6 Thriving Etsy Shops That Are Less Than One Year Old

Etsy has served as a global marketplace for creative sellers and buyers since 2005. Since then, billions of dollars of transactions have taken place on the platform. In 2014, Etsy surpassed a major milestone breaking the $1 billion dollar mark for annual “gross merchandise sales” (GMS). By 2019, the annual GMS crossed the $4 billion dollar threshold. 

But as many of you know, just because the platform is huge doesn’t mean that you’ll generate an income right away (or ever) by selling your products there. There are tons of factors that impact your success on Etsy and there’s no set timeframe for when you launch your shop to when you’ll make that first sale. Many sellers experiment with everything from learning SEO to creating an inviting storefront for months before they get a sale. 

So does that mean that the only successful Etsy shops are the ones that have been around for years? Not at all. There are stores that haven’t even celebrated their one-year Etsy anniversary yet that are great shops with a steady income stream. Anything is possible, and that’s why we want to share theses beautiful shops with you. We hope they inspire you to keep going, even if you’ve been trying for a while to establish yourself on Etsy.

Here’s 6 new Etsy shops to admire:

Shop Name: Mia’s Co Candle

Paul Mendez, Mia Wang, and Willem Huang are the creative trio behind Mia’s Co. They have accumulated 802 sales since opening their Etsy shop earlier this year. 

What we love: 

• Product names. What’s in a name? When it comes to selling scented products online, everything. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to purchase a candle when they have names like “Forever Yours”. Mia’s Co does a beautiful job with names like “Ocean’s Rose”. Your brain can associate memories and paint a more accurate picture of the scent.
• Style. Clean, minimalist layout, product imagery, and packaging is a breath of fresh air.
• Giving back. Mia’s Co donates a percentage of sales to the Pasadena Humane Society and ASPCA. Consumers love supporting small businesses that give back because it makes them feel good.

Shop Name: Lovely Wool Toys

Katarina Lysenko is the artist behind this eco-friendly toy store offering felt and wool miniatures. Katarina opened her Etsy shop last year and has 67 sales.

What we love: 

• Style. The layout and cheerfully bright photos make you want to be here.
• Photography. It poses a challenge to show all the details that go into creating these incredible pieces of miniature art. The product photos do a great job focusing on the details. A collaged cover photo isn’t usually recommended because it’s too busy, distracting from the product listings. But here it works well, showcasing the creator’s talent and personality.

Shop Name: World of Memories

Dima and Dima are the creators behind World of Memories. They construct one-of-a-kind boxes meant to hold your most treasured memories and keepsakes. Dima and Dima live and work in Kyiv, Ukraine. The duo began their Etsy shop in early 2020 and have 322 sales. 

What we love: 

• Customer reviews. Customer reviews are quite telling, and World of Memories have quite a few reviews to peruse. One thing is for sure, Dima and Dima care about their customers. They have built quite a loyal following of repeat buyers in only a matter of months. That’s an impressive feat!
• Personalized product line. Everything they have to offer is personalized and meaningful to the recipients.

Shop Name: WhiskeyExpressions

Kirstin and Balazs Moldovan opened their Etsy shop, WhiskeyExpressions in 2019. And they just hit 334 sales. They offer a unique selection of furniture and home accessories crafted from aged whiskey barrels. 

What we love: 

• Organization. One common problem with Etsy shops that offer a diverse product selection is clutter and disorganization. There ends up being a dozen categories and a dozen or more subcategories. WhiskeyExpressions has an organized storefront that’s easy to navigate.
• Photography. The product images could almost stand on their own as works of still art. The photos are captivating and cohesive with the brand’s late 19^th century “old world” style and tone.

Shop Name: TheabowtiqueAU

TheabowtiqueAU, based in Australia, was created by a mom who wanted to make beautiful, soft hair accessories that stayed in her baby girl’s hair. The Etsy shop opened in 2019 and is closing in on an impressive 760 sales with an average five-star rating.

What we love:

• Style. When you are in one of Etsy’s most popular categories, hair accessories, how do you differentiate yourself from the competition? This shop nails it with soft, muted tones, coupled with unexpected pops of interesting textures.
• Customer reviews. Plenty of repeat buyers are raving about the quality of the bows, customer service, and even the elegant packaging.

Shop Name: SambbohoUS

Caroline and Antonin opened their Etsy shop in 2019. They offer a wide selection of handcrafted leather dog collars, hatbands, and watchbands. They have 553 sales. 

What we love: 

• Giving back. In addition to giving a percentage of profits to no-kill animal shelters, they provide opportunities for artisan women in their home country of Brazil to sell their goods which allows them to support their families.
• Photography. The natural light captures the intricate and vibrant bead patterns of their products. Using the outdoors as a backdrop for product pictures is perfect and consistent with the brand’s image.

So, addressing the common question, “Is it possible to generate a decent income your first year on Etsy?” We can answer with a resounding “Yes!”

Whether you have been with Etsy for 10-years or six months, there is nothing more important right now for your business than providing people with a positive, human experience. 

Think about Etsy’s mission statement “Keep Commerce Human.” People are craving human connection. Whatever you can do to cultivate relationships with people, do it.