Whatnot at NYCC
Whatnot sales are doubling this year, eBay is laying off 1,000 employees, and the NRF has released its annual prediction of retail sales growth for the holiday season, so we round up the retail news here.
Live-selling platform Whatnot revealed that it expects its sales to more than double from the $8 billion sold on the platform worldwide last year in its 2027 Consumer Trends Report, which shared some info on 2026 trends and laid out its predictions for 2027. Its biggest category is fashion, but it expects nostalgia-driven “kidulting” to continue to be a major sales driver in 2027. Searches for 1990s and 2000s brands, including Build-a-Bear and Bratz, are trending on the platform.
Toy and hobby sales on Whatnot are up 140% so far in 2026, according to the report, with TCGs important contributors. Pokémon brought hundreds of thousands of first-time buyers to the platform behind excitement for the brand’s 30th anniversary, and an average of four Pokémon cards are sold every second. Another TCG highlight was that The Hobbit Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond set generated five times higher sales than in-universe sets in August and September.
Live selling platforms, including Whatnot, had huge presences on the floor at New York Comic Con earlier this month (see “NYCC 2026 Photos – Part 1“).
eBay Live activation at NYCC
Even the eBay layoff news was positive for collectibles. The auction platform (which also own TCGplayer), is eliminating around 1,000 jobs, after cutting 800 employees earlier this year, according to Reuters. The company is seeking to simplify operations and to deploy resources in its fastest-growing areas, which include collectibles, authenticated luxury goods, and refurbished products, according to the report.
And the National Retail Federation is predicting holiday sales (which it defines as November 1 to December 31) to grow 4.2% over 2025, while noting that “…inflation, rising gas prices and pressure on household spending will affect consumers differently across income groups.”
Source: ICv2
