Pottery supplies for a home studio come from three kinds of seller: national online pottery supply stores, regional clay makers and distributors, and general sellers such as Blick and Amazon. For most US hobby potters the best plan is simple. Buy clay from the nearest regional maker or distributor, because clay is heavy and distance drives the cost, and buy glazes, tools and small items from whichever national store stocks your brands. This guide explains what each type of supplier is good for, what the big names publish about shipping, and what to put on a first order. It is research-based: we compared supplier websites, published shipping policies and maker spec pages. We did not test every store.
Quick picks: a starter pottery supplies list
- Best first clay: AMACO No. 46 Buff Stoneware (one cone 5 body for the wheel and hand building)
- Best smooth throwing clay: Laguna B-Mix 5 (smooth, porcelain-like texture at cone 5)
- Best first tool kit: Kemper PTK Pottery Tool Kit (eight basic tools in a pouch)
- Best first clear glaze: Mayco Stoneware Clear SW-001 (gloss clear for cone 5/6 to 10)
- Best first color: AMACO Velvet Underglaze (cone 05 to 10, sold in 2 oz jars)
- Best kiln supply to buy first: Orton Self-Supporting Cones, Cone 6 (shows what a firing really reached)
Where US hobby potters buy pottery supplies
Most pottery supply stores sell the same categories: clay, glazes, raw materials, hand tools and pottery equipment such as wheels and kilns. What differs is where they ship from, which brands they stock and whether they make anything themselves. Those decide your shipping cost.
National online pottery supply stores
These full-line ceramic supply stores ship anywhere in the US and are the easiest place to buy pottery supplies online in one cart: glaze, a tool kit, cones and kiln wash. Most also sell wheels and kilns with freight delivery. Clay is where they get expensive, because a 50 lb box costs real money to ship across the country.
Regional clay makers and distributors
Several US suppliers mix their own clay bodies, and many others stock clay from makers in their region. Buying clay from one of these is usually the cheapest route, because you can pick up or pay for a short trip.
Art supply chains and Amazon
Blick and Amazon both sell pottery supplies, mainly underglazes, glazes, hand tools, banding wheels and beginner wheels. They are handy for small top-up orders. Heavy items are the catch: Blick's shipping page says any combination of clay, plaster, sand and molding material totaling 50 lb or more may be billed an extra handling charge.
National pottery supply stores and what each is good for
The table sums up what each supplier publishes on its own site. Policies change, so read the shipping page before a large order.
| Supplier | Base | Makes its own | Published shipping notes | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay-King | Spartanburg, SC | Not stated | Same or next business day dispatch; equipment over 100 lb by freight, lift gate on most | One-stop orders, wheels and kilns, Southeast pickup |
| The Ceramic Shop | Philadelphia area, PA | Not stated | Check the site | Wide brand range: Laguna, Standard, AMACO clay; Skutt and L&L kilns |
| Sheffield Pottery | Sheffield, MA | Clay | Own trucks in the Northeast; pickup Tuesday to Friday with 48 hours notice | Northeast clay and equipment |
| Bailey Pottery | Kingston, NY | Gas kilns, wheels, hand-building equipment | Curbside pickup with one business day notice | Bailey equipment plus major glaze brands |
| Laguna Clay and Axner | Ships from CA and OH (per Axner); Axner store in Oviedo, FL | Clay, glazes, Pacifica wheels | Axner: 150 lb and over can ship LTL freight | Laguna clays and glazes direct |
| Continental Clay | Minneapolis, MN | Clay | UPS under 200 lb; truck usually at 350 lb and over | Midwest clay; Brent, Shimpo and Skutt wheels |
| Blick Art Materials | National | No | Extra handling on 50 lb or more of clay and similar | Small orders of AMACO, Mayco and Speedball items |
Clay-King
Clay-King runs a retail store and warehouse in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Its shipping page says most orders leave the same or next business day by USPS, UPS or FedEx, and that lift gate service is included on most kiln, wheel and equipment freight, provided the address has a paved, smooth driveway.
The Ceramic Shop
The Ceramic Shop describes itself as serving the Philadelphia area and beyond, and its catalog covers clay from Laguna, Standard and AMACO, glazes from AMACO, Spectrum and Mayco, and kilns from Skutt and L&L. It also stocks studio extras such as sink traps and kiln parts.
Sheffield Pottery
Sheffield Pottery in Sheffield, Massachusetts, says it was founded in 1943 and mixes its own moist clay, with a computer-controlled dry batching system. It runs its own trucks for deliveries in the Northeast and offers customer pickup by appointment.
Bailey Pottery Equipment
Bailey, in Kingston, New York, builds its own gas kilns, wheels and hand-building equipment and resells glazes, underglazes and clay from AMACO, Mayco, Coyote, Spectrum, Laguna and others. Its showroom is by appointment, with curbside pickup on one business day's notice.
