As a beginner I found there was lots of selection and friendly staff to help me understand how to choose what I needed. Paying attention to the cone numbers was a bit confusing and they helped me understand how that works. Things aren't done super fast there. It's definitely a place to relax and take your time. read more

Just starting pottery. Excited about learning. I restore paintings and find pottery another adventure. Eric works there and is a potter himself. He was helpfull in selecting a few basic tools, also purchased a basic wheel you turn by had. Purchased a yellow clay which turns to a beautiful red brown after it goes in the kiln. There is a lot to learn. Now I just need to take a slow walk to look at everything. read more

I am obsessed with pottery and try to find supply stores wen traveling- my trip to Seattle and Whidbey Island was short, but I managed to pop into SPS before heading home. First is sticker shock, I've been to several pottery supply stores in various states and this was the most expensive. But I wanted to support the business so I snagged a few tools and a $30 t-shirt. The store is big, I was excited to see various pottery about, but none looked to be for sale. Plenty of "do not touch" signs. Bummer- I might have sprung for another piece of pottery. I wasn't greeted when I walked in, and no employees were on the sales floor- good/bad, I didn't need help, but I am accustomed to being acknowledged especially in such specialty art medium. Checkout was easy- there were guests checking out at one register with a few employees and one stepped over to the other counter to help me. My boys both live out there, so I will be returning to Seattle- but I might bypass this shop since I am not a local and I'm not reliant on their store. read more

See all

I ordered several pottery tools and 5 glazes on June 23, 2025. In my experience with them and with several other pottery online places, usually my purchase arrives in about a week. One of the glazes was meant as part of a birthday gift for a friend. About the time I expected the package to arrive though (about a week after ordering), I got an email telling me 1 of the glazes was out of stock and they needed to know if I wanted to take it out of order or add a shipping fee when it was back in stock. I responded to charge me but to please hurry with pkg because 1 was for a birthday that was within a few days!!!! Lady said she'd hurry---but I still never got email telling he it was on its way?!?!?! The next day I got an email telling me to choose if I wanted 10$ added to charge. I responded yes and they did the charge. Then it was 2 days later and still no tracking number, but another email saying I'd left something in my cart?!?!?!? When I went to cart nada there!!! I contacted them, once again stating how frustrated I feel----finally then, yesterday, I got an email telling me it's on its way! They surely charged me $125 on June 23--yet it seems that in the 11 days after, even with my constantly asking about it, it appears they did nothing!! I got an email late last night to expect pkg (minus the one out of stock of course) on about July 9. This process seems extreme to me and I'm used to pottery being my solace---not a frustrating event. I'll probably never order from this company again. read more

I always find the folks here extremely helpful. a great resource for ceramics in Seattle.

I live in Hawaii, so there are only a few pottery supply companies that I deal with, both on the West Coast. One is Seattle pottery Supply the other Laguna. I just called Seattle pottery Supply and the person I spoke with was so rude. I couldn't even believe it. read more

Always a pretty chill shopping experience, seeing a lot of people mentioning rude staff which is the opposite of what I've experienced. The folks here are always super helpful, sure sometimes I'm waiting a while for help but they're human too. Wide variety of clay, glaze, tools and other stuff very seldom do I leave without what I came in for. Overall solid spot. Not super happy to hear the owner isn't an artist given the fact it seems a majority of the staff is very passionate about creating. read more

Good place to shop for supplies. It is also a big plus that they manufacture kilns. This pottery supply seems to have everything I needed tp fire up my kiln. What was lacking in most part is customer service especially when you walk through the door. There were employees- 1 with a customer, the other two yapping as they watch my hubby and I walk in. I assumed they probably were not customer service folks but turned out they were. In any case we did find what we were looking for. The disappointment here is most glazes are sold individually and not as a set which makes it a bit cumbersome if you're brand new to the hobby. The employee I asked told me she is not aware if glazes are sold either. In their website, it seems they do but most are not in stock. In conclusion, good place to shop for supplies. Ask for customer service if you need one. No guarantees that they'll answer your firing questions- it really all depends who is available to help. read more

