Do you want to know what the most popular things to make and sell online are? If you are a crafty person who wants to start making money selling their handmade items online check out these ideas and tips to find out what the most popular things to make and sell online are that will make you money.
Silver Wire Wrap Earrings
Popular Things to Make and Sell Online
Hey Gnomies,
One of the most common questions I get asked about selling crafts online is people wondering what the most popular things to make and sell online are that will make the most money?
The short answer is this:
It’s complicated.
Here's the long answer:
I am a firm believer that you can sell absolutely anything online as long as it’s marketed well to a correctly-targeted audience.
I know this because I see people selling used toilets on Craigslist all the time and people actually buy them. (I may or may not have been one of them. Shhhh don’t tell anyone!)
If someone is willing to buy a used toilet then you should easily be able to sell anything handmade, right?
If only it were that simple.
Check out this video I recently made where I re-cap what I wrote about in this article. I'm talking about the mistakes I made when I first started selling, the most popular things for sale on Etsy right now and why you should sell a variety of items at different price points.
Message in a Bottle Necklace $19.99
I've been selling my handmade jewelry and accessories in my shop Crafty Little Gnome since 2009.
I sell on a number of sites like Etsy, Amazon, Overstock, Modalyst and TopHatter but the one I have done the best on consistently is Etsy.
This is partially because I spend the most time working on my Etsy shop over the others and partially because I think that Etsy is more popular and well known with people looking for handmade gifts and unique items.
Blue Crystal Bullet Necklace
I recently discovered a website called Etsy Rank that has loads of a tools for Etsy sellers.
I searched for my shop on Etsy Rank and discovered my shop, Crafty Little Gnome is in the top 3% of sellers. Woo! But I also discovered that some of my listings need some serious help in order to get found better in the Etsy search engines. When you have hundreds of listings in your shop it's easy for some to fall through the cracks. The tools on Etsy Rank help make sure all of your listings are perfectly optimized.
Scarab Beetle Earrings
According to my online research the most popular categories and items for sale are:
The Most Popular Categories on Etsy
- Home and Living
- Jewelry
- Clothing
- Toys and Games
- Craft Supplies and Tools
- Kids and Baby
- Vintage
The Most Popular Items on Etsy
- Stickers
- Handmade Kids Clothing
- Homemade or specialized candies
- Party Decorations
- Vinyl and Heat Transfer Supplies
- Jewelry Making Supplies
- Home Decor Art and Collectibles
- Vintage Items
Join my new private Facebook Group Crafty Entrepreneurs and learn new tips and tricks for selling your handmade creations online. Collaborate and ask questions with others artists and makers.
You may be tempted to search Etsy for the most popular products and start making your own version of them.
This is a mistake I made when I first started. I checked out what jewelry was popular with other sellers and tried selling similar products in my shop. I didn't have many sales because, unfortunately there is so much more that goes into running an online business than simply making items and listing them.
The problem with making something that is popular or copying others is that not only is it rude (and possibly illegal) to copy someone else's work, but the more people making the same thing means more competition and possibly less sales for everyone.
On the other hand If you make something that not enough people want to buy, you won't make any sales. So what the heck should you make?
When you are deciding what to sell you should ask yourself the following questions:
Is there a need for this product?
People don’t buy things, they buy solutions to their problems. What problem does your product solve? In order for your product to sell well it has to fill a need.
Do I enjoy making it?
If the answer isn’t an enthusiastic yes then move along to a different idea. If you don’t love the process of creating what you sell it will be very difficult to motivate yourself when business is slow.
Learn how to make a memory wire bracelet here
You Should Have Products at Different Price Points for Sale
Things that are sold at a lower price point and that you can make multiples of easily are often the way to go.
You can sell one gorgeous oil painting for $500 or you can sell 30 prints of that painting for $50 each.
Most people aren’t looking to spend $500 on original art online. Big purchases like that are typically done in person. The truth is more people are comfortable purchasing a $50 print off the internet than a $500 painting.
Ditto with crochet and knit products.
You might sell a $200 crochet Afghan once a year but you can sell a $25 hat everyday.
I recommend stocking your shop with products at different price points. Someone who can't afford the $500 painting who loves your work will buy the $50 print and eventually someone who loves the $500 painting and can afford it will come along and snatch it up.
What do you think? What do you think some of popular items to make and sell online are and what have you had success with? Do you agree or disagree with me? Let me know what has worked for you in the comments!