Laguna Clay and Axner
Laguna makes moist clay at cone 10, cone 5 and cone 06, casting slips and several glaze lines, and sells direct online as well as through a distributor locator. Axner, founded in 1978 in Oviedo, Florida, says it merged with Laguna in 2006 and makes Pacifica wheels. Axner's policy adds a $3.95 packing fee to parcels, sends orders of 150 lb and over by LTL freight, and tags items as shipping from California, Ohio or the manufacturer.
Continental Clay
Continental Clay ships from Minneapolis and makes porcelain, stoneware, low fire, mid fire and raku bodies, plus dry clay and casting slip. Its policy lists residential delivery at about $30 to $40 and a lift gate at about $35 to $75 on truck orders.
Blick Art Materials
Blick carries AMACO, Mayco, Skutt, Speedball, Brent and Nidec Shimpo. Its shipping page lists truck shipments from about a $200 minimum commercial charge, so it works best for glazes, tools and underglaze sets rather than boxes of clay.
Regional pottery supply stores and clay distributors
If one of these is within driving distance, pick up your clay there. Laguna and Standard Clay also publish dealer locators that list stores carrying their clay near you.
| Region | Supplier | City | What it publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | Standard Clay | Pittsburgh area, PA | Makes clay, slips and glazes; sells direct and through dealers |
| Northeast | Sheffield Pottery | Sheffield, MA | Mixes its own clay; Northeast truck delivery |
| Southeast | Clay-King | Spartanburg, SC | Retail store and warehouse pickup |
| Southeast | Highwater Clays | Clearwater, FL | Asheville plant closed after Hurricane Helene; site says online inventory is not current, so call first |
| Midwest | Continental Clay | Minneapolis, MN | Makes clay; detailed freight policy |
| Midwest | Krueger Pottery Supply | St. Louis, MO | 18,000 sq ft warehouse and showroom open six days a week |
| South Central | Armadillo Clay | Austin, TX | Retail and wholesale; call for quotes and stock |
| Southwest | New Mexico Clay | Albuquerque, NM | Says it is the only company in the Southwest making its own clay bodies |
| West Coast | Aardvark Clay | Santa Ana, CA | Reviews each order by hand and invoices the actual shipping |
| Pacific Northwest | Seattle Pottery Supply | Seattle, WA | Since 1975; makes clay, glazes and kilns; custom quote over 250 lb |
| Pacific Northwest | Georgies | Portland, OR | Since 1965; call ahead for over 200 lb of clay or raw materials |
Shipping heavy clay: what to expect
Moist clay is sold in boxes of 25 or 50 lb, and a first order of two or three boxes plus glaze can pass 100 lb quickly. That is where parcel shipping stops and freight starts. The published thresholds above vary a lot: Clay-King uses freight for equipment over 100 lb, Axner at 150 lb, Georgies asks you to call over 200 lb, Seattle Pottery Supply quotes over 250 lb, and Continental Clay uses a truck at 350 lb.
How to keep clay shipping down
- Price pickup first. A regional store or clay maker within an hour's drive almost always beats shipping 100 lb.
- Buy glazes and tools in the same order as the clay if freight is unavoidable, so one delivery fee covers everything.
- Split a pallet with a club, class or studio friends. Freight charges are per shipment, not per box.
For real per-pound numbers and what a first year of clay costs, see how much clay costs.
Starter pottery supplies compared
| Item | Pick | Key spec | Used for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | AMACO No. 46 Buff Stoneware | Cone 5 to 10, 1.8% absorption at cone 5 | Wheel and hand building | Check price |
| Clay | Laguna B-Mix 5 | Cone 5, 12% shrinkage | Smooth throwing | Check price |
| Tools | Kemper PTK | 8 tools in a vinyl pouch | Every first project | Check price |
| Glaze | Mayco SW-001 Stoneware Clear | Cone 5/6 to 10 gloss | Clear coat over underglaze | Check price |
| Underglaze | AMACO Velvet | Cone 05 to 10 | Color and decoration | Check price |
| Kiln | Orton Cone 6 cones | Box of 25 | Checking each firing | Check price |
Clay and cones are often cheaper from a pottery supplier than through Amazon once shipping is added, so the buttons are a price check, not a recommendation of where to buy.
AMACO No. 46 Buff Stoneware: best first clay
AMACO lists No. 46 as a cone 5 to 10 stoneware that does its best work at cone 5, which is the range most home electric kilns are bought for. At cone 5 AMACO publishes 12% shrinkage and 1.8% absorption, dense enough for mugs and bowls, and it fires buff. The maker says it suits slab, pinch, coil and wheel work, so one box covers whatever you try first.