Seattle Pottery Supply - Art Supplies Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Such a cool place! I love the vast collection of pottery supplies. The staff is not terribly friendly, and I felt like more of an inconvenience than a welcome customer. I'll still be back, of course, but a smile or hello when people walk in wouldn't be a bad thing. read more

I actually came to Yelp specifically to see if others' experience(s) with the staff were as rude as ours was today, and SURE ENOUGH every other review states something to the effect of how rude the staff are. I went in with my sister at 4:15pm, 45 MINUTES prior to the shop closing. They "reminded" at 4:40pm that they were closing at 5, and my sister replied that we were "well aware of the store hours since we'd checked prior to our arrival". AGAIN we were reminded at 4:53 -- they asked my sister if she was almost done and when my sisters replied in the affirmative, but that she needed just 2 more minutes, they responded with "well, we close in 3". She literally needed TWO more minutes, which would have had her done 5 minutes before the shop's closing hour. As soon as my sister's wares were rung up, one of the staff told the two others, "OKAY, you can both go home now". Seriously? By this time, even at the late hour, it STILL wasn't 5:00PM yet. Like so many others have stated in their reviews, we will never go back. Next time my sister comes to visit from Canada and needs more pottery supplies, we'll make the extra long drive to Tacoma, instead. Not that it will matter - it genuinely doesn't seem like anything has ever changed with the staff despite the reviews and they genuinely don't give a shit that they're assholes. [golf clap] read more

Update: Owner contacted me to say that staff is undergoing training. I have not returned to see if this has been successful.

A huge selection of pottery and various craft supplies. You may have to search a bit for what you want but it's part of what makes this place interesting and unique. I always go there with 1 or 2 things in mind and leave with much more. A special "Thank You" goes out to Jim who over heard me asking for something they no longer carried. He had a stash of it in the back and got me set up. Jim you made my day, thank you for the boxes of Enamels, I have cleaned and organized them and look forward to creating beautiful art. So appreciated! A must stop for crafters while in Seattle read more

If you play with clay, this is your place. It doesn't matter what you DO with the clay... sculpt it, throw it on the wheel, create handbuilt projects, make lifesize models... really, they have everything for anything that has to do with SiO4. I'm a fairly serious amateur potter (10 years) and I've been really happy with the quality of both their white raku and white high-fire clay bodies. Other clays from SPS, including terra cottas, have been excellent as well, very consistent over time and fairly priced. My former pottery instructor, world-famous ceramicist Mark Horiuchi http://www.markhoriuchi.com/ , makes most of his living throwing bowls, platters, and other vessels and always buys his clay from SPS... nothing else needs to be said. They have every bit of equipment that you might want, from wheels of all brands (Brent and Shimpo are especially well represented) to kilns, to banding wheels, to kiln furniture, to puggers, to slab rollers, and on and on. There will be stuff in this store that you don't know how to use, unless you've been working with clay all your life! And glazes.. oh my. I am a total WHORE for glazes and they have a great variety of brands and good depth for most of the brands that they carry. High-fire, low-fire, raku, underglaze, chemicals to make your own glaze, books of glaze recipes... this is a glazemaker's heaven. Hint: if you're going to make your own glazes, use distilled water. The trace minerals in tap water can change your glazes in subtle ways, and tap water's mineral content is not always the same. If you use distilled water, all the water-related variables are controlled and you can tweak until you get the exact results you want. They have brushes and small hand tools and batts and calipers and sponges and buckets and lots of the little things like that that make throwing, trimming, and glazing easier. Some of these, honestly, are cheaper at regular stores... like McLendon's for buckets and stuff. But if you're equipping a studio, or just want to make ONE trip, their prices are not outrageous. Staff varies from friendly to quiet/standoffish, but they all know their stuff and if you ask your question reasonably, they will all be super-helpful. Attitude might be met with attitude; I saw that once and was impressed. Artists can be tetchy beasts, but I don't think there's really any good reason for such crappy behavior. They also offer some classes and raku firings for those who don't otherwise have access to raku kilns. This is a friendly, helpful group of non-beginners (but who don't have much attitude towards earnest beginners who want to learn). Raku is magical; there are so many variables in the firing process that even the pros don't know exactly what will come out of the entire effort. Clay work is good for your mind, body, and soul. If you are over-stressed in your life, your job, or whatever, I highly encourage you to try it. Especially if you live your life at a computer screen (ahem) it will help you get in touch with your creative, artistic side in a very positive physical way. And clay people are usually awesome. :-) read more

