Finding Fun and Unusual Etsy Niches to Stand Out on This Marketplace

Have you ever looked at Etsy and felt like everyone was selling the same old things?

T-shirts for moms, teachers, and dog lovers are everywhere!

Wouldn’t it be fun to sell something totally different and unique?

That’s what I tried to do.

Instead of going with popular trends, I explored some very weird and unusual Etsy niches.

At first, these niches seemed crazy to me. But then I realized there are lots of people who are super passionate about niche hobbies and interests.

If you can get into one of those passionate niche communities, you’ll have a built-in group of buyers hungry for your products.

They’ll be so excited to finally find merch for their beloved, underserved interest!

Let me share three weird niches I’ve had success with selling quirky designs.

These aren’t on Etsy (yet) but I bet they’d do well there too.

Niche #1: Cup Noodles

I know what you’re thinking – cup noodles, really?

Believe it or not, over 201,000 people per month search online for cup noodle products!

The top sellers are t-shirts which get almost 1,900 searches.

When I looked on Etsy, there was this adorable bestselling shirt with a cute cartoon cat eating ramen noodles.

Can you imagine how hyped a true ramen fanatic would be to find that shirt?

They’d go crazy for merch celebrating their favorite cheap meal.

Niche #2: Whales

Here’s another weird one – whale merchandise!

Around 1 million monthly searches for whale stuff like shirts, prints, plushy toys, and wall art.

I actually sold some cute orca whale sweatshirt designs that whale watchers and marine life lovers went nuts for.

There was this one incredibly simple Etsy bestseller too – just colorful watercolor icons of different whale types.

But it had over 470 sales!

When you really love something niche like whales, you’ll buy all the merch you can get your hands on.

Whale fans are passionate and don’t have many merch options from big brands.

Niche #3: Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is the last niche I’ll mention. Not a common everyday hobby, but the people who do it are obsessed!

These are exactly the type of passionate fans you want.

People who go scuba diving will probably buy multiple shirt designs, hats, tote bags, you name it – anything celebrating their beloved underwater hobby.

The demand is there because not many big companies bother making scuba gear.

The great thing about weird little niches is that you don’t need a massive mainstream audience. You just need to find those small but ultra-enthusiastic communities that big brands overlook.

How Can You Find Your Own Unique Niche to Get Into?

Think about your hobbies and interests, no matter how quirky or niche they may seem.

That bizarre collection you’re obsessed with, the weird inside jokes with friends, and even unique favorite foods could inspire product ideas!

Then do a quick online search for those niche interests to see if people are actually searching for and buying that type of merch.

If your first reaction is “Huh? People seriously buy that stuff?” – that’s a good sign you’ve found an underserved niche goldmine!

Don’t overthink it.

Just go with whatever kooky interest makes you say, “Finally! Merch for my fellow ___ lovers!”

Those are the passionate fans who will become your most loyal customers and brand evangelists.

For example, let’s say you’re really really into squirrels (stick with me here). You could make shirts, stickers, plushies, and more to celebrate those tree rodents.

While it may seem oddly specific, chances are there’s a whole rabid community of squirrel enthusiasts who would go bananas for squirrel-themed products. Acorn pun designs, anyone?

The possibilities for unique niches are huge when you start thinking outside the box.

The quirkier the better!

Sure, you could play it safe by selling another dog mom tee. But where’s the fun and originality in that?

When you get into an underserved passionate community with creative niche merch, your products will immediately catch people’s attention.

They’ll be so excited to find something truly made just for them and their niche interest.

“Finally, merch for us pickle fanatics!” “OMG, DSL charger cord art – where have you been all my life?” “This is the greatest pocket protector design ever! I need one for every day of the week!”

Those enthusiastic buyers aren’t just one-time customers either.

Once they discover your niche merch line, they’ll come back again and again to support you and get their hands on every new product celebrating their beloved topic.

So I encourage you to get weird and creative with unique niche ideas!

Don’t be afraid to seem silly or obscure. The narrower and more bizarre the niche, the better. That’s how you’ll discover passionate fans and build a loyal buyer community.

When you sell in an unsung niche, you’re filling a gap and serving a starving audience with merch they’ll obsess over.