It is also easy to find. Several of the national and regional stores above stock AMACO clay, and AMACO sells it on its own store, which means you can usually find it close to home and avoid long-distance freight.
- Cone range: 5 to 10 (best at cone 5)
- Fired color: buff at cone 5, soft gray at cone 10
- Shrinkage: 12% at cone 5; 13.2% at cone 10
- Absorption: 1.8% at cone 5; 0% at cone 10
- Box size: 50 lb moist
- Price band: about $45 to $50 per 50 lb box on AMACO's store before shipping in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Works on the wheel and for hand building
- Low absorption at cone 5
- Easy to find from many suppliers
Cons
- Buff body mutes bright underglaze colors
- 50 lb box is heavy to ship
Who should skip it: Potters who want white clay for bright colors, or who fire only to cone 06 in a small kiln.
Laguna B-Mix 5: best smooth throwing clay
B-Mix 5 (Laguna code WC401) is the pick for throwing because Laguna describes it as having a smooth, porcelain-like texture that fires cream in oxidation. That smoothness makes it pleasant to throw and easy to finish, and the cream color shows underglaze better than a buff body.
Laguna lists 12% shrinkage and 2.3% absorption at cone 5. Clay-King's listing gives 2.75% absorption, so the published figures differ slightly; either is fine for functional ware fired to cone 5. Laguna's own store sells it by the pound with a 50 lb minimum and 250 lb maximum online, and larger orders by phone. Laguna's dealer locator lists stores that carry its clay, so check for a stockist near you before paying to ship it.
- Cone: 5
- Fired color: cream in oxidation
- Shrinkage: 12%
- Absorption: 2.3% (Laguna); 2.75% (Clay-King listing)
- Texture: smooth, no grog
- Price band: about $0.85 per lb on Laguna's store before shipping in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Very smooth and plastic
- Cream body shows color well
- Sold by many Laguna dealers
Cons
- No grog, so less forgiving for large hand-built pieces
- Cone 5 only
Who should skip it: Hand builders making big slab or coil pieces, who will be happier with a grogged body.
Kemper PTK Pottery Tool Kit: best first tool kit
The Kemper PTK is a basic eight-piece kit stocked by most of the pottery supply stores above. Kemper lists a loop tool, ribbon tool, wood rib, needle tool, wood modeling tool, sponge, steel scraper and wire cutter in a vinyl pouch. That covers wedging, cutting off, throwing, trimming and cleanup.
These are plain tools and you will replace some of them with better versions later, often the trimming tool and the rib first. As a cheap first order item it does the job and lets you learn which tools you actually reach for. Our pottery tools guide covers the upgrades.
- Pieces: 8
- Includes: loop tool LT5, ribbon tool 8R2, rib RB2, needle tool PRO, wood tool WT6, sponge SPR, scraper S4, wire cutter K35
- Storage: vinyl pouch
- Price band: about $35 to $45 at Kemper and US dealers in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Covers every basic step
- Sold by most suppliers, so easy to add to a clay order
- Low cost
Cons
- Basic quality you may outgrow
- Only one loop tool for trimming
Who should skip it: Anyone who already took a class and owns the basics; spend the money on one good trimming tool instead.
Mayco Stoneware Clear SW-001: best first clear glaze
A clear glaze is the one glaze almost every home potter needs, because it goes over underglaze decoration and seals the inside of mugs and bowls. Mayco lists SW-001 for cone 6 oxidation and cone 10 reduction, sold as a pint, a gallon or 10 lb dry, and says one to two brushing coats is all that is needed.
Mayco labels it dinnerware safe with an ACMI seal. That label covers the glaze as Mayco tests it; results on your pots depend on your clay, firing to the stated cone and how thick you apply it. Mayco also warns that heavy coats can increase crazing, so brush lighter rather than adding a third coat. More options are in our guide to underglazes, which pairs colors with clears.
- Cone: 6 oxidation, 10 reduction (Clay-King lists cone 5/6 to 10)
- Finish: clear gloss
- Coats: one to two brushing coats
- Sizes: pint, gallon, 10 lb dry
- Label: dinnerware safe per Mayco, ACMI seal
- Price band: Mayco Stoneware pints ran about $10 to $14 at one US dealer in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Brush-on, no mixing
- Stable from cone 6 to 10 per Mayco
- Sold by most pottery supply stores
Cons
- Can craze if applied heavily
- Not for low fire ware
Who should skip it: Potters firing only to cone 06 or 05, who need a low fire clear instead.
AMACO Velvet Underglaze: best first color
Velvet is AMACO's main underglaze line and one of the easiest color purchases for a new potter, because AMACO rates it from cone 05 to 10. That means the same jar works in a low fire class kiln and a cone 6 home firing. It goes on wet clay, greenware or bisque, so you can decorate at whatever stage suits you.
