The 13 Best Things to Sell on Etsy

With the rise of Etsy as a marketplace, many people are turning their passions into profit. Whether you’re an avid crafter or like to dabble, there’s no reason not to capitalize on your skills and start selling products online! Here are the best things to sell on Etsy to create a new revenue stream. 

With all the competition out there, it can seem overwhelming to get started. But don’t worry! In this blog post, I’ll show you what items are best for selling on Etsy and allow you to make money from home while doing something fun and creative.

Why Sell on Etsy?

So, why should you consider selling things from home online, even if you have a full-time job already? And specifically, why sell on Etsy?

I’ve written a lot of articles on the importance of having a side hustle. Whether it’s to accelerate debt repayment, build your emergency or sinking funds, or a way out of your current job, it’s essential to have more than one stream of income.

Etsy is a global online marketplace that focuses on unique handmade products. It’s is geared to small businesses and side hustlers who want to make extra income. It allows them to reach buyers on a larger scale without the hassle of running an eCommerce website.

It’s a great way to create a passive income stream that helps you build your earnings and a cushion if your full-time job falls through. Etsy sellers can quickly sell unique, creative, and handmade items. There’s no commitment to join, and you can stop at any time. Having an Etsy shop is an easy way to manage your sales.

New sellers on Etsy have multiple advantages, including:

• It takes minutes to set up your online store, and it’s effortless to manage your own Etsy shop
• You can sell just about anything you can think of
• There’s no commitment
• Etsy handles all of the taxes, so there’s no worry about figuring out sales tax
• It’s doesn’t take much money to get started, and there’s lower risk (small Etsy listing fee/transaction fee)
• No need to hire employees to run your business
• You’ll have higher profit margins
• No need to build or keep up your own website
• Anyone can do it!

How to see what sells on Etsy

If you’re looking to make money with things to sell on Etsy, you’ll need to know what’s profitable. Not everything will be a hot seller when it comes down to it, so it’s essential to figure out what products are likely to sell and are worth your time to create.

There are several sites you browse to find stats on what potential customers are looking for and buying. Here are the top places to figure out what categories and products are popular on Etsy:

Etsy.com

To start, go to Etsy.com and check out their ‘Popular Right Now’ and ‘Editors’ Picks’ sections. These sections will give you a good idea of what people are buying from their search results. You can also make a list of things you either want to sell or know how to make. Keep track of the things you’d like to try because you may already have a leg up on your competition!

Don’t forget to try digging through Etsy and reviewing your competitors by shop name. Find similar stores with a large number of sales and reviews, and take a look at their product lineup.

eRank.com

Another great site to browse is eRank.com. This site provides a lot of information about the things people are searching for and buying on Etsy, including things you might not have thought of yet! Notice what popular items are in your local area, or try popular things elsewhere in the world.

On eRank.com, I can see trending keywords and which shops had the most sales for the previous day. I can then look them up in Etsy and see which unique products they’re selling compared to trending keywords.

eRank.com also allows you to compare your shop and sales to those of your competition to see where you can improve. You can also work on your SEO for your product listings. Not only is eRank great for researching new products, but it’s also handy in helping your current products rank better.

Pinterest

Pinterest is another excellent resource for things to sell on Etsy. Search ‘Etsy’ and look at what pins do best. When creating your product line, you might be surprised at what tends to sell more than others on this platform and can use that data later down the road.

Sales Samurai

Another site you may want to use is Sale Samurai. This site provides a lot of data on things people are buying, what they’re searching for but can’t find, and the most popular products with specific demographics.

With Sale Samurai, you can learn from Etsy’s top sellers. Monitor their listings to see the best price points, views per product, and more. Plus, you can use this site to help you with SEO, create long-tail keywords for your listings, and find high-volume keywords.

Sale Samurai runs about $9 a month, but the data you’ll gain is invaluable to your success.

Your Etsy Dashboard

Last, look at your Etsy dashboard if you already have a shop established. See what items are selling the most, as well as which products are being favorited the most.

Once you’ve got a feel for what’s trending, look for gaps in the market that you could fill with things to sell on Etsy. There might be something popular that nobody is making as a handmade product, or perhaps there’s not enough variety in price points for Etsy shoppers looking for cheaper things to buy.

Next, research potential Etsy categories by entering keywords into the search bar and noting things that come up.

Things to Sell on Etsy to Make Money

Etsy has grown exponentially over the years- It’s a great place for handmade products and things that are unique or vintage that people can’t find elsewhere.

Now that you know where you can do more thorough research for your specific niche, here are some ideas for the best-selling categories and the best-selling items on Etsy.

