$1 starts, a small room and $12,500 in one Disney break

Starting every spot at $1 sounds risky, but in this Disney break it was not. The show never had more than about 50 viewers and still did $12,500 in sales. The money came from a small room that kept buying, and from a handful of big buyers, not from giveaways.

The show

Two full cases of Topps Chrome Disney hobby, broken as random character spots: 267 spots per case, 534 spots in total. Every spot started at $1.

1. Don't fear the $1 starts

Out of 534 spots, only 7 went for $1. The average spot sold for $23.

A $1 start gets bidding going. Once two people want the same spot, the price climbs on its own. Almost none of the spots stayed at the floor.

2. A small room that buys

	This show
Average viewers	27
Peak viewers	about 50
Different buyers	69
Pace	a spot sold every 25 seconds
Sales	$12,500

With 27 viewers on average, 69 different people still bought. A spot sold every 25 seconds. A busy, steady pace keeps a small room engaged, because something is always happening.

3. Your whales are your break

The top 10 buyers made 57% of the sales. One buyer took 83 spots alone.

In a break this size, a few big buyers carry the show. If those ten people had not shown up, the night would have looked very different. They are worth knowing by name, thanking, and telling when your next break is on.

4. Skip the giveaways

The show ran 4 giveaways. They drew 95 entries and brought in 0 new buyers.

What did grow the room was ripping on camera. Opening the packs live is what doubled the audience, not the free items.

What to do in your own shop

1. Try $1 starts on a break with many spots. Track how many spots end at the floor. If it is only a few, the low start is costing you nothing.
2. Keep the pace up. Aim for a steady rhythm of spots so a small room always has the next thing to bid on.
3. Know your top 10 buyers. Check who bought the most after each break and look after them first. Our customer breakdown sorts buyers by how much and how often they buy.
4. Check whether giveaways bring buyers. Count entries and new buyers for each giveaway. If entries are high and new buyers are zero, cut them.
5. Rip on camera. The opening is the show. Make it easy to see and give it time.