Why Shipping Pottery Costs More (And Why It Matters)

If you’ve ever reached checkout and felt a little jolt when you saw the shipping cost, you’re not alone. Shipping pottery can feel expensive - and I want to explain why that cost exists, what it actually covers, and how it protects the piece you chose.

This isn’t about defending shipping prices. It’s about transparency.

Pottery Isn’t Just Another Package

Pottery is heavy. It’s fragile. And once it leaves my studio, it has to survive a shