Selling on Etsy is an incredible side hustle that even becomes a full time income for some sellers. If you want to take advantage of this e-commerce platform keep reading for ideas of things to sell on Etsy for extra money.
What Is Etsy?
Etsy is the top marketplace where people come together to make, sell, buy, and collect unique items.
It’s a gift giver’s dream and the most popular place to buy unique products in several categories like handmade items, printables, invitations and more.
Since it launched in 2005 Etsy has grown and over 4 million sellers use the marketplace to reach over 30 million customers.
Why Sell On Etsy?
With so many options for e-commerce sellers, what makes Etsy special?
Etsy is the go-to marketplace for unique items from custom to vintage to craft products. Unlike the mega-corporations Etsy is all about keeping the human touch in e-commerce.
It focuses on bringing together customers and sellers who want an alternative to the cold practicality of normal e-commerce experiences.
This means customers shopping on Etsy are looking for unique, personalized, custom items made by real people that are not mass products. The site draws customers who want a unique experience and product.
This unique situation means to succeed on Etsy you have to understand the customer experience along with the best things to sell on Etsy.
How To Find Products To Sell On Etsy
How do people find products to sell on Etsy? For many, they do Etsy keyword research!
Etsy SEO is the process of researching, selecting, and optimizing Etsy product listings based on keywords people use to search. This process also helps many sellers decide what they want to sell.
In the video above we walk through how to find things to sell on Etsy using a research tool called Sale Samurai.
With SaleSamurai you are able to discover new ideas, find keywords, and track your competition to see where you will rank for things you want to sell.
Sale Samurai's powerful AI driven keyword tools help you find and implement long tail keywords that bring in Etsy traffic and generate more sales.
For a 20% discount on Sale Samurai use my code penniesnotperfection.
It allows you to:
- Uncover keywords that shoppers are using to make their purchases so you select things that will actually sell
- Brainstorm your next product idea based on sales of related products and niches
- Learn the real search volume behind the keywords that are leading to sales of products
- Spy on your competition and learn what they are doing to make sales and which products are selling enough for you to sell as well
In this video about finding things to sell on Etsy we look at:
- how to brainstorm Etsy product ideas
- how to look up keywords for things to sell on Etsy
- ways to track your competition on Etsy
- how to generate ideas from the built in calendar
- how to determine the profit of your products
- ways to evaluate ROI on advertising on Etsy for your products
Understanding how to evaluate product ideas and select the right things to sell will help you succeed as a seller on Etsy.
Things To Sell On Etsy For Extra Money
If you want a list of things to sell on Etsy then look no further than this list of ideas!
- Jewelry (handmade, personalized, etc.)
- Jewelry supplies
- Craft supplies
- Stickers
- Printables
- Wedding items
- Wedding clothing & accessories
- Party decorations
- Party supplies
- Invitations
- Personalized gifts
- Handmade clothes
- Vintage clothes
- Vintage items & decor
- Notebooks and Journals
- Homemade bath products
- Handmade beauty products
- Zero-waste products
- Ready made craft kits
- Food & gift baskets
- Wall decals
- Plants
- Baby accessories
- Children’s toys
- Mugs
- Candles
- Digital art
- Art prints
- Pet treats
- Pet accessories
- Greeting cards
- Enamel pins
- Seasonal gifts
These are some of the popular things to sell on Etsy but there are hundreds of other categories and things you could sell successfully!
My Experience With Selling On Etsy
I’ve sold digital products on Etsy for several years and earned tens of thousands of dollars.
What began with one small printable that earned $25 in the first month eventually became a side hustle of $1,000+ per month. It has been an incredible side hustle to sell things on Etsy.
After selling on Etsy for a few years I’ve noticed a few keys to success:
- Selling items that are well priced in your niche compared to competitors
- Creating and selling items people are looking for based on keyword research
- Giving customers good customer experiences with your shop
- Cultivating great reviews from customers for your products
Using these guiding principles has helped me make thousands of sales on Etsy.
