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Step 1
Determine a region in North Carolina where you want to focus your shopping. North Carolina is divided into three regions: the coast, the Piedmont and the mountains. Each area has distinctive pottery that is worth exploring. Traditional Native American Meherrin pottery is located in the coastal region near Ahoskie, NC. The Piedmont of NC has been known for its dark and rich natural clay since potters began settling in the region in the 1700's. The Native American pottery of the Cherokee and the folk potters of Asheville and Black Mountain create an eclectic mixture of collectible pottery from the mountains of North Carolina.
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Step 2
Plan your shopping trip around statewide pottery festivals when possible. Seagrove is home to the Seagrove Pottery Festival each year during the weekend before Thanksgiving. Shelby hosts the Carolina Pottery Festival in November as well. See Resources for dates and times. Many potteries throughout the state have annual “kiln openings,” in which visitors can purchase pottery directly from the kiln and watch the craftsmen at work. See the Explore North Carolina Website for kiln opening dates.
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Step 3
Look for pottery that has been signed or stamped by the potter. This is a sign that the pottery is not simply a manufactured piece. That will mean it is a one-of-a-kind original.
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Step 4
In eastern North Carolina, visit the St. James Place Museum in Robersonville for a look at North Carolina pottery history. Shop along the coast from the Outer Banks at Village Craftsmen on Ocracoke Island to Front Porch Pottery in Swansboro. Attend the Annual Meherrin Indian Powwow to explore and purchase traditional Native American pottery and crafts.
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Step 5
In North Carolina’s Piedmont region, begin at the North Carolina Pottery Center and The Museum of North Carolina Traditional Pottery in Seagrove. The museums showcase pottery history in North Carolina and house various types of pottery from throughout the state. North Carolina Highway 705 has been dubbed the “North Carolina Pottery Highway.” The scenic highway meanders through Randolph and Moore Counties. It is dotted with multiple potteries. Look for the collectible "tobacco spit glaze" from this area.
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Step 6
Keep going. In the mountains of North Carolina, both Catawba County and Asheville are destinations for pottery shoppers. Catawba County holds an annual pottery festival in Hickory. The Appalachian Craft Center and the Woolworth Walk are just two of many potteries and craft galleries in Asheville worth visiting in the area. See the Resources for more information and additional places to visit along the mountains.
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Step 7
Look for well-known names to collect, such as Jugtown Pottery, the Cole family potteries and Phil Morgan's crystalline glaze pottery. In addition to collectible pieces, you will find pottery for every day use as well. Pottery pieces are well-received gifts for weddings or holidays.
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Step 8
Establish your budget prior to potter shopping. You will find a wide range of prices for North Carolina pottery. Some well-known potteries are very expensive, but most are reasonably-priced. You will often find that pottery bought directly from a potter's shop is less expensive than pottery in a gallery. This is, however, not always the case and should not be your sole determination of where to shop.
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Step 9
Shop online only if you cannot shop in person. Many NC pottery galleries and some potteries offer online shopping, but this is not a substitute for the actual shopping experience. When you shop in North Carolina potteries, you often meet the potters themselves and can get their personal insight and advice into their pieces.