See all

This review is for a potential online sale. I did a Google search for a book I was interested in, knowing that it was out of print. Among other results, there was one for SPS at the lowest price I found. I placed the order, although they said they'd need to get back to me on the shipping cost. One thing that irritated me about their online ordering system is that unlike every other merchant in the world there was no option to say that my Billing Address was the same as Shipping, so I had to enter everything twice. After not hearing from them after a full day, I sent a follow-up email. Still no word after another day, which is when I decided they were incompetent morons. So - all the comments about poor service in the store extend to their online operation. read more

These folks are always helpful. I always have questions about techniques or materials when I am there and presented with so many options. The team is friendly, approachable, and willing to explain pros and cons - and safety- of various materials/tools. so great! Many thanks for fostering curiosity and exploration!!! read more

I'm not a fan. I've been there 4 times since I moved to the area and the last time I actually dreaded having to drive all the way down from Everett to see the unsmiling rude staff behind the counter. I wish there were other clay suppliers here close by. Twice I've been helped by the same condescending woman who thinks she knows some stuff, but most certainly doesn't. It's a slow wait to check out, in part because they're still using 1970s equipment (there's a time when the old manners are cool, and then again not). Very dreary experience overall. Their clay sucks. I'm especially irritated that they said their soldate 60 is as good as Laguna's. Not even close. It was hard, and didn't work at all like Laguna's. I'll use theirs for test tiles or slab building but it sucks for throwing. I'm looking for another supplier and will be willing to travel a couple hours to get there since I don't need supplies often. I'd rather take a road trip and hope for good service, knowledge, and a friendly face. read more

It was nice to see that I could come into the store during Covid. Super friendly staff, looks like this place is changing for the better, in the past the staff was rude and not very helpful. Was able to find everything I needed but icing on the clay was their amazing glaze selection. The only downside if you can call it that is it takes a while to go through everything because the selection is so large. read more

Well, it's stocked to the high heavens with all things clay and pottery, but I did find that while no one was rude to me (I even struck up a little conversation with the lovely woman who checked me out) not one of the three employees who passed me in the aisles offered to help me find anything. On the contrary, I hear from my pottery class cohorts that they will sometimes be openly rude if you ask a 'stupid' question. So I didn't ask for as a pottery newbie, I knew my questions would indeed bring at least an aggressive eye roll. In the end, it was affordable (I looked at prices for glazes online and this was much less $) and as I mentioned, if you need it to do some pottingly good crafts, you'll find it here. read more

I will never do business with them again. They are rude and their glazes crawl, pinhole and look nothing like the tiles in store. Everything is horribly over priced. Hope they sell it to someone who loves clay and helping creative people. read more

This is our go to pottery store. We always feel welcome and we are treated with respect. They have always answered our questions and have given great suggestions. We have always had great customer service. The staff is friendly and share some of what they do in their pottery world. They are very supportive and encouraging. We love to shop here. It's the only reason we go to Seattle. read more

This store has a wide variety of items; a bit of everything. It was by a happy chance that they were having a 20% off sale on almost everything the day of my first visit! Otherwise I'd get to the other two supply stores sooner. The staff here is somewhat helpful with my inquiries. I dealt with three of them at the counter. It took awhile for me to look around (the lighting is a little dim), and the train took a long time to pass by before we could even leave the area (so I shopped some more!). The person hosting the Mayco demo table was welcoming and very helpful. For some reason, she was the only person working there who seemed happy, and actually enjoyed what she was doing. Probably best to check their website before heading to the store. read more

This seems to be THE store for ceramics making. They have everything for the beginner and the expert, and have so much to browse to inspire you to expand your craft. If you aren't one, this store will make you want to be a potter! It's wonderful. A fun place to spend time for anyone. read more