Pros & Cons Selling On Etsy
As with any e-commerce platform, there are pros and cons to selling products on Etsy.
You can sell all the details in the video above but there are many pros and cons to selling things on Etsy.
Some pros to selling on Etsy:
- traffic to your shop immediately from the marketplace
- easy to get started and open your shop quickly
- lots of built in tools and resources for sellers
Some cons to selling on Etsy:
- numerous fees from transaction fees, listing fees, etc.
- fees increase over time without your input or control
- no way to opt out of advertising if you sell $10,000 per year
Etsy has been a great platform to learn and grow on even as I eventually transferred over to primarily selling on Shopify.
More Etsy Tips & Tutorials
Here are a few useful Etsy tutorials on Pennies Not Perfection:
Etsy SEO
Etsy Sales Tips
- How To Get Sales On Etsy
- Making & Selling Printables on Etsy (Ultimate Guide)
- How To Make A Coupon Code On Etsy
- 5 Best Etsy Keyword Tools To Grow Sales
- How To Get Reviews On Etsy
- How To Run A Sale On Etsy
Check out more Etsy tutorials or request a new tutorial by reaching out on Instagram!
If you want to say thank you, you can Buy Me A Coffee.
Etsy Seller Resources
Here are some Etsy seller resources that can help you start, run, and grow your Etsy shop:
Get helpful tips on how to improve your Etsy listings and how your shop measures up to the competition.
Canva makes it easy to create professional designs quickly. They include tons of free templates, photos and fonts to make your design perfect.
Marmalead uses machine learning to help you get found on Etsy. Use it to research, analyze, and implement keywords in your Etsy listings.
Sale Samurai's powerful AI driven keyword tools help you find and implement long tail keywords that bring in Etsy traffic and generate more sales.
For a 20% discount on Sale Samurai use my code penniesnotperfection.
Grow, nurture, and monetize your audience on ConvertKit.
Learn how to make an extra $1,000 per month in passive income by selling digital downloads in Etsy.
Learn everything you need to know to create and sell printables online as a side hustle. Includes lessons, templates, and 24/7 support.
Want to start selling digital products but not sure what to sell?
Get inspired by this list of over 200 digital product ideas that you can sell online for passive income!
Overwhelmed by the numbers of your Etsy business? This Etsy sellers spreadsheet will simplify your finances once and for all.
Paper + Spark’s spreadsheets simplify the accounting for you so you can spend more time making, selling, and enjoying your business.
These spreadsheets are full of automatic formulas and come with step-by-step instructions. All you do is copy your Etsy CSV file and paste it into your spreadsheet. Result? Instantly know where you stand financially!
Not sure where to begin with selling printables on Etsy? Start with the best-sellers!
This FREE ebook gives you a secret list of best-selling products by month and teaches you how to capitalize on seasonal trends to make sales. It’s a game changer!
This free workshop from Gold City Ventures will help you learn how to get started selling printables on Etsy.
You'll learn:
- ideas for printable products
- how to setup your Etsy shop
- how to actually make sales
This is the perfect side hustle if you don’t have much time, experience, or money.
Creative Fabrica gives you access to 7 million+ fonts, graphics, and more for creating digital products.
Download the first 10 fonts & designs for free with my link!
How does it work?
- Sign up for FREE & download your 10 items
- After the 10th download or after 1 month, the subscription renews at $9/month
- Personal, Commercial and Full POD use of files included
Mary is the founder of Pennies Not Perfection where she shares her journey to build wealth through online income. She quit her day job in 2021 after she paid off her debt and doubled her 9-5 salary.
Mary's favorite free financial tool is Personal Capital. She uses their free tools to track net worth and work toward to financial freedom.
Her favorite investment platform is M1 Finance, where she built a custom portfolio for free with no fees. She shares her portfolio growth and savings progress every month on YouTube.