Etsy has carved out a niche as the go-to destination to buy and sell unique goods as well as materials for arts and crafts. It’s easy to dismiss that market as too specific, yet a closer look reveals surprisingly numerous products that fit the bill.
If you’re contemplating starting an Etsy storefront but find yourself unsure about what products to sell, don’t worry! By exploring the realm of best-selling Etsy items, you can gain valuable insights into the products that consistently generate high sales on the platform.
Understanding why these items remain popular will help you make informed decisions and potentially start earning money right away. So, read on to uncover the most sought-after products on Etsy, discover the factors contributing to their success, and learn how you can tap into these lucrative markets to kickstart your own profitable venture on Etsy.
Is Etsy Worth the Investment?
You need to evaluate an item’s potential success on Etsy before posting it for sale. Make sure it’s both desirable to potential consumers and distinct enough to face little direct competition if it satisfies the qualifications for a handmade, vintage, or craft-related item.
Finding Etsy’s Hottest Items for Sale
If you want to succeed on Etsy, whether you’re just starting out or just trying out a new niche, you need to carry the items that have been selling the best. To guarantee your Etsy listings are seen by the proper crowd, you should include relevant keywords when describing each product and invest in targeted advertising.
Here are some pointers to help you get started selling on Etsy and make a success of it.
Study Patterns
Find the most talked about topics by using Google’s own tools like Google Trends and Think With Google. What are people looking for on Etsy? What’s the most popular item on Etsy, and how can you get your listings to the top of the search results?
Look at the Statistics
If you’re having trouble deciding what to sell in your Etsy shop, consult Statista and other reputable sites for unique insights. If you want to be a successful Etsy seller, you need to pay attention to data and make educated choices.
Shop on Etsy
Don’t ignore the data that is presented to you in an upfront fashion by this sales platform. Etsy searches are fantastic for both product discovery and honed-in trend identification. Explore the market’s most popular hits by typing “Trending now” or “Popular right now” into a search engine. For additional market intelligence, you can peruse Etsy’s Trend Report.
Check Out the Competition
Check out the best-selling products and services offered by Etsy vendors by using keyword and competitor research tools. You may discover listings for just about anything you can imagine, from rare collectibles and natural beauty products to custom coffee mugs and t-shirts printed on demand.
Where to Look for Etsy’s Best-Selling Items?
You can keep tabs on your rivals’ Etsy stores and learn from their strategies with the Etsy shop analysis tool. Use this tool to keep tabs on the top Etsy vendors. Search for popular shop owners or by pasting the link to their shop to see what they’re selling.
The best-selling items on Etsy in the United States are not the only thing that you can find. Etsy is not only home to the top Etsy shops in the United Kingdom, but also to some of the most well-known Etsy stores in Canada and Australia. Simply conducting some study using the Etsy keyword research tool or perusing Etsy’s most popular goods page should yield their names.
Tags and titles can be copied and pasted, and statistics like total views and favorited items can be viewed, the age of their listings, and the length of time since they last sold an item on Etsy.
Top Categories That Sell on Etsy in 2023
Sure you have to do a lot of research to find the goldmine that is the product you will send, but here we have the categories that consistently make large profits, as long as the vendor markets themselves right. Etsy sellers can choose from a wide variety of products. It is possible to create a lucrative Etsy business while maintaining a home-based schedule that works for your family. In addition, an Etsy shop may be a great source of passive income, meaning that it generates revenue even when you’re not actively working on it.
