TODD MCFARLANE'S WHATNOT STREAM BREAKS RECORDS

‘BUY THE BOOTH’ AUCTION SETS NEW INDUSTRY TREND

Todd McFarlane made collectible HISTORY with his historic “Buy the Booth” auction on Whatnot.

On Wednesday, August 23rd, Todd McFarlane made his Whatnot debut to host a ‘first of its kind’ activation, auctioning off pieces of his San Diego Comic Con booth. The auction featured 24 separate panels that were cut from his SDCC booth (shown above).

As promised, the auction was more than just that; it was an interactive experience for fans, with McFarlane adding in numerous fan giveaways and shoutouts along the way.

This auction was the largest money-making stream in the HISTORY of Whatnot’s comic category. The stream also tallied 2,200 concurrent viewers, with a total of over 22,000 viewers tuning in throughout the stream.

McFarlane’s engaging stream also made him the fastest comic creator to reach 10,000 followers on the platform.

In a recent interview with CBR, McFarlane shared his insights on this innovative venture and the unique opportunities it presents for engaging with fans:

“Sometimes in life, you sample new things, not knowing where it will lead. That’s how I approached Whatnot. It’s a platform I’ve heard buzz about, and it seemed like an exciting opportunity to connect with fans in a fresh way. I’ve always been curious, creatively and from a business perspective.”

McFarlane was able to meet and exceed expectations for the auction, raising nearly $80,000 in total. The highlight piece of the booth was the Spawn #1 piece, which sold for an impressive $6,149. Other top-selling items included Scorched #1 Medieval Spawn, which fetched $3,950, and Spawn #230, which sold for $3,870.

Additionally, the ‘Buy it Now’ section of the booth sold out over 400 items in less than 5 minutes.

The success of this auction underscores McFarlane’s continued influence and popularity within the comic book community, as well as the power of innovative approaches to engage with fans and collectors in the digital age. It won’t be long before fans/collectors start to see other high profile companies/creators follow suit with similar style auctions.