How Much Does a Handmade Ceramic Mug Cost? And Why?

Recently, I saw a post from a fellow potter on Instagram with a picture of mugs from Ikea costing $1.99 and $3.99.

I’m not competing with that. Nor do I want to.

The reason why large stores like Ikea can keep their costs low is because of mass production. Think large factory machines and processes that can crank out thousands of mugs very quickly.

Not only is this process not as sustainable as handmade, it leads to a lot of people going home with the very same mug.

Personally — I am a potter after all — I think it’s more special to drink a favorite latte out of a handmade piece of one of a kind art.

The Cost of a Handmade Ceramic Mug

The cost of a handmade ceramic mug will likely range between $25 - $300 depending on the type of mug, the degree of skill and artistry, and the relative fame of the artist.

Based on the mugs for sale at Saltstone Ceramics, the average cost of a handmade artist mug is $112.80 and the median is $87. I price my mugs between $28-$70.

Seeing the price of a handmade mug, one might protest, “they cost so much!” Sure.

And there is a very good reason why.

I’ll get into that soon.

Before breaking down what goes into pricing a handmade mug, for some cost comparative perspective, I’m going to price out a couple of my mugs in Starbucks beverages. It’s something I thought about while drinking a Venti Chai one day… Humor me. Here goes.

The Cost of a Handmade Ceramic Mug in Starbucks Drinks

A piece of art for 10 Venti Strawberry Açai Lemonades? Doesn’t that seem like a bargain?

I, like many others, am used to seeing the mugs at Ikea for $1.99 and the ones at Target for $5.99. We’ve been trained to value objects like mugs, cups, and bowls less because we see cheap mass-market versions of them everywhere.

Why Does a Handmade Ceramic Mug Cost “So Much”?

For those who benefit from a little behind the scenes of a small art’s business, here’s what I think about when pricing a mug:

• Materials:

  Ceramic materials like clay, underglaze, and glaze are expensive. For example, one pint of Amaco high fire red gloss glaze costs $36. Clay is about $1-2 a pound, and underglaze, like this Marina Blue from Mayco, costs $19.35. Just for materials, a medium-sized handmade ceramic mug costs about $3-8.50. And if a piece has gold luster, which can cost $36 for .07oz (or less than half a teaspoon), you can add more to material costs. Takeaway: if you see a fully handmade mug for under $10, the artist is basically donating their time and skill…and may be even donating materials…

• Overhead:

  Think paying for electrical, studio space, and heat. Firing a kiln, for example, takes a significant amount of electricity. Included in overhead costs is also equipment and tools upkeep — like replacing a blade for a carving tool, or cleaning and prepping kiln shelves so they are good for the next firing, or recycling clay and water.

• Skill:

  Someone asked me once if I priced my pieces based on an hourly wage. Thing is, the more skilled a potter is, the faster they might work. Especially at the wheel. So while I can throw a cylinder in 2 minutes, my artist’s wage isn’t calculated on just 2 minutes worth of work, but 2 minutes and 20 years worth of work. Plus, those two minutes are just for the throwing! There’s still trimming, adding a handle, decorating, bisque firing, glazing, firing, sanding… All of that takes time. If I were to do some hourly wage math on a $70 hand-carved, wheel-thrown, turned, underglazed, and glazed mug… subtracting materials and overhead costs, I would be paid about $35 an hour.

• Artistry:

  This is what makes each mug a piece of unique art as opposed to a mass-made replica. Sure, I can make basic glaze-only mugs with duplicates, and I would price those lower — about $28 a piece — because they require less artistry. However, I like to use my mugs as unique canvases for artistic expression. I like to carve, for example, and carving takes skill and a lot of patience.

• The Market:

  How much is someone willing to pay? How much are others selling their work for? What living wage do you need for where you live? Who is your audience and what are they willing to pay? Where do you sell your work? This is where market research and a bit of experimentation comes into play. While I would love to have my skillset valued at more than $35/hr, I currently sell my mugs between $28-70 because that price point works for my current audience and it helps clear my stock so I can make more (and making is by far my favorite part).

Hope this post helped provide some perspective!

Interested in buying some of my pottery? I have limited online shop drops and you can check out my events page for in person markets and festivals. I also occasionally accept custom requests.

Note: This blog is not sponsored. However, as a Blick.com and Amazon associate, I do earn from qualifying purchases. As an artist, every bit of support counts!