51 Etsy Shopping Tips
An accumulation of proclamations and well-sourced recommendations from the Strategist staff.
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For authentic,straight-from-Denmark Capranilampsthat are priced competitively, there’s no one better than Kasper ofVerbo Studio.
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Shipping is lightning fast from Denmark andfree, and the seller is so communicative and helpful.—Lauren Ro
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Yayi and Ponymakes blousylinen dressesin all sorts of colors, patterns, and cuts for much cheaper than what you’ll find atRennesin Philly. –L.R.
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If you want acustom linen dress, I’ve had one made byAnnythat was a beautiful dupe of a much pricierDaniela Gregisnumber. —L.R.
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Etsy is really, really good forpostmodern furniture, from German Hewidrawer pullsto Magistretti chairs.
In general, I’ve found searching by manufacturer rather than designer turns up more fun surprises — try Artemide, Cassina, and Kartell. Some great stores includeKooloo Modern,Midage Vintage,Retroxl, andWestEst Studio.Glas Atelier 69is especially good for lamps; tryFranzs Favoritesfor handles, drawer pulls, hooks, and other small home-décor items.—Erin Schwartz
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Big Stuffedmakes the absolute coolest, extremelyheirloom-qualitystuffed animals— mostly of sea life — but there are also some dinosaurs and wooly mammoths in the mix.
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My family has an“original” whaleand analbino belugain our home menagerie, and I can’t recommend them enough if you want to splurge on a gift for an extra-special kid or ocean obsessive of any age, as they would look just as handsome as a sculpturalthrow pillowon a well-appointedsofa.—Jen Trolio
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Vintage orange juice carafes(sometimes with matching glasses) were prominent for a couple of decades starting in the 1940s and can be used for a whole lot more than orange juice (iced coffee, water at adinner party, a vase for flowers).
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Most are made by Anchor Hocking and Libbey (the latter of which still puts out some ofour favorite glassware), so keep an eye out for those brand names and then just pick what you like best.—Emma Wartzman
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Batterby Househas a delightful edit ofvintagebarware, including threeCartier sterling silver vermouth drippersshaped like watering cans.
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One recently sold on 1stDibs for $320 more than what Batterby is asking.—Chelsea Peng
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If you’re planning on buying something,click the heart icon to add it to your favorites— some sellers will send a coupon, usually 5 to 10 percent off, to nudge you to buy.
Saving the item also means you’ll get notified if it goes on sale.—E.S.
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As a five-foot-one adult who mostly wants to buymenswear, I appreciate kids’ store\for its stock ofFrench nylon collared shirtsin austere printsin boys’ size 10–12. –E.S.
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Sometimes a store with1,000-plus items indicates poor curation or low quality— that the seller is listing everything they find rather than picking through for the real gems.
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That is not the case for Florida storeHooked on Honey, which has a vast selection ofsequined gowns,leather miniskirt sets,flame-print motorcycle jackets, andvintage Moschino. It’s where I’d shop if I were a pop star with theABBA tax loophole. Unfortunately, if you’re in a rush, it is all worth looking at.—E.S.
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I am kind of a sucker forcustom pet stuff— especially as an in-memoriam gift for anyone who is mourning the loss of a beloved animal.
Lady and the Leashmakes custom patches that you can iron or sew onto sweatshirts, bags, or whatever else you like (I got one for each of my two cats and stitched them onto Christmas stockings). I also adore the custom stained-glass portraits fromMind and Mineral, which once lovingly captured my sister’s dearly departed Saint Bernard, Charlie.—J.T.
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Forcatmoms and dads,Miss Maddy Makeshas an array of adorablehandmade costumes and toys.
My personal favorites are the peanut butter and jellycouples costumeand thechef hat. I’m sure these could fit some smallerdogs, too.—Brenley Goertzen
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[Editor’s note: The owner ofMiss Maddy Makesis currently taking a break, but they expect to reopen in June 2023.]
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Ifdog wigsare what you seek, you will find analarminglywidestockatElegantPet1. —E.S.
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If you’re looking for achild’s costume— and want to avoid a dreadeddouble-Spiderman situationin the classroom — parents recommend Etsy.
It’s home to themouseStrategist writer Lauren Ro put her littlest one in for his firstHalloween, and thesweetest strawberrythat the head of public relations atthe Sillapproves of.—Ambar Pardilla
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Etsy is especially great for scary, sexy,late-’90s and Y2K designer fashion—tiny low-rise Armani miniskirts, asymmetricalCop Copine mesh tops, andlow-rise cargo pants.
