Pick your path
Functional Pottery
Mugs, bowls, dinnerware, vases. The category that defines most artisan pottery sales — and the path with the broadest customer base.
Sculptural Art Pottery
One-of-one art pieces, gallery placement, exhibition work. Higher pricing tier, narrower buyers, longer sales cycles.
Ceramics for Business
Restaurants, hotels, branded merchandise. Custom dinnerware lines, restaurant tableware, hospitality contracts.
Etsy Pottery Business
Direct online sales to consumers. The channel where 80% of small-batch pottery businesses live. The economics, the volume, the SEO.
Working calculators
Kiln Firing ScheduleBisque and glaze firing schedules for different clay bodies and kiln types.Glaze Recipe CalculatorCalculate glaze ingredients for batch sizes, with glaze type and clay body considerations.Strategy & business articles
Pricing pottery honestly: why $20 mugs don't pay the billsThe full cost stack including studio fees, firing, glazes, and labor. Why most potters are at-cost and how to actually price.Kiln firing economics: bisque + glaze cost per pieceWhat each piece actually costs to fire when you account for electricity, kiln depreciation, and packing density.Etsy vs art fairs vs wholesale: the honest channel mixThe 4 channels potters use to sell. The margin breakdown. The honest progression by stage.Studio rental vs home studio: the honest economicsCommunity studio ($150-400/month) vs home setup ($3,000-15,000). The breakeven by production volume.Restaurant tableware contracts: the chef-collaboration playbookHow to land a restaurant tableware commission. $20-65 per piece x 30-200 pieces per order. The full pitch.Food-safe glazes, leaching tests, and Prop 65 complianceWhat makes a glaze food-safe. ASTM testing. Lead/cadmium leaching. The compliance that protects you and your customers.Advisory
Strategic conversations for pottery operators
Frameworks for potters running real businesses — pricing, channel mix, wholesale, scaling. Reach out on LinkedIn.
Plain note about money: Some links are affiliate (eBay Partner Network).
Guides
Gear actually worth buying
Top picks for pottery and ceramics. We earn a small commission on eBay purchases — here's how that works.
Stoneware clay (25lb)Laguna B-Mix is the most-recommended all-purpose throwing clay. Consistent plasticity and forgives beginners.
Pottery wheelSpeedball Artista and Brent models dominate the beginner-to-intermediate range. Check weight capacity for thick walls.
Pottery tool setA starter set covers wire tools, ribs, loop trimmers, and sponges. Buy the set first — identify gaps from use.
Kiln (electric)Skutt and L&L are the reliable electric kilns for studio use. Confirm cone range (cone 6/10) matches your clay body.
Commercial glazes (Amaco)Amaco Potters Choice and Velvet series are consistent out of the bottle. Good for learning glaze behavior before mixing.
Pottery wheelSpeedball Artista and Brent models dominate the beginner-to-intermediate range. Check weight capacity for thick walls.
Pottery tool setA starter set covers wire tools, ribs, loop trimmers, and sponges. Buy the set first — identify gaps from use.
Kiln (electric)Skutt and L&L are the reliable electric kilns for studio use. Confirm cone range (cone 6/10) matches your clay body.
Commercial glazes (Amaco)Amaco Potters Choice and Velvet series are consistent out of the bottle. Good for learning glaze behavior before mixing.