Handmade studio pottery is one of the best thrift store finds: one of a kind, made by a real person and usually priced like any other mug. Here's how to spot it on the shelf.
1. Turn it over
The bottom tells you the most. Handmade pieces often have an unglazed ring (the foot) where you can see the bare clay.
2. Look for a signature or stamp
Potters sign their work with initials, a name or a small pressed stamp called a chop mark. Factory pieces usually have a printed backstamp or a sticker instead.
3. Find the throwing rings
Pieces made on a potter's wheel often show faint spiral ridges inside, left by the potter's fingers.
4. Look for seam lines
Factory pottery made in molds sometimes shows a thin seam line down the sides or across the handle. Handmade pieces don't have them.
5. Expect small irregularities
A slightly uneven rim, a thumb print near the handle or a handle that isn't perfectly centered are signs of the human touch.
6. Study the glaze
Drips, pooling and color that shifts from one side to the other are hallmarks of handmade glazes. Raku pieces have a crackled, sometimes metallic look.
7. Feel the weight
Handmade pieces often feel a little heavier or thicker in places than factory pottery.
8. Search the mark
Look up the signature or stamp online. Many potters have websites, and some are well known collectible artists.
Find handmade and studio pieces in our Vintage & One-of-a-Kind Finds or our Etsy shop.