Pottery vs the Economy: Why a Handmade Mug Costs $65
“Sixty-five dollars for a mug?”
It’s the question potters rarely hear said aloud, but often feel lingering in the air. And if you’ve ever sat across from an artist at their market stall or open studio, you’ll know that nothing makes them squirm quite like being asked to justify their pricing.
Here’s the truth: every artist I know wrestles with this. Pricing isn’t pulled from the air — it’s the result of late-night spreadsheets, quiet self-doubt, research, and yes, more maths than most of us would ever willingly sign up for. And when you consider the bigger picture — the cost of being a true small business, a one-woman band with no safety nets — the $65 mug starts to look very different.
The Hidden Economy of Clay
Pottery isn’t just clay + glaze + kiln. Behind every mug are:
Raw Materials: Clay bodies, slips, underglazes, oxides, and food-safe glazes. Prices fluctuate with shipping costs and import tariffs.
Kiln Firings: A single glaze firing in an electric kiln can cost anywhere from $40–$100 in electricity, depending on size and load. Most mugs are fired twice.
Tools & Equipment: Wheels, kilns, trimming tools, banding wheels, kiln shelves, stilts — none of them cheap, all needing maintenance or replacement.
Studio Costs: Rent, electricity, insurance, public liability, packaging, website hosting, banking fees, accounting fees — the boring but essential backbone of running any small business.
Time: On average, a mug takes 2–3 weeks to make, moving through rolling, shaping, drying, bisque firing, glazing, glaze firing, sanding, and scrubbing before it even reaches my shelf.
When you divide the final price by the actual hours spent, most potters make less than minimum wage. And yet — we still do it, because clay isn’t just a job. It’s a calling.
The Myth of the Mug vs. the Reality of the Industry
In the age of $2 Kmart mugs, handmade pottery can feel like an indulgence. But those factory mugs? They’re mass-produced overseas, often under labour conditions we’d rather not picture. A $65 handmade mug isn’t competing with them — it’s offering something they never can: slowness, story, and connection.
The irony is, the “ceramic influencers” on Instagram — the ones with glossy studios and waitlists for their drops — have normalised higher pricing. Some charge $120–$150 for a mug, and their pieces sell out in seconds. They’re shaping the industry in real time, and whether you love or loathe the influencer effect, it’s shifted public perception of what handmade ceramics are worth.
But for many of us, it’s still a daily tightrope: charging enough to make a living, without pricing ourselves out of our own community.
Art in the Time of Rising Costs
Yes, groceries are expensive. Yes, interest rates bite. And yet — people are still seeking beauty, meaning, and connection. In fact, small luxuries like handmade pottery often hold their value in tough times because they remind us that not everything is about utility.
A $65 mug isn’t just a drinking vessel. It’s:
A small act of rebellion against the throwaway culture of mass-production.
A vote for sustainability and keeping craft alive.
A daily ritual that turns your morning coffee into something grounding, almost sacred.
And perhaps most importantly — it’s a way to support an actual human, not a faceless corporation. Behind every mug is an artist balancing childcare, gardens, grocery bills, and the full weight of running a business entirely alone.
The Real Question
So maybe the better question isn’t: “Why is this mug $65?”
It’s: “What does this mug give me that no $2 mug ever could?”
Because in a world where so much feels disposable, a handmade piece holds weight. It holds story. It holds time. And if you ask me — that’s priceless.
Until next time,
Nawsheen, your friendly homebody artist from Murrumbateman.
