What sells on Etsy?

[NelliesCupboard]

Here is something I've been thinking about. What kind of books sell best on Etsy? I know what sells on Amazon or Abe or to book collectors. But Etsy is different. In my shop I find people buy books for emotional and nostalgic reasons. The same with postcards, the ones that are a dime a dozen to PC collectors get bought. But the real "collector's items" are ignored.
So how to decide which (of my 1012 possibilities) book or bit of ephemera to list next. OK - right now Christmas stuff, but what about books that people give as gifts? Poetry? Big art books? Antique favorites or hypermodern sci fi first editions? (I wish!)
What sells for you?

[NoelsVintageBooks]

I agree that the vintage shoppers on etsy are emotionally driven.
Items that are tied to memories or that have a personal connection to us...

[Former_Member]

I love the question Sheryl

the bulk of my book sales are poetry
and just as you mentioned the antique books - etc are ignored
I have never sold any of my art books, doll books, stuff I thought would be so easy to move -NOT
and since I also sell vintage china, etc. - well ugly sells

[NelliesCupboard]

I thought the art books would sell better too, although there is one that i've sold twice (looking for another copy.) I used to list china but it did't sell guess it wasn't ugly enough!

[HappyNestDecor]

I had a ton of knitting and craft books that I thought would go fast, but they sat with little to no views so I got rid of them. Shakespeare always sells for me...the really old ones, even if badly worn. People are always searching for older military books. I seem to be able to move mid century and older cookbooks pretty quickly too.

[NoelsVintageBooks]

Why am I not surprised that Shakespeare sells well?!

I've had good luck with cookbooks also ...

[NelliesCupboard]

I must be listing the wrong cookbooks. I have sold a couple though.

[DustyDiggerLise]

I have done okay with cookbooks (especially regional or ethnic); Peanuts books; Little Golden Books; and very old romance novels that have beautiful covers.

I seem to have the best luck with odd titles. For instance, a how-to manual on fixing a locomotive when you're stuck out on the tracks; a Pope comic book; a civil defense manual from the 1950's; and a British sex manual. Those all sold relatively fast.

Like others have said, I've had craft books that I thought would sell just sit here.

[NoelsVintageBooks]

Little Golden Books are very popular among collectors!

I'll admit, I'm drawn to the beautiful covers of old romance novels and the really old Art Nuevo style covers.

I'll bet the locomotive one was a great gift idea! The Railroad guys are crazy about anything train related.

[SilverMoonBookShop]

vintage Roald Dahl and the old teaching to read books like Janet and John seem to be doing well so far...

[NelliesCupboard]

I have the best luck with my punk stuff. But I dole it out sparingly hoping to entice the punks in and look at other stuff

[NoelsVintageBooks]

LOL @ enticing punks to look at other things! That made me laugh ... truly laugh out loud! Hobbes the cat is looking at me with a funny look, like "what's up lady?"