Fired without glaze it keeps a soft velvet surface; under a clear glaze the color deepens. Buy two or three 2 oz jars first rather than a big set, and test them on your own clay with your clear glaze before you decorate anything important. AMACO is stocked by most of the suppliers above, including Blick.
- Cone range: 05 to 10
- Apply to: wet clay, greenware or cone 04 bisque
- Finish: velvet when unglazed; deeper color under clear
- Sizes: 2 oz, pint and sets
- Price band: about $6 to $8 per 2 oz jar at a US dealer in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Wide cone range
- Sold everywhere
- Small jars make testing cheap
Cons
- Some colors shift at higher cones
- Needs a clear glaze for a glossy, sealed surface
Who should skip it: Potters who only want glaze effects and no painted decoration.
Orton Self-Supporting Cones, Cone 6: best kiln supply to buy first
Witness cones are cheap and tell you what heat your ware actually received, which a controller reading cannot. Orton's chart puts cone 6 at 2,232°F (1,222°C) when heating at 108°F per hour over the last part of the firing, and 2,269°F (1,243°C) at 270°F per hour. The self-supporting style stands on the shelf at the right angle without a plaque.
Put one on a shelf near a peephole, or one on each shelf in a bigger kiln, for your first glaze firings. If cone 6 bends well before your controller finishes, or stays upright, you know to adjust before you lose a load. Our pyrometric cones guide explains how to read them.
- Cone: 6
- Temperature: 2,232°F (1,222°C) at 108°F/hr; 2,269°F (1,243°C) at 270°F/hr
- Style: self-supporting, built-in angle
- Pack: box of 25
- Price band: Orton's store lists self-supporting cones at about $17 per box of 25 in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Shows real heatwork
- Checks your controller and thermocouple
- Low cost
Cons
- Single use
- You also want the cones either side of your target
Who should skip it: Low fire potters, who should buy cone 06 or 04 instead.
How to choose a pottery supplier
Match the cone before you shop
Clay and glaze must mature at the same cone, and both must suit your kiln. Decide on low fire (around cone 06) or mid fire (cone 5 to 6) first, then shop only within that range. If you fire at a community studio, ask which cone they fire to before you buy anything. Buying a glaze rated for a different cone than your clay is the most common first-order mistake. Our pottery clay guide helps you pick a body.
Buy clay close, buy glaze anywhere
Clay is cheap per pound and expensive to move. Glazes, underglazes and tools are light and easy to ship. The cheapest pattern for most hobby potters is clay from the nearest maker or distributor and everything else from whichever store has your brands in stock.
Wholesale pottery supplies and bulk buying
Several suppliers publish price breaks: Clay-King's Mayco Stoneware Clear listing shows tiered pricing at 6, 12 and 24 pints, The Ceramic Shop shows volume pricing on underglazes, and Armadillo Clay says it sells both retail and wholesale. True wholesale accounts are usually for schools, studios and resellers, so a hobby potter's best bulk move is a shared pallet of clay or a group glaze order.
Raw materials, SDS and dust
Ceramic supply stores sell raw glaze materials, dry clay and kiln wash alongside ready-made glaze. Dry materials and dried clay contain crystalline silica. Laguna's B-Mix 5 page, for example, carries a California Prop 65 warning for crystalline silica.
Read the maker's Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for any glaze chemical before you open it. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator when mixing dry clay, dry glaze or kiln wash, clean up with a wet mop or sponge, and never dry sweep. See clay dust safety for a full routine.
Pottery equipment: buy where you get support
For wheels and kilns, the supplier matters as much as the price. Choose a dealer who explains freight, lift gate and driveway needs up front and can help with warranty parts. For a kiln, check the maker's stated volts, amps, breaker size and plug before you order, then have a licensed electrician check or install the circuit. Our home kiln guide lists those figures by model.
Pottery accessories to add later
Once the basics work, the useful pottery studio supplies are the ones that make cleanup and long sessions easier: a clay sink trap so clay stays out of your drains, and a proper pottery stool for wheel sessions. Bats, a banding wheel and kiln shelves come after that.
Sources: Clay-King shipping information page and home page; The Ceramic Shop home page and product listings; Sheffield Pottery about page; Bailey Pottery home and contact pages; Axner about and shipping policy pages; Laguna Clay home page and B-Mix 5 product page; Continental Clay home page and shipping policy; Blick ceramics category and shipping page; Standard Clay, Seattle Pottery Supply, Georgies, Highwater Clays, Aardvark Clay, Krueger Pottery Supply, New Mexico Clay and Armadillo Clay home pages; AMACO No. 46 and Velvet Underglaze pages; Mayco SW-001 page; Kemper PTK page; Orton self-supporting cones page and cone chart. Specs checked October 2026.