Check outDepot Sauvage,Fairly Naff,SC Vintage Store,Wonmore, andFad Archive.—E.S.
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In the ’90s, Nicole Millermadesilk goods in an insane variety of oddball novelty prints, all with black backgrounds.
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I own three of these shirts with chaotic prints of postage stamps, tennis gear, and Christmas brownstones. It’s my favorite lesser-known Etsy fashion niche, and one that’s fun to revisit when brainstorminggifts for friendswith particular interests. There’s one seller calledHooked on Honeythat typically has lots of options in stock.—Caroline Weaver
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A nice-looking summer mule that won’t make your feet sweaty arebaboucheslippers.
Bathen co-founder Hannah Zisman has a pair from a trip to Marrakech and also several from Etsy, which she says are just as lightweight and stylish.—Arielle Avila
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I recently discovered a shop in Lithuania calledSlipper Homethat specializes inhandmade slipperswith the option of custom embroidery.
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I had red-leather shearling-lined ones made for my family with a silly crest embroidered on them and was blown away by the quality. It’s the only option for customslippersI’ve found online that aren’t cheap hotel-style ones!—C.W.
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You’ve probably seen theMaison Margielaversion of these$96German army trainers.
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I just can’t pay for designersneakerswhen they so closely resemble the much cheaper original.—Chris Black
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I came acrossSASAKIYOHINTENsome years ago when I was searching for Frenchwork shirts and jackets.
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This Japanese seller reworks vintage European and Asian workwear usingboropatchwork andsashikoembroidery in a palette of mostly indigo and neutrals. It can be hard to find vintage workwear in petite sizes, but the patched and visibly mended jacket I bought from them is a perfect fit.—Winnie Yang
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The besthigh-cut,“hot female lifeguard” underwearis made byElsy Marie, an El Salvadoran woman living in Pennsylvania. —Molly Prentiss
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I stumbled uponEgretta Garzetta’s underwearin a forum (maybe a sub-reddit?) thread on the bestwomen’s underwearand have really been impressed by the fit, quality, and longevity of the briefs.
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They are handmade in Latvia from fabrics like GOTS-certified organic cotton and merino wool. —W.Y.
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Etsy is a great place to findvintage cast iron.
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You can restore a rustedskilletyourself with some time and elbow grease, but there are plenty of sellers who will do the hard work for you (and charge accordingly), using century-old cookware that is lighter and thinner and has a smoother cooking surface than what you find in new cast-iron pans. I got my beautifully restored Griswold skillet fromForgotten Foundries, butCast Iron Archaeologyis another highly rated and knowledgeable seller. Just be sure to check sizing info before buying, since old cast iron generally follows a numbering system.—W.Y.
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If you’re looking forfunky postmodernlampson the cheaper end, Ikea had a lot of great designer collabs in the ’80s and ’90s.
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Searching“Ikea lamp” and filtering for vintageis a good breadth-first search, and you can also narrow it to “Ikea Sottsass” for primary-colorMemphis desk lampsand sconces or “Ikea Kila” for a veryfun wheeled tripod lamp. There’s also theMammut lampfrom the ’90s kids’ collection, which you can usually find below $60.—E.S.
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Chinese/Englishbilingual baby booksare really hard to find.
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I’ve been eyeingthesefrom a Vancouver-based Etsy shop calledTiny Life Thingsto give to my cousins’ kids, who are learning English as a second language.—Kathy Li
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One of my go-to gifts for first birthdays is acustom name puzzlefor the newly minted1-year-old.
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I likethesefromLast Piece of the Puzzlethanks to their high-qualitywood constructionand wide variety of color schemes and add-on options like display stands and personalized engravings.—J.T.
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If you’re looking forbreak-it-yourself geodesin bulk quantities, look no further thanStore of Texas. —W.Y.
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Julie O’Rourke(@rudyjude) ofRudy Judeis a greatsource for Etsy sellers.
I recently learned through one of her Instagram stories ofEverwood Friends, maker of a wide range of wooden toys likegem blocksandanimal-themed blocks. —W.Y.
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Etsy happens to be one of the best places to get anew or gently usedfigure-skating dress, especially if you have little kids.
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If you buy new, most sellers will allow you to customize the fit and sleeve length, and you can add extra rhinestones for a fee.—K.L.