| Category | ➕ Pros | ➖ Cons |
| Jewelry | High demand, customizable designs, potential for high profit margins | Competition, sourcing quality materials |
| Stickers and Customized Greeting Cards | Low production costs, creative freedom, repeat customers | Saturation in the market, need for unique designs |
| Craft Supplies | Wide customer base, recurring purchases, potential for bulk sales | Seasonal demand, competition from larger suppliers |
| Eco-friendly Products | Growing market, environmentally conscious customers | Higher production costs, educating customers on benefits |
| Collectibles | Niche market, passionate collectors, potential for rare finds | Limited customer base, expertise needed to identify valuable items |
| Pet Accessories | Dedicated pet owners, repeat customers | Saturated market, need for unique and quality designs |
| Vintage Items | Unique and one-of-a-kind items, nostalgia factor | Sourcing inventory, competition from other vintage sellers |
| T-Shirts Tailored to Order | Customizable, high-profit margins, growing market | Competition from larger apparel brands, printing limitations |
| Knitted Children’s Clothes | Handmade appeal, potential for unique designs | Seasonal demand, finding the right target audience |
| Personalized Mugs | Customizable, gift-worthy items, wide customer base | Shipping fragility, competition from larger print-on-demand sites |
| Health and Self-Care Products | Growing market, health-conscious consumers | Compliance with regulations, establishing trust with customers |
| Producing Art Through New Media | Digital products, unlimited potential for sales and distribution | Competitive market, piracy and copyright infringement risks |
| Decorations for a Party | Seasonal demand, potential for bulk orders | Highly competitive, need for unique and trendy designs |
| Toys | Wide age range of customers, potential for unique designs | Safety regulations, competition from larger toy manufacturers |
Jewelry
Jewelry has been used as a status symbol and economic indicator since prehistoric times. Personalization is a key trend in today’s jewelry market. Handmade jewelry, in contrast to mass-produced goods, is typically non-transferable. Given its rarity, it commands a hefty price tag.
Create an Etsy shop and get small-scale funding from a reliable firm like Pirscapital, if you’re one of the select few who can create unique pieces of jewelry on your own. You can always buy it and resell it if you’re not.
Stickers and Customized Greeting Cards
Why not use your skills as a graphic designer to create stickers and greeting cards with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator? Take advantage of the growing demand in the niche market for customized products around the world.
Selling stickers is simple since you can work with a print-on-demand business to get your designs printed and sent out to customers. You’re equipped to handle anything from bumper stickers to large wall decals.
You can also make your own phone cases if you use your imagination. The key to breaking into a new market is to identify profitable niches. You can tell what will be successful in terms of design once you are aware of current trends.
Craft Supplies
Have you ever noticed knitters and people who crochet spend hundreds and thousands on yarn? Well, you will be glad to know there is a large market of creative people who simply need to buy more supplies! Embroidery patches, swatches, and fabric are some of the most sought-after items on Etsy, and many of the most popular stores cater specifically to these markets. The ubiquitous clothespin too has inspired specialty shops! If you have a creative spirit and an eye for high-quality goods, you can make a good profit selling crafty products on Etsy. If you’re having trouble finding anything to sell, vintage buttons and embroidery patches are huge right now.
Eco-friendly Products
Why not jump on the zero waste bandwagon and do your part to protect the environment at the same time? The basic principle is to minimize landfill waste to an absolute minimum. Thus, products that can be reused and that don’t contain any harmful chemicals are advantageous from a financial and ecological standpoint.
Eco-friendly and refillable toiletries, as well as washable sanitary items and diapers, are experiencing a surge in popularity. Containers for food and drink, as well as products used in personal care, such as cotton swabs, are high on the list.
How do you plan to play your part towards a greener future?
Collectibles
Within this community, you may buy and sell anything from Pokemon cards to Hot Wheels automobiles. Value and scarcity are what attract these individuals. Etsy is the place to go if you have a rare WWE card or a plushie.
You can also try auctioning off some of your old records, posters, and books. Your old stamp and coin collections may also have value. However, be wary of under-pricing these in-demand items.
Pet Accessories
Are you one of those people who consider their pets to be their children? Well, you know that there are a lot of people who cannot get enough of pampering their furry baby. Etsy has given pet owners access to previously unavailable levels of pet-related goods, particularly those for dogs and cats. Pet supplies like collars, ID tags, and leashes are hot search topics on Etsy over the winter holidays. Personalized pet products are a surefire way to increase your Etsy sales. Making and selling dog treats on Etsy is another enjoyable pet-related venture. It’s perfect for the baker in you! Doggie treat anyone?