Best Selling Categories on Etsy

1. Crafts and Supplies

One of the best-selling categories on Etsy is craft supplies for other crafters. It’s a broad category, but there’s tons of room to make sales.

Items like knitting yarn or embroidery thread make great options for Etsy sales because not everyone wants to spend a fortune at their local craft store. Craft supplies also tend to garner repeat customers and can turn into an excellent source of revenue.

2. Jewelry and Accessories

Jewelry is another big seller on Etsy and makes a great gift idea. So much of it is so unique, and it’s impossible to find elsewhere. There are tons of opportunties in this category, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, phone cases, and much more! One of my favorite things to buy on Etsy is necklaces with charms or for different occasions. Handmade jewelry is trendy and sells very well for just about any event.

3. Clothing & Shoes

People don’t think about clothing items when they think of things to sell on Etsy, but many great options exist. Some great ideas include scarves, watches, and hats, just to name a few. Trends come in waves, though, so keep an eye out for what’s popular at the moment.

4. Bags & Purses

Besides things like shoes and belts, items to sell on Etsy in the bag and purse category are another hot seller. From makeup bags to clutches to laptop bags, this category can be a great way to make a lot of money. Buyers need more than just one purse or bag, and being able to buy matching items for various uses is a win-win for them and you!

5. Toys & Games

If you’re looking for something fun and creatively challenging, toys and hobbies are another category that may not seem obvious but have a huge potential when you start doing some research. Sales in this category can entail so much, from plush toys to kids’ party favors to activities like cards or other games.

6. Wedding Supplies

Etsy’s wedding section is enormous and includes anything you can imagine needing for your big day. Some ideas include accessories for the bridal party, veils, jewelry, guest books, and even wedding dresses! The best part about selling wedding supplies on Etsy, like wedding ring alternatives, is that buyers are looking for unique options that they can’t find at the local craft store. The more novel the possibilities are, the more likely they’ll sell. 

7. Art & Collectibles

Etsy buyers are looking for vintage items or collectibles in wall decor, sculptures, artwork, and even toys. You can find things like original paintings, prints, and photos, as well as things like Disney VHS tapes and other collectibles to resell on Etsy.

8. Home Decor & Living

The home decor category on Etsy is vast because it includes anything you can use to decorate a home, apartment, or office. Your products to sell can consist of pillows, candles, doormats, wallpaper, kids’ decor, and even handmade furniture or other woodworking projects.

9. Bath & Beauty

Etsy’s Bath & Beauty section includes face masks, scented shower gels, bath bombs, and even personalized bubble baths. Most people want things that help them provide self-care or can make their day-to-day life better. This category has a high earning potential since we all love to indulge in and unwind with some self-care.

10. Vintage Items

Surprisingly, many buyers turn to Etsy to find vintage items like clothing, jewelry, shoes, and artwork. If you have older (possibly collectible) items in good condition, chances are you can find a buyer. The biggest vintage sellers are items that can be sprinkled throughout the home, like serving trays, vases, and even vintage books.

11. Handmade Items

One of the most popular categories that we automatically think of for Etsy is handmade items. People love buying anything handmade because they’re high quality and unique. From clothes to bath care to jewelry, handmade items will always sell better on Etsy than mass-produced products.

12. Papercrafts

Not sure what papercrafts are? It’s anything paper-based, like notebooks, cards, personalized invitations, or even wall hangings. You can build a business just by selling custom thank you cards, save the date cards, or wedding favors!

Best Selling Items on Etsy

Knowing which categories sell the most is great, but let’s talk about specific things to sell on Etsy to make money. Categories are really broad and can cover a ton of products.

Using sites like eRank and Sale Samurai, here’s the list of what sells for a lot of money on Etsy:

1. Handmade and personalized jewelry
2. Printables & digital art
3. Stickers
4. Notebook and journals
5. Party decorations
6. Wedding Invitations / décor
7. Personalized or handmade cards
8. Homemade bath and beauty products (even better if it’s organic!)
9. Craft Kits
10. Printable Planners
11. Self Care packages
12. Vintage Items
13. Anything handmade!

1. Handmade or personalized jewelry

One of the most popular things to sell on Etsy in almost every category is jewelry – which isn’t all that surprising when you think about it! People have been making their jewelry items for centuries now, so it’s definitely an age-old trend. To make products in this category, though, you’ll need some special equipment such as wire cutters and wire strippers. Any jewelry that’s handmade, unique, or even personalized is a big seller on Etsy.

