selling on their platform are generally mixed, with some sellers praising its ease of use and customer service, while others express frustration with fees, platform changes, and seller protections. Sellers love the variety of self-promotion tools and opportunities. Some sellers find it difficult to compete with eBay's own business initiatives and struggle with feedback ratings that they believe are inaccurate.
So, which platform reigns supreme – eBay or Whatnot? The truth is, there's no single winner. Both marketplaces offer distinct advantages, and the ideal choice depends on your unique reselling goals and target audience.
For the thrill-seeker with a passion for collectibles: Whatnot is on target! Embrace the live auction format, ignite bidding wars, and connect with a community of enthusiastic collectors. Utilize Whatnot's built-in tools to create engaging live streams and leverage features like giveaways and randomizers to keep your audience hooked.
For the strategic seller with a diverse inventory: eBay offers a well-established marketplace with a massive user base. Here, you can choose from a variety of listing formats, manage a large inventory with ease using bulk listing tools, and gain valuable insights from advanced analytics.
The key takeaway? Vendoo stands as your ultimate companion regardless of your choice. This powerful tool streamlines your listing process across both platforms, eliminates the hassle of manual crosslisting, and equips you with valuable inventory management features.
Start crosslisting to BOTH platforms today!
Ultimately, the best platform is the one that aligns with your business model and target audience. With Vendoo by your side, you can conquer the e-commerce frontier on either eBay or Whatnot, maximizing your profits and achieving your reselling aspirations. Now, go forth and conquer the world of online sales!