Vintage Items
As an Etsy vendor, you can recycle by selling vintage goods while also providing customers with one-of-a-kind decorative and functional pieces for their homes. Clothing, accessories, and furniture can all be resold on Etsy after having been previously loved. While sales of vintage dresses from all eras remain stable, mid-century outfits sell like hotcakes. Victorian style wedding dresses are all the rage so, something to consider?
T-Shirts Tailored to Order
Etsy’s ability to facilitate collaboration with drop-shipping firms for the production of custom t-shirt designs is a major selling point for many sellers.
It’s possible to make money off of selling custom-made T-shirts without investing in inventory, supplies, or even a factory. If you know your way around Adobe Illustrator or even more elementary design programs like Canva, you can create wonderful artwork.
The secret is in tailoring your designs to each individual buyer. You’ll need to put in some study time to learn what actually works. You will also need to market your products via various online channels. Most of the effort is taken care of by marketing. Your designs speak for themselves in terms of quality.
Knitted Children’s Clothes
A skill in crocheting or knitting can give you a head start in creating a successful product for your Etsy shop. Knitwear, contrary to popular belief, is not as simple to produce as, say, printables in order to sell them on Etsy. It takes time to construct an inventory because first, you need the expertise, and second, creating each thing is time-consuming.
Most customers won’t have the patience to wait for you to make their item to order unless you knit extremely swiftly. Despite the potential for substantial profits, purchasing high-quality yarn will have a significant impact on your budget.
However, knitting patterns are one of the most lucrative items to sell on Etsy. With the recent popularity of knitting, antique knitting patterns have become a hot commodity on the online marketplace Etsy. Time to create a podcast playlist for you to listen to while you knit!
Personalized Mugs
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to have the phrase “world’s best dad” emblazoned upon it. These days, a lot of people desire individualized mugs with their own photos, names, and quotes on them. You can profit from this trend by meeting customer needs. Creating one-of-a-kind mugs is easier than you might believe.
Neither stock nor a distribution system is required. You just need a creative mind and the ability to use computers to put your ideas into action. Using a print-on-demand service, you may have the mugs sent directly to the client.
Health and Self-Care Products
If the pandemic has taught us anything, life is fragile. Self-care goods are a specialty of some of the most successful Etsy sellers, and for a good reason too. If not for self-care, they tend to be popular as teacher gifts, hostess gifts, and party favors. This market segment is ideal for those who enjoy hands-on creation. You may learn to manufacture candles or soap and create an Etsy shop to sell them.
Producing Art Through New Media
The first thing you should do as an artist or designer is decide what kind of artwork you want to produce and market. Spending a lot of time on a single piece allows you to demand a higher price because of its rarity. But if there are several potential customers for that one item, you will only be able to sell it to one of them. So thread the issue of quantity carefully.
Finding out how to make money selling digital art on Etsy is helpful when you’re looking to find ways to establish a stable income from your art. With digital art, you may mass-produce an unlimited number of the same design or product.
Everything from invitations to resumes may be sold online. Making a living off of selling digital art is not only easy but also inspiring. It’s appealing as a side business idea because you won’t need a lot of start-up money. An iPad or PC is sufficient to implement the designs required by the client.
Designing printable designs for 3D objects like gift boxes, mugs, and more is just as easy as designing 2D printables. Photographs can also be sold as works of digital art. The greatest benefit of digital goods is the elimination of the need to contact the courier office or customer support.
Decorations for a Party
Do you pride yourself on being the one in your group who always has the party decorations all up and ready to go? Why not use Etsy to make money off of your hobby? You can sell anything from tablecloths to curtain lights. Personalized decorations for your home, from wall hangings to balloons to invitations.
One way to stand out is to include personalized instructions for how to make the most of the gifts you’re sending. Etsy has a huge customer base for these products, but you may need to keep some stock on hand.
Toys
Safe wooden toys are preferred by many parents over cheap plastic ones. To help, you can make toys that are both informative and thought-out. Even though you’ll need some background in toy design and then some serious social media promotion, you can count on finding plenty of willing buyers on Etsy.
Toys and puzzles that may be personalized for each child are another opportunity for growth. Gaining your customers’ trust is essential to expanding your business.
