What goes into a pottery price
A handmade mug or bowl costs clay, glaze, kiln firing (electricity or gas, plus kiln shelf space), the time to throw, trim and glaze it — and packaging, which is the hidden killer. A mug needs serious breakage protection, and the box plus padding can cost $3–$5 alone, before the postage on a heavy, fragile parcel. Then there is the firing itself: some pieces crack in the kiln or in transit, and the ones that survive have to carry the cost of the ones that did not.
Typical starting points (adjust to your clay body and firing costs — these are starting points, not market facts): materials $5–$10 per piece (clay plus glaze); labour 1.5–3 hours (throwing, trimming, glazing); packaging $3–$5; shipping $8–$12 (heavy and fragile). A small cup and a large serving bowl are different products with very different firing and shipping costs.
Three pricing tips for ceramicists
- Price in the breakage. Some pieces crack in the kiln or in transit. Your price has to cover the ones that don't sell — if one in ten pieces is lost, the nine that sell carry its cost.
- Charge for the firing, not just the clay. Kiln time is a real cost — electricity or gas, plus the shelf space a piece occupies. Work out what one firing costs and divide it across the pieces in it.
- Ship it in a box inside a box. If you undercharge shipping, the packaging eats your margin — and Etsy charges its percentage fees on the shipping you collect, too. Weigh a packed parcel before you set the shipping price.
Price your pottery piece
Load the calculator with pottery starting values — clay, glaze, labour, packaging and shipping — then adjust them to your piece.
Open the calculator with the pottery preset →Fee rates checked 2026-11-12 against Etsy's Fees & Payments Policy. This tool is independent and not affiliated with Etsy, Inc. All figures are estimates.