My Top 5 Best Selling POD Products That Help Me Make $250K/Year with Print on Demand & Etsy

Written By Shay Lynn

If you want to build a real thriving Etsy shop in 2025, then listen up buttercup—t-shirts aren’t going to cut it anymore! They are over saturated and their profit margins are dismal. Trust me! I know what you’re thinking… then what the heck do I sell on Etsy? What is the key to success? Well let me tell you! Selling high-quality, unsaturated products that aren’t drowning in sea of t-shirt competition.

I’ve been there… you start your Etsy shop with t-shirts and you are SO excited. Then you’re struggling to get noticed, you feel frustrated by the oversaturated market, and then when you do make a sale, you’re barely making a few bucks profit. I did this for months and I almost threw in the towel on my Etsy and POD business. However, Once I pivoted to unique, in-demand products, my sales skyrocketed to $250K/year!

If you want to actually stand out rather then blend in, rank higher in Etsy search, and actually make consistent sales, it’s time to hop off the t-shirt struggle bus and tap into unsaturated products.

In this post, I am literally going to tell you my best selling products. Yep. My top 5 best sellers. Straight up. No B.S. I am even going to share some of the niches I sell in/have sold in to make $250,000 a year.

So let’s dive on in here and get started!

Hold up, how rude of me. Let me introduce myself real quick!

Hi! I’m Shay Lynn, a top 1% Etsy seller, proud owner of a multi-six-figure Print on Demand business, and creator of The Print on Demand Playbook. In my first year on Etsy, I crushed $250,000 in sales with Printify as my go-to print provider. And here’s the kicker: I DO NOT sell t-shirts! Yep, you heard that right. I’ve built my success by focusing on unsaturated, high-demand products, and now I’m here to share them with you! Check it out👇👇👇!

That’s right, I did 250K in sales without selling t-shirts! The reason I am sharing this information with you is so that:

  1. I want you to see that you can ABSOLUTELY run a successful storefront without solely focusing on t-shirts and…

  2. I want you to know I made the mistake of trying to sell t-shirts when I first started and I could not make consistent sales to save my life because t-shirts are SO SATURATED.

I want to save you countless hours and tell you straight up what my best selling products are so you can take the guess work out or running your business. I want anyone who is interested in Print on Demand to thrive so I am more than happy to lend a helping hand!

Alrighty let me spill the tea and tell you the EXACT Printify products that I sell/will be selling in 2025 for 6 figure sales. So go and get a pen and paper or open your notes or whatever you got to do and write these bad boys down!

My Top 5 Best Selling Products

1. Journals: Journals are my literal #1 must have for any Etsy shop—no questions asked! These little gems are insanely lucrative and can be customized for any niche. Think planners for teachers and students, bullet journals for entrepreneurs, funny retirement gifts, or heartfelt presents for moms—the possibilities are endless!

Journals have been a huge money-maker for both me and my students in The Print on Demand Playbook, bringing in thousands of dollars in sales. And with all the amazing options Printify offers, there’s no reason not to jump on this trend!

If you take anything from this post—run, don’t walk to add journals to your shop! Check the specific ones I like to sell down below 👇👇👇

2. Beach Towels: It’s SO hard to pick a favorite product, but towels are seriously a game-changer!

If you're in the gift for her, bachelorette party, family vacation, or beach/summer vacation niche and not selling towels—you're totally missing out! These Printify towels have a stunning one-sided print, meaning you can customize them with any color, design, or theme to fit your niche perfectly.

Beach towels are one of my favorite products because people buy them in bulk for vacations, weddings, and big events. And let me tell you— I have ONE TOWEL design that has made me $20,000 in sales alone!

The best part? Almost no one is selling them! This is a completely unsaturated product, making it the perfect, high-profit addition to your shop. Trust me—this is your sign to start selling them NOW! 👇👇👇

3. Candles: So I am going to really let you in on a secret here: Candles = My Secret Sales Weapon!

If you’re not selling candles in your Etsy shop, you’re leaving money on the table! These are the ultimate gift item. These little puppies have made me OVER A HUNDRED GRAND in the years I have been doing Print on Demand. They are perfect for birthdays, weddings, housewarmings, and just about any occasion. People LOVE gifting candles ESPECIALLY with funny or sentimental designs, and guess what? They’re high-profit, easy to customize, and sell year-round!

