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Last week while I was doing some much needed deep cleaning of the house (boo), I made the most out of my time and caught up on the latest Etsy Success podcast episode where the lovely and super knowledgeable Dayna Isom Johnson talked about Etsy sales trends for 2021.

If you’re not paying close attention to Dayna’s trend reports each quarter, you may be missing out on some opportunities to boost your shop’s sales and exposure! Although I will admit, I’m not one to quickly jump on trends because I like what I like and I want to stay true to my brand, but there are always takeaways I can apply to my vintage shop, whether it’s utilizing popular keywords or sourcing more of a category that I already stock.

There were several key takeaways from the podcast that I believed were relevant to us vintage sellers so I jotted them down and of course added my own spin. The episode is only about 30 minutes long so take a listen for yourself after reading my enhanced cliff’s notes. Enjoy!

Overall, a lot of the same trends from last year are spilling over into 2021 because not much has changed with people spending way more time at home. I’m thinking that we’ll start to see a shift this spring and summer as more people are vaccinated and it becomes safer to start gathering with friends and family again.

Have you heard that sky blue is the Etsy color of the year? Be on the lookout for anything sky blue and list all those pretty blues you may already have in your stash! Add “sky blue” to those tags too!

Vintage Pearl Drop Earrings by RoundAppleVintage on Etsy

Above the keyboard fashion, coined “Zoom Leisure,” is still trending due to the new way of working, schooling and socializing via video conferences, which means that vintage accessories like statement jewelry - think earrings (especially hoops!), necklaces, broaches, collars, eyeglass chains and even 80s-90s puffy sleeves - continue to gain popularity. And don’t forget comfy cozy loungewear, that will never go out of style in my book!

1970s home decor is trending and room dividers were something Dayna called out in particular as people want to have pretty Zoom backdrops and create separation within a shared space. Not sure if you’d want to deal with shipping an enormous room divider but it may be something you can sell locally instead. I personally have been seeing 90s contemporary and grandmillennial decor dominate but Dayna specifically called out the 70s, so I’m not going to argue with the expert!

As always, pop culture continues to drive trends and Dayna mentioned two Netflix television series in particular, without actually saying the titles: The Queen’s Gambit (saw it, loved it) and steamy period drama, Bridgerton (in queue).

Vintage checkered mugs by ISpyVintageShop on Etsy

Queen’s Gambit has brought the checkerboard pattern into the spotlight and personally I’ve seen lots of vintage chess sets flying out of shops, especially those that are made of natural stone and can be enjoyed on a coffee table as decor year round. Dayna didn’t mention it but I would think that the decor in the main character’s home is also making an impact - mid-century meets grandmillennial = swoon!

Period drama Bridgerton is causing quite the stir in the clothing space on Etsy (I also think it’s impacting home decor too) - think vintage lingerie, lace gloves, corsets, anything you’d see someone wearing on the show. “Regency core”, “royal core”, and “cottage core” are some of the terms you can explore and use to describe this trend.

Home decor is still hugely popular on Etsy and I don’t see it ever NOT being popular! People are spending more time at home than ever before, and having a beautiful and functional living and working space has become so much more important.

Printable art (digital downloads) and fiber arts (think vintage needlepoints, crewels, etc.) are still hot and probably always will be, apparently granny chic is here to stay and make it 1970s! I rarely pass up a quality piece of fiber art. Bonus: they are easy to ship because NO glass! (usually)

What’s trending for kids? Anything outer space-related, so get out any vintage astronomy stuff ya got!

I could never do Dayna’s trend report justice but I wanted to call out areas that were relevant to the vintage seller community and get you thinking about how you can capitalize on it!

My final advice on trends!

Keep up with them regularly, pay attention to what other shops in your category are selling
Adjust your tags and titles seasonally and with the trends
- Reminder that a few major gifting and decorating holidays are coming up - Mother’s Day in the UK and US, and Easter. Get those listings ready a few months early and update your tag for existing listings!
Don’t jump on a trend if you don’t like it - it won’t feel good and your brand’s cohesiveness will suffer
Use the Etsy.com search bar to research tags and see which phrases auto populate. Use them in your tags, a customer is more likely to just click it than continue typing
And finally, don’t add keywords that aren’t relevant to your listing just to try to get the traffic. It’s a bad experience for shoppers and it’s not going to get you any sales because it’s not what the customer is looking for!

Any thoughts? What is trending in your shop this year so far? What are you predicting for the rest of the year? Comment below, email me, or find this related post on my Instagram and let’s discuss!

Listen to the February Etsy Success Podcast

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Want to talk trends in direct relation to your shop? Email me or DM me on Instagram and I’ll get you squared away with a live 1:1 coaching call!