8 Etsy Purchases We Love That Might Surprise You
Have you visited Etsy lately? They sell a lot more than vintage and craft sale fare, and the breadth of their marketplace might surprise you. Etsy is one of my favorite Amazon alternatives. Read on for 8 Etsy purchases we love that aren’t exactly what you might expect from the independent artisan platform.
This post contains affiliate links.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been turning to Etsy for all sorts of things. Years ago, they had mostly jewelry, homemade craft goods, and vintage apparel. But in recent years, they’ve brought a lot more items onto their marketplace and offer a direct connection to vendors with much better customer service than their gargantuan megoploy marketplace competitor, Amazon.
With all my purchases, I’ve had great luck with the quality of everything I purchased. Always on the hunt for easy alternatives to Amazon, I think Etsy is a great go-to you can add to your repertoire of marketplaces to check before handing your dollars over to the e-commerce Goliath.
I checked back through my purchases since I created my Etsy account 13 years ago. My early purchases consisted of jewelry and craft supplies, but lately, the selection is much more diverse. Here are 8 recent Etsy purchases we love that might surprise you.
8 Etsy Purchases We Love That Might Surprise You
Monitor adaptor
My husband wants to switch up his home office so his monitor is adjustable. The generic monitor arm he purchased requires an adaptor to connect to his monitor. He found it on Etsy and it has lots of great reviews.
Remarkable2 Template
Last year, I got a Remarkable2 which I use to keep all my life in order. I found great planner templates on Etsy that include daily, weekly, and meal planning templates (and so much more) that have seriously upped my Remarkable game.
For just under $10, they include all the features I need and lots of add-on planning features beyond what I would use (but I assume would be helpful to others). I used their daily planner in 2023 and purchased the weekly planner with various add-ons for 2024.
Remarkable2 Felt Case
I initially used a case directly from the brand for my Remarkable tablet, but I didn’t love that it had no spot to store the marker. The marker connects the tablet magnetically, but it often fell off when taking the tablet out of my bag. After losing the rather expensive marker, a new case was in order.
I found a simple felt case on Etsy. I can slide the tablet with the pen magnetically attached inside the case, and I haven’t had any issues losing the pen since then.
Peel and stick wallpaper
We virtually ignored our front entryway for 6 years. About a year ago, I finally hung a circular mirror I picked up on Facebook Marketplace. In November, I added two thrifted canvases from Goodwill, but the space still needed some extra touches.
I found peel-and-stick wallpaper from a vendor on Etsy, and it is amazing. With a high-end texture, it came in fully compostable packaging, was easy to install, came with all the necessary tools, and I was even able to salvage the wallpaper after applying the last piece crookedly.
The space doesn’t quite feel finished but it’s getting there! And the wallpaper was a great touch.
Knife holder
Not keen on how much space a knife block consumed on our counter, I sought out a magnetic knife rack to put on the wall. I found a gorgeous, handmade wooden knife rack that is so much better than the knife block.
Merino wool base layer
I knew I could buy vintage apparel on Etsy, but I wasn’t aware of the more basic clothing options. I purchased a soft, comfortable Merino wool base layer for a ski trip, and I regularly wear it to the boys’ hockey games. They sell it in a ton of colors if you’re looking for something specific.
Hair towel
After nearly a decade of using the same hair towel after getting out of the shower, it was time for a replacement. I found a great hair towel on Etsy that’s soft and has stood the test of time through many uses and washes.
House numbers
When I finally decided to add house numbers to our front porch so people could identify our residence, I loved that Etsy offered many vendors that could customize our numbers from a variety of fonts and sizes.
For this particular purchase, I corresponded with the vendor several times to clarify questions about the product. That connection was super helpful in ensuring I got exactly what I wanted and something that would work with our siding.
Etsy as an Amazon alternative
If you’re looking for alternative places to find the things you need and want, Etsy is a great option. The marketplace is much broader than you might expect, and we’ve had great luck with customer service.
There’s good reason to seek out alternative retailers beyond Amazon. Amazon has accumulated too much power, and having reputable and strong competitors (like Etsy) helps keep markets vibrant, innovative, and fair for consumers.
Etsy is more gender-neutral than it used to be
When it first started, Etsy had a pretty feminine vibe. They sold mostly jewelry, craft items, and vintage apparel collections. But as it’s grown, this election expanded significantly and has something for just about everyone.
Etsy has direct connections with vendors
I love, love, love that Etsy has integrated communication with vendors on the platform. I’ve connected with vendors about customization, shipping timelines, and various product features to ensure I buy the right thing the first time and I’m going to love it.
This is a benefit over many other online marketplaces, especially Amazon, which increasingly feels like a messy deluge of crummy products clogging up search results with less-than-stellar product information.
Etsy has slower shipping
It’s worth noting that Etsy doesn’t often have infamous two-day shipping. Their vendors typically ship products directly, so they aren’t sitting in warehouses around the country waiting to be whisked off to buyers at a moment’s notice.
However, I think it’s worth reflecting on how often we need two-day shipping. In many cases, two-day shipping is a crutch because we don’t plan. More often, it’s simply a shortcut to instant gratification and pleasing our internal impulsive shopper. There’s a time and a place for two-day shipping but don’t let it be the be-all, end-all to drive you away from supporting smaller brands and businesses.
Are you a fan of Etsy as an Amazon alternative? What other tips can you share for finding just what you need on this worthy Amazon competitor?
If you like this post, you might also like
Easy Sustainable Grocery Delivery Tips That Work For Us
15 Great Family Board Games + Card Games We Love
25 Tips on Flipping Furniture for Beginners
Jen Panaro
Jen Panaro, founder and editor-in-chief of Honestly Modern, is a self-proclaimed composting nerd and advocate for sustainable living for modern families. To find her latest work, subscribe to her newsletter, Stepping Stones.
In her spare time, she’s a serial library book borrower, a messy gardener, and a mom of two boys who spends a lot of time in hockey rinks and on baseball fields.
You can find more of her work at Raising Global Kidizens, an online space to help parents and caregivers raise the next generation of responsible global citizens.