See all

This place rocks in all its clay supplying goodness. Being that I am into my 2nd quarter of Ceramics I am certainly no clay throwing professional, which is another reason why this place is so great - you don't have to be. It will cater to your needs if you are an amateur potter in the process of pinching your first pinch pot (me during my first quarter), or if you are exhibiting your creations in fine galleries (me in my second quarter, yeh right?). The first time I entered the doors to this store I did feel a little intimidated, but that had more to do with the fact that I felt lost among soooo many products and not about the wonderful people that work here. A word of warning hold onto your wallets. No, not because it will be stolen - what a devious little mind you have - rather it is like entering a casino with a wad of cash in your pocket when you know full well you are going to spend it. On my first visit I think I spent about $200, which is really not that much compared to what I could've spent. However, everything is so tempting and as I wander the aisles I just know I will be creating amazing ceramic sculptures if I only had the proper tools. Alas, I have spent the money, own all the tools, and still I am waiting for those awesome sculptures to be formed by my masterful hands. Maybe that old saying 'practice makes perfect' has some truth to it? read more

Seattle Pottery Supply - Raku fired pot - Art Supplies Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

They may have terrible hours, but their selection of glazes helps make up for it. The store is in the warehouse district, so the place is actually a converted warehouse. It's a little dimly lit, and some parts of the store could really use a wipe-down, but for the most part the store was pretty nicely organized and taken care of. They have a wide selection of pottery and clay tools, a large selection of books, a surprising amount of bisque-ware, as well as aisles filled with glazes. They only had about 10 slip molds, which was incredibly disappointing, but you can't have everything, I guess. There were two women that were working there last Saturday, as well as one younger guy and they were all super friendly and helpful. When Andy and I first walked in we were greeted by one of the women at the counter, which was very nice. The other woman (who I think was the owner) then proceeded to ask if we had been there before, when we told her we have not, she gave us a brief run down of where we could find everything. She mentioned that they have the largest showroom floor on the West coast! When we told her which cone we fire our glazes to, she even pointed us towards the appropriate glaze aisles. The younger guy that was moving stuff on the floor actually stopped what he was doing a few times to make sure that we were alright and to answer our questions, which was incredibly helpful. And the women both checked in on us a few times as well, which was welcome since we were extremely overwhelmed. They do have actually terrible hours though, 8:30-5PM M-F and 9-3 on Saturday and they're closed on Sundays. So while I'm glad that we were actually able to stop by, we had to plan our weekend around it. This was also after three other failed attempts to visit. One time they closed early, and the other two times they were closed for holidays. If you are looking for a specific tool or are interested in starting pottery or ceramics for the first time, Seattle Pottery is a wonderful place to head to. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, and they even have on-site kiln firings! read more

Brought my wife's kiln in after it got dinged in a move. Staff was helpful in explaining repair process and timelines. Gave us a call when ready. Helped with loading into the subie. Knowledgeable with regards to accessories the shanghainess purchased as well. Gave us directions to get out of area via the Viaduct which helped avoid the trains. read more

It's seriously a shame that this is the only dedicated ceramics supplier in the area. Sorry this is going to be long, bear with me. Cons: Staff not very knowledgeable, unprofessional, unfriendly, reluctant to help. While they were, a few exceptions aside, generally friendly with me, I've seen them treat customers so condescendingly I almost wondered if the even wanted business in the store. One time I was renting a wheel from them and they couldn't read their own handwriting for my debit card on file and weren't able to charge me on the third month so they left a message on my phone literally saying that they "had a feeling that I'm not a good person with good intentions". I still have a recording of it for the lulz. One time I got to my car to realize that I had paid for $29 of something that was usually about $4. When I went back in to correct it they said that I was wrong and that the sample on the wall had changed size over the years and were completely firm about this and refused to adjust. Their clay is total garbage. Pros: store cluttered with tons of great stuff and usually well-stocked. Lots of great books. One of the employees is awesome, I'll let you suss out who that is. read more