I love the candles by Lumient on Printify. They are really easy to design, come in sleek glass jars, smell really nicely and are made of soy wax. I’ve seen HUGE success particularly with funny quotes, and holiday/event-themed designs.

If you're looking for a high profit margin, low competition products that people actually buy in bulk—candles are it baby! For real, DO NOT sleep on this one.

4. Blankets: If you're not selling blankets, particularly the velveteen plush blankets seen below, in your Etsy shop yet, then you don’t know what your missing! These are one of the most giftable, high-profit products you can add to your store, and they sell year-round.

What makes blankets such a hit is their versatility. You can design them for any niche—think personalized name blankets, baby milestone blankets, wedding gifts, or even cozy seasonal designs with a family name on them. These velveteen blankets are ultra-soft, print really nicely, and make the perfect keepsake. Plus, this market is still wide open, making it a perfect low-competition, high-reward product!

I’ve made thousands selling these, and trust me—once you add blankets to your shop, you'll wonder why the heck you didn’t do it sooner! If you're looking for a profitable, in-demand product that people love to buy (and gift!), this is it. Now’s the time to jump in before everyone else catches on!

5. And last but not least, Tote Bags!

Yep, tote bags! These bad boys consistently bring in HUGE numbers for me time and time again. They are a literal goldmine. These bags are not only trendy and practical, but they’re also the perfect go-to gift for so many occasions. Whether it’s for everyday use, a fun keepsake, or an event, people love a stylish tote!

One of my biggest sellers? Bachelorette destination totes! Brides and bridesmaids go all out for these, ordering matching bags for their whole squad to take on trips to places like Nashville, Miami, or Vegas. These sales add up fast, especially since most people order in bulk! Other best-selling designs include funny quotes, book lover themes, teacher gifts, and personalized name totes—all of which sell year-round. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS!

Alrighty! Short sweet and to the point. These are my top 5 best selling products. No B.S. these are the products that have hands down brought me in the most cash over the years so I HIGHLY recommend you adding these to your shop too!

I hope this post on my top 5 best selling Print on Demand Products helps you or inspires you on your own Print on Demand Journey! These ones in particular are all on Printify. They are the the chef’s kiss of Print on Demand print providers so if you haven’t signed up click the link here to sign up now!

When I was first starting out on my Print on Demand journey, I tried to sell the same exact products that everyone else was selling (t-shirts, sweaters, mugs) and I really struggled to make any sales! I literally wanted to quit every day and just go back to my 9 to 5 grind. It wasn’t until I pivoted and started selling unsaturated products like the ones above that really helped me bust out of the t-shirt struggle and help me grow my shop, get best sellers, and help me make a full-time income. Now I get to travel and live my dream life by running a Print on Demand e-commerce business! 

If you want to learn more about Print on Demand, particularly the way I discovered how to actually make sales and what the winning formulas are to creating best sellers check out my online course The Print on Demand Playbook! I’ve helped over 5,000 launch their own businesses and I would love the chance to do the same for you!

I have over 9 hours of course content and 40 videos that break down EVERYTHING you would ever want to know about print on demand and how to achieve success with this business model!

Talk to you soon

-Shay Lynn ❤️

If you like this post, feel free to save on Pinterest! It helps my business out :)

Hey there! I’m Shay Lynn

If you had told me that a few years ago when I was pregnant that I would be running my own multi 6 figure print on demand buisness, I would have outright laughed in your face! And then would have asked, “What the heck is Print on Demand?”

I’m a proud Mom, Etsy shop owner, Print on Demand business owner, and POD educator. I help women (and Mom’s like myself) start their own Print on Demand businesses and gain financial freedom so they can ditch their 9 to 5 grinds! Check out my course and blog to learn more!

Shay Lynn
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