2. Printables and digital art

People love graphic designs that they can print for decor or crafting. If you love graphic design and creating printables or digital art, you can sell printable party decorations, printable invitations, and even digital downloads.

By offering digital artwork, you can avoid printing, framing, or shipping your product, making your successful Etsy shop much more passive. I personally have a small shop where I create SVG files for use with a Cricut or Silhouette crafting machine. I love that I make the product once, get it listed, and essentially never have to work on it again!

3. Stickers

People love and use stickers for everything from scrapbooking projects to planning calendars. If you think about it, stickers are the perfect addition to art projects, wall decor, notebooks, and more, making them a very versatile product.

Stickers are by far the most high-performing products being sold on Etsy in 2023. They’re easy to create and have a low shipping cost, making them a great product to create and sell.

4. Notebooks and Journals

Notebooks and journals sell well on Etsy for a variety of reasons. They can be as simple or complex as you’d like them to be, and they’re a good product if you also sell things like stickers and printables!

5. Party decorations

Another vast category that’s super popular is parties decor. Whether it’s things related to birthdays, weddings, baby showers, or holidays – beautiful, fun, and playful decorations that make your party unique are going to fly off the shelves!

Party decor consists of items like banners, balloons, cupcake toppers, table runners, and so much more. You might also want to consider things like personalized photo props which are popular right now.

6. Wedding Invitations / décor

Customized wedding invitations are the main products that sell well, but things like guest books and wedding decor items also do very well. Custom-made products have the bonus of being unique too, which is always a plus when shopping for products on Etsy.

7. Personalized or handmade cards

Birthday cards aren’t the only thing people need – we also send cards for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, as well as sympathy cards, graduation announcements, and more! All of these types of things make excellent options to sell on Etsy.

8. Homemade bath and beauty products

Bath bombs, things like soap, and candles are all trendy things to sell on Etsy. They’ve been booming so much that many people have built entire businesses around things like these. Organic offerings in the homemade bath and beauty products area are selling well. They can be the best way to niche down in this category.

9. Craft Kits

If you want something high-performing without having to do any work yourself, think about offering craft kits. You can include pre-selected things or let your customers pick their own items depending on the best option for your store.

People love being able to purchase a product ready-made so they can have it made quickly and easily at home. If you specialize in a particular craft project, getting it packaged as a kit could be a great thing to sell on Etsy.

10. Printable planning products

There are a ton of things you can do with printable planner sets to sell on Etsy. Things like monthly planners, weekly meal planners, goal setting sheets, and even simple items like schedules are all great products to sell. You’ll have to design them yourself (or hire a designer), but if you’re willing to put in the work upfront, they can be a significant source of passive income for your shop.

11. Self-care packages

People love things that help them relax – from something that smells nice to things that just make you feel better about yourself. Many people turn to homemade stuff like bath bombs or salt scrubs because they’re natural and better for you. The highest selling self-care packages include homemade beauty products you can make yourself. 

12. Vintage Items

People love vintage things, and you can find gems like old board games, action figures, clothing, and jewelry for sale all over Etsy.

If you’re great at sniffing out vintage items at flea markets, antique stores, or yard sales and love flipping them for more than you paid, reselling them on Etsy can be a very fruitful business.

Assuming they’re in good condition, just about anything with an old or vintage feel will sell well.

13. Anything handmade!

If you have the skills, handmade things are one of the best sellers on Etsy. Handmade items can include custom furniture, knitted scarves, painted birdhouses – anything you like to create from scratch!

Once again, it’s all about being unique and finding that sweet spot where you’ll stand out and hit what’s trendy.

Can you make a living off Etsy?

Yes, you definitely can! It’s all about creating products that people want, are trendy and unique, and something you know how to do well.

If you put some time into it, there are things listed here for every niche – your products don’t have to be a huge source of income or your entire business. Many shops list things like personalized photo props just as a small side gig while busy with other things.

Realistically, focusing on one or two things from this list is probably more obtainable than getting into each category. The main thing is identifying what things will bring success in sales, so you can build a foundation from which to grow your shop.

Lastly, there’s tons of room for creativity with your Etsy products – just think about something unique or trendy that you could create! The possibilities are endless at this point because people like buying things they can’t find anywhere else. If you’re getting stressed out thinking about what products to make, remember you also don’t need to be 100% sure about everything when you open up shop. You can always start small and build your inventory to sell on Etsy later as you progress. It’s all about testing things so you can learn what works and what doesn’t.

I Do you sell items on Facebook or Craiglist with porch pick ups, and want to try eBay? Learn how to make money on eBay with this guide. Or, learn more about Poshmark vs. ThredUp, and which is best to resell on.