My wife just drove an hour to get there based on some research I did online. When she got there, the price for my item wasn't $50 like their web site says, but $65. Normally if this happens, a company will honor their advertised price, but after talking with the clerk, the store manager, then her boss, they wouldn't budge. My wife was told she should have checked the price before driving down. The manager said "That's what telephones are for". Excuse me? That's what YOUR WEB SITE is for, you disrespectful man. If a company advertises one price, and holds you hostage at the register for a different price, they're about themselves - not the customer. I really would prefer doing business locally, but just now I paid $43 for that same item online. I won't be doing business with you any longer, Seattle Pottery Supply. Not because your prices are so high, but because you don't care. read more

Has everything you might need, just make sure you're not trying to shop near closing time. They get a little irritated, as anyone else would. Great place, just give them some respect. read more

Seattle Pottery Supply is a great store to get a wide variety of pottery supplies, as well as a great place to get work fired. They have a huge selection of glazes, tools, clay, etc. I've been coming here regularly for a bit over a year and don't think the staff is at all rude. While I don't know the individuals well, I think a better description might be that they are timid or just not overly social people. But they are always helpful and kind. If you are the type of person who needs staff to be super talkative and social, you may feel put off, but to say staff is rude is a stretch. The reason for the 4 stars is that the store is located near actively used train tracks and it can be a pain to get in or out if a train comes. Other than that, love this place! read more

This place looks like it has a lot of supplies. If you are looking for assistance to purchase any of them however, good luck. The employees have elevated disdain to an art form. I brought a piece in to be fired. I do not have a great deal of experience, but everyone starts from the beginning, yes? The staff at the desk could hardly be bothered to answer a question, and practically sneered when I didn't know something about the clay I was working with. I dealt with four employees in three visits and they were all equally rude. I guess they just expect you to pick up whatever it is you need and stop bothering them. Will not be going back again, even if I do decide to continue my practice. read more

This place has a lot of supplies, but trust me it's not worth having to deal with the extremely rude woman that works there. We were told over the phone, by this same woman, that they had the supplies we needed for our kiln. Since we live far away, we made sure we were able to pick it up the following day. When we arrived, she claimed she wasn't qualified to cut wires or had the knowledge of anything involving kilns. It was unreal. We literally just talked to her the day before. We were very clear with what we needed. Trust me when I say, it's worth driving the extra 20 miles to Tacoma to go to the Clay and Art Center. Unlike this place, they are knowledgeable with their products and are friendly. read more

In the world of today, where many things are efficiently shopped and purchased on E-Bay, one would be mistaken to do so rather than shop Seattle Pottery Supply. They have an excellent selection of glass-fusing and pottery kilns, at knockout prices. Their raw materials are very well priced, and there is a very large selection. Also, the staff is intelligent, experienced, and kind. They gave me some great references, additionally, on ceramics electroplating in the 1970s, and how I could track down information in an archive on the process that was used. Very informative. read more

I have been here several times getting supplies as well as my pottery fired. The staff is always friendly and helpful. They have everything that one would need to complete a project, even pre-fabricated bisqueware for those who dont like taken credit for making their own. It is on the main bus line and in the Sodo district. I have not purchased their clay yet as I already had some, but I will be purchasing theirs in the near future. I love their selection of glazes and Raku glazes. They also charge per piece not per load. read more

The website is severely outdated so do not rely on prices or if it's in stock. Staff is severely uneducated on the technical side of their own processing system and sales process with iPads. They have to double-reference the entire process and when they "accidentally" hit the "back" button your entire order is deleted and they have to start over. It took about 30 minutes to purchase just a few bags of product. Every time I go there the staff are fairly rude, acting like they know everything, and condescending when you ask simple questions. It's very unfortunate that I have to keep returning here as they are the only company I know of to get the products I need. Thankfully, the staff said the company had been sold so hopefully the new group will clean it up and make it efficient and also update the terrible website. My 30 minute wait became 45 minutes for one weighed bag. The back staff joked at how hard it was to find and process. read more