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This linen,wide-brimbaby sun hatfromBlue Corduroywill garner squeals from everyone who happens to see your child wearing it. —L.R.
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This is by no means universal, butif the listing has a white background or any markers of Photoshop, then there’s a higher likelihood that it’s being drop-shipped or is a commercial enterprise, not a small seller.
Listings with poorly lit, low-res snapshots with little to no editing — that’s where you’ll find the real hidden gems.—Kitty Guo
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I needed anon-terra-cottapotwith drainage for a picky carnivorous plant that I am working very hard not to kill.
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Sheer Potted Plantscame through with a modern glass option that includes a saucer and is a fantastic upgrade to plastic nursery pots.—J.T.
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Crocheting By Rosemakes customname doiliesthat will delight the grand-millennial décor fans in your life (especially if they’re sentimentalnewlyweds). —J.T.
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IfJetPensdoesn’t have it,The Stationery Manor, which specializes inAsian goods(Japanese products in particular), most likely will.
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I buy color-codedMidori tabsfor myTecho Cousinhere. —L.R.
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Monogram It Darlingis a good source forinexpensivevinyl decalsin good colors, many sizes, and a simple, pleasing font.
Jazz up rolling luggage, yourAirPods case, or any other smooth, nonporous surface with your name or initials.—J.T.
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My dad getspersonalized Christmasornamentsfor my kids each year.
These are some of his favorite makers:Simply Living Shop Inc.,Wallace Wood Ornaments, andDinosaurnaments.—L.R.
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Instead of gifting anotherdigital photo frame, consider acustom illustrated portrait.
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Author Minh Lê turned us on to these portraits painted by award-winning illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka when we spoke to him about the best gifts forgrandfathers.—A.A.
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For decently priced, early-20th-centuryantique oil paintings, my favorite isSharlene Lisanne. —L.R.
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Extremely niche, but you can getcustom pieces in Baybayin(a native Filipino script from before Spanish colonization) off of Etsy.
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I ordered a batch that said “Family” for my parents, uncles, aunts, andgrandparentsa couple years back fromthis sellerin the U.K. and it was a hit for Christmas.—A.A.
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Lovers of Alexander Calder’s mobile art (such as myself) can commission their very ownCalder-esque sculpturefrom avarietyofEtsyartistsfor 1/10,000th of the price tag. —Kitty G.
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If you’re planning ababy shower, Etsy has a plethora of adorablecustomizable invitation templates.
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They range from the generic to the very specific (like if your friend is wanting ahoneybee-themed shower).—A.A.
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Sian Zeng’smagnetic wallpaperis so sweet and perfect for anursery. —Kitty G.
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Home decorator Carrie Carrollo loves and uses this sturdy, easy-to-repositionremovable wallpaperfromCuckoo Walls. —Stacey Woods
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As Nu Swim founder Gina Espositotold me last year,vintagesheetslook good on the bed but are even better to take to thebeachand use as apicnicbase.
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I like kitschy ’70s Wamsutta designs or anything old Marimekko. The Wamsutta “tomorrow’s rainbow” pattern is always a hit, if you can find it in reasonable condition at a good price — it was featured onStranger Things. —Katherine Gillepsie
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One time I was chatting with a friend who mentioned that she’d bought acoolsweaterfor cheapfrom an Etsy vintage store, but she had to wait a bit because it was shipping from Canada. I immediately was like “Is itPolo Mocha?!” — and it was! —Kitty G.
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If you’re a French Revolution nut,Histoire Retrouveemakesreplicas ofMarie Antoinette’s rings— along with other reproductions, including thistrimfor a 19th-century naval officer moment. —A.P
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I bought an ultrathinsilver stackingringfromHannah Naomiin 2013.
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It has lived on my left-hand middle finger for close to a decade now, as bright and shiny as the day I bought it. —Kitty G.
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I love thesechunky headbandsfrom Charleston-basedBelinda Avantthat come in a bunch of colors and widths. —L.R.
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If you want to go theKate Middleton–inspired fascinatorroute,Design by Hummingbirdmakes some pretty great embellished options. —L.R.
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I am continually surprised that during our currenttinned-fishboom, no one has started selling a contemporary spin on theVictorian sardine lifter.
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These wide, multipronged forks are just perfect for lifting long and flaky little fish from the tin without it falling apart. In the meantime, there areloads of vintage sardine forks and lifters on Etsy. My favorites are the mid-century German kind with actual fish-shaped handles (here’s mine, currently sold out).—Katherine G.
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