Glossary · for Whatnot card breakers

The break metrics
that actually matter.

Plain-English definitions of the numbers worth watching as a card breaker — from GMV and GPM to whale share and repeat-buyer rate. Know what each one tells you, and what to do when it moves.

The glossary

Eight numbers, defined.

GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)
The total dollar value of everything sold in a show before fees. Your headline “how big was this break” number. Track it per show and per week to see your trend, not just one hot night.
GPM (Gross Per Minute)
GMV divided by how long you were live. It tells you how efficiently your break converts time into sales — a two-hour show doing $2,000 ($16/min) is running hotter than a four-hour show doing $2,400 ($10/min). Great for spotting dead stretches to cut.
Sell-through rate
The share of the lots you offered that actually sold. Low sell-through means you’re listing product the room doesn’t want (or pricing it wrong); high sell-through with rising prices means demand is outstripping supply — time to bring more.
Whale share
The percentage of a show’s GMV that comes from your top buyers. In most breaks it’s startlingly high — a handful of buyers drive the majority. The higher your whale share, the more your revenue depends on keeping those specific people happy.
Repeat-buyer rate
The share of a show’s buyers who have bought from you before. Rising repeat rate means you’re building a base, not just renting an audience. It’s one of the best long-term health signals a breaker has.
Average order value (AOV)
GMV divided by number of buyers. Tells you whether growth is coming from more buyers or bigger spends per buyer — two very different levers.
Bid velocity
How fast bids come in on a lot. Fast velocity signals a hot item or a well-primed room; slow velocity is your cue to hype, re-angle, or move on before the momentum dies.
Lifetime spend (per buyer)
The total a single buyer has spent with you across every show. This — not one big night — is what actually defines a whale, and it’s the number that tells you who to protect.
The one that pays

Whale share and lifetime spend are where the leverage is.

You can chart GMV all day, but the metrics that change what you earn are the ones about who is buying: whale share and per-buyer lifetime spend. They tell you which handful of buyers your break actually runs on. Whaler builds those from your own sales — so you're not guessing who matters, you know.

Track the buyers behind the numbers.

Whaler turns your break’s raw sales into who your whales are and who’s slipping. Request access to get set up.