Listen to this article
Jacob Presnell shares his journey into livestream sales and his experience as a host.
At Salvation Army thrift stores in Southern California, secondhand shopping is taking on a new form.
In warehouses lined with donated clothing and bags, staff host live, auction-style sales on Whatnot, where viewers bid on items in real time, with each sale finalized within seconds.
Jacob Presnell, an e-commerce live sales supervisor with The Salvation Army, helped launch the livestreams as one of the first hosts at the Long Beach thrift store in May 2025, showcasing items, engaging with viewers, and helping close deals. During most shows, more than 200 items are sold, generating an average of $2,800 in revenue.
The auctions have since expanded to other Salvation Army thrift stores in the region, including Anaheim, Santa Monica, and Riverside, with plans to continue expanding.
Presnell shared about his role, what it’s like behind the scenes, and what makes the fast-paced format work.
Q: What drew you to this kind of work?
Presnell: I was hired by The Salvation Army at the start of 2025 as an e-commerce specialist at the Long Beach ARC. My role and this opportunity are a great example of trusting in God’s plan. In April 2025, Piers Fairclough (ARC Director of Business) and Atticus Firey (ARC Director of Strategic Projects) visited our warehouse and introduced the idea of selling on Whatnot. During that conversation, I was able to share my background.
During my adolescence and early adulthood, I livestreamed on Twitch, building a large following. I later earned a degree in marketing with an emphasis in social media and digital marketing. While in college, my fiancée and I ran a vintage clothing e-commerce business, which gave me hands-on experience sourcing from thrift stores and warehouse settings. I informed them that I was already familiar with Whatnot as a buyer, and many of my friends were sellers.
After that conversation, I was chosen as a test host for the pilot program. As our presence and success on the platform have grown, so has my role—I now serve as live sales supervisor.
Q: What do you remember about your first live show, and what did you learn from it?
Presnell: During my first show, there was a healthy mix of nerves and excitement. Most of my previous livestreaming had taken place from the comfort of my own room in front of a computer. In this case, I had around 10 people standing behind the phone screen watching me.
Overall, it was an extremely fun experience that brought in hundreds of viewers. The audience was largely receptive, and the items sold well. Having a supportive and encouraging team behind me made a big difference throughout the show. We generated $2,000 in gross sales and completed 100 orders. More importantly, we learned a lot—especially about presentation pace (more auctions lead to more total sales), improving our behind-the-scenes packaging process, and better understanding the products and brands our audience is looking for.
Q: What makes an item stand out and perform well during a livestream?
Presnell: Items that stand out most commonly have superior craftsmanship and quality—whether due to a reputable brand or designer, or high-value natural fibers. Beyond having a high original retail price, another key factor in an item’s performance is its trendiness. For instance, the Y2K fashion aesthetic is very popular right now. Items such as Coach Soho bags or embellished Miss Me jeans, which are commonly associated with that era, tend to perform exceptionally well.
Q: Do you have a personal favorite thrift find?
Presnell: Prior to working with The Salvation Army, my fiancée and I ran a vintage clothing business that had us thrifting nearly every day. Now, I go a couple of times each month. My favorite find is a Blink-182 tour T-shirt from 2000, my birth year.
Q: What’s your favorite part of hosting the livestreams?
Presnell: During each show, I enjoy and look forward to connecting with the viewers and supporters of our organization across the country and occasionally, the world. There’s nothing better than when a returning viewer joins our show and informs us that they loved the items they received or even got compliments on wearing one of our sold products. The cherry on top is knowing that the revenue we’re generating is directly helping those within our Adult Rehabilitation Centers.
Q: What continues to motivate you in this role?
Presnell: My greatest motivation is knowing my work is directly making a positive impact on the hundreds of lives I interact with each day—the men and women in our rehabilitation program. Hearing their testimonies and learning how The Salvation Army has changed their lives constantly reassures me that I am exactly where I am meant to be.
I’m fortunate to have a role that aligns with my interests and skill set, so it never feels like a burden to continue this work—it’s truly my dream job. Instead, I try to remind myself each day how grateful I am to be in this position. At the same time, having helped spearhead this department gives me even more motivation to keep growing the operation and expand its impact, with the goal of helping reimagine how our organization conducts business.
Do Good:
- Join us in giving joy to families who are experiencing poverty, hunger, job loss and more. Your generosity offers joyful reassurance that even during our most challenging times, we are not alone.
