What a year 2020 has been – just as I was entering my best year on Etsy, the pandemic hit. Surprisingly, my sales have stayed strong and I’ve even been able to offload some items that have been sitting in my office for awhile. I thought I’d round up what I look for when I go thrifting – things that always sell for me.
My #1 go to on the thrift list is Brass.
Brass items never sit in my house for very long, and bonus points if it’s bar cart related. If you find some brass and it’s looking dull (although some people are looking for patina!) you can clean it up with Brass Polish.
#2 is Wicker/Rattan/Woven household items.
I usually do a sweep through the basket aisle, and have found a few gems on occasion like this wicker cat carrier and mini wicker peacock chairs which are great for plant stands. Placemats also sell really well.
#3: Wood Accents
Coming in at #3 (these are actually in no particular order) is Wood Accents. Any wooden items with clean lines, I usually scoop up. Acacia in particular does well.
#4: Retro Kitchen
The next things I look for while I’m out shopping are anything for a retro kitchen. (And house, but I mostly find kitchen items) This includes:
– retro barware and anything bar cart related;
– atomic-style appliances (be sure to check that they work);
– Pyrex (Pyrex Brand has always sold best for me, but I do pick up cute Anchor Hocking and Glasbake bakeware if the pattern is cute);
– and anything all around funky colored or kitsch.
#5: Celestial
This next category is harder to find, but I usually can’t keep these things on the shelf, they go so quickly. I’ve called it “celestial” but it can be anything astrology/celestial/tarot/magic related. Zodiac and astrology stuff sells like hotcakes, and I also stage other items (like these silver dishes) to be used as incense burners on an altar.
#6: Cats!
The last hot trend I seem to be selling a lot of lately is CATS! Anything cat related will do. I’ve sold some kitsch cat throw blankets, mid-century cocktail glasses, a vintage cat necktie, and a few cat figurines. Cat people, am I right? All joking aside, some of these also fall into the other categories, like the cat tarot, the halloween blanket (witchy), MCM cat cocktail glasses, and the wicker cat carrier (above).
Other “rare” items I look for:
1. Ginger Jars – Ginger Jars are a classic design item and very trendy right now. They are so hard to find in good condition!
2. “Mismatched” Sets – I always have a stock of assorted brass candlesticks, glass candlesticks, vintage bottles/jars, and blue and white plates. I pick these up individually as I see them and list them when I have a large enough set.
3. Generic Trophies – people buy these for crafts. I find that the more generic ones (like a cup) sell better than sports-specific, but I don’t have problems selling those either.
4. Blankets – I look for plaid wool blankets and anything that looks like a Pendleton style
5. ’90s Nostalgia – I have had good luck selling clear plastic phones, neon colored coolers, Friends memorabilia, and some 90s VHS tapes. Think Space Jam & Nickelodeon vibes. I’m still new to this trend, especially as ’90s itself being newly “vintage” now!
I hope this was helpful to any other Etsy sellers out there. If you like any of the items above, please check out my Etsy shop or click “Shop” in the main menu above! If you’re an Etsy Reseller, I’d love to hear what sells for you – leave in the comments below!