See Also:
The Art of Promoting Your Etsy Items
Many shoppers on Etsy utilize the site’s search function to locate the items they’re looking for. Even if consumers may be interested in your items straight away, it never hurts to promote them more to increase sales.
Knowing how Etsy’s search algorithm functions is the first step.
Etsy’s Internal Search Algorithm
Etsy requires a means to sort and rank the results it shows when a consumer enters a search query because it has millions of sellers and millions of products. Etsy employs a search algorithm, similar to Google’s, to decide the order in which results are displayed. The majority of clicks and purchases in an eCommerce marketplace occur on the first page of results, just as they do anywhere else. The question then becomes how to get a product to be a top-selling Etsy item.
When an item is purchased on Etsy, the company receives a fee. In this way, their algorithm provides the consumer with recommendations for items that are both useful and likely to be purchased.
The importance of the keywords included in the product title cannot be overstated. For an item to show up in a shopper’s search results on Etsy, it must be relevant to that shopper’s query. Products that do not conform to a shopper’s criteria will not be displayed.
A product listing should take into account search engine optimization factors, including the use of a keyword-rich title and appropriate tags.
The Value of Listing Quality
Listing Quality is an internal metric used by the Etsy marketplace. If you want to make money on Etsy, you need to make sure that your listings are of high quality, which is determined by Etsy’s assessment of how relevant and ‘buyable’ a product is.
Etsy raises a listing’s quality score when a customer likes, purchases, or clicks on it. Products with better listing quality scores will appear higher in relevant search results.
Your products will initially have a neutral listing quality score when you first launch your store. Your search engine rankings won’t drop, but they won’t go up, either. Many competing sellers may already have better search engine rankings than you do.
To boost your search engine results, you need to generate interest in your product listings. You can do this in two ways: traditional offline marketing and Etsy’s own in-store promotions.
Use Social Media to Spread the Word
With mobile internet accounting for 61% of all Etsy transactions, sharing photos of your wares on social media platforms is a no-brainer.
If you’re going to use any social media channel for promotion, make it Instagram. Because of Instagram’s emphasis on visual content, it’s a great location to share new product photos. Include a clickable link to your Etsy shop in your Instagram bio so that interested customers can purchase your wares.
Instead of fighting for exposure by posting photos with trending hashtags, you may invest in Instagram and Facebook ads instead. Naturally, you can do cross-promotion if you have your own website.
Use Etsy Ads
You can pay to have your product showcased alongside the best-selling items on the Etsy website using their in-house advertising system. Advertisements take up the top row of results, appearing before natural search results.
Etsy ads allow you to select a target country, choose specific products to promote, and limit advertising expenditures with a daily budget. Advertisers only have to fork up cash when a potential customer really makes use of their ad, according to the CPC model.
Spending money on cost-per-click (CPC) advertisements on Etsy is the quickest way to increase product views, leads, and sales, as well as to begin raising your listing’s quality score and, ultimately, your earnings. You can boost your earnings by turning off your ad campaigns once your product has been established in the organic search results.
Etsy’s Off-site Marketing
To attract more customers to the website, Etsy also runs its own advertising promotions outside of the Etsy marketplace. Whether or whether they choose your stuff is completely out of your hands. Therefore, any additional attention that our method may generate is welcome. Putting up an ad on Etsy doesn’t cost anything, but if it leads to a sale, Etsy will take a cut.
All new shops on Etsy automatically have their off-site advertising enabled. In order to withdraw from the program, you must have sold at least $10,000 worth of products during the previous 12 months.
Ready to Start Selling on Etsy?
Etsy is unique from other online marketplaces, so you can’t simply apply techniques and ideas that have proven successful elsewhere. Since Etsy shoppers tend to be picky, it pays to develop a keen appreciation for aesthetics. At PIRS Capital, we welcome both newcomers and seasoned sellers who are ready to push their businesses to the next level of growth and provide them with the capital assistance they need. If you have an eye to sell on Etsy, we have the seed money and guidance for you!
I work with companies that sell products on platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, Ebay, Etsy, etc. I understand that every business is unique and thats why I form genuine relationships with owners so I can help them reach their goals and find success through our working capital solutions.