It's downright hard to do everything wrong and charge extra for it. But - they found a way. I had planned to have a pot fired as a gift, and paid extra to make sure it was done on time. Not only was it not done on time (took 7 days, paid extra to have it done within 4 days), the staff made no apologies and no attempt to make it right. I can live with things not being done right the first time - sometimes things happen beyond our control. But being a jerk - is completely within their control. The staff was rude, didn't really seem to give a flip about what I was trying to do -- or the deadline I was trying to meet, didn't really care that they missed the deadline, didn't bother to call when it wasn't finished on time (I drove out there for nothing). The vibe I got was that the people didn't like their job there, and probably were just there for free use of the equipment. Hey great for them, but not for customers. Won't go back, and I'd encourage you to find somewhere else. read more

I love this store! It has every pottery product I can imagine, and they'll even fire my greenware. The people are genuine and always respectful. I've gotten all kinds of great advice from them, and I'd miss them if I stopped doing pottery. read more

So incredibly rude and unhelpful- I really wish there was another place I could fire my work and buy supplies because I just hate going in there. Great selection but the staff- UG, the worst. read more

Went in to ask what kind of paint was used on a ceramic & did she have anything close. Her reply, we don't do that. She's very lucky she doesn't work for me, I would fire her & the rest of the staff in a heartbeat. The only thing that separates one store from another is customer service. Here you get arrogance & condescending behavior. I'll buy supplies on line & make sure it's not this outfit. read more

yay for Sea Mix clay! it sure beats the heck out of the Scott's clay that Shoreline Community College sells. It's softer without the gritty particles that show up when you buff out/moisten your project. AND, it's less than $10 for a giant sack of it. This place loses a star for being a pain in the arse to find. You'll need to take the 4th Street exit (right after the James St. exit, if you're going South on i-5) , but it's tricky to catch if you're not used to getting off in this area. The website has ok instructions, but take the phone number with you and call if you get lost. The people here don't always answer the phone right away, but they were patient with me when i got off the wrong exit and needed directions. *joy read more

I normally do not write a negative review on a small business because I am an owner of one and I understand it is tough but I have had enough of dealing with Seattle Pottery. Upfront I take responsibility for not doing my homework, I trusted Seattle Pottery, silly me. I took the lid for my JenKen glass kiln over to have it rebuilt because the coils would not stay in. I go back to pick it up and they had jut put a new coil in(give them one maybe a communication error) I paid for it even though I told them that is not what I ask for. I said it will not work because the track is to large and pieces of kiln are getting in my glass work. So it was suggested that I have the coils in a tube put in. No one ask what size my kiln was or said I need to bring the rest of it over before they could build the new lid. They took my money and my kiln lid. I went back again to pu the lid, waited and waited for it to be brought out to my car, went back inside, happened to see Brian and ask how much longer, he said it was on its way out and smirked "I don't know how you are going to hook that up to you kin." I said WHAT? I went back to my car, the lid finally arrived and Brian came out a starts telling me ways to hook it up to my kiln. I was so angry I could not say anything. I was able to get it hooked up thanks to a friend but used it once and the relays went out, called JENKEN to get new relays. I spoke to them and they expressed concern that the lid was to much for my glass kiln. I have gone through 2 more sets of relays and today 3 brand new mold and 3 students work, a kiln self has been ruined and I have a gouge in the bottom of my kiln. The relay stuck open and the glass ran all over the inside of the kiln. I have owned this kiln since 2000. I own a small glass shop where I fire almost everyday, only use relays for JENKEN which I change maybe once a year. I have never had this happen before with this kiln. I use BE coe90 and use their programs, never had a problem. Since the new lid I have to cool down the programs because the coils are too hot. So what I have spent on this issue is $500 for the kiln lid, 3 new molds $60 each, $180.00, 3 sets relays $50 per set, $150.00 new kiln shelf $100.00. Very expensive lid $930.00. Add to that the cost of JENKEN sending me a new lid because the one from Seattle Pottery is not the right lid for my kiln. I called today to speak with Brian(was told he was not available which is what is told to people that want to speak with him). I was angry when I called and the person on the phone was getting angry at me because I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to speak with someone. I shall not be going back to purchase anything from Seattle Pottery but I will be pushing to get some resolution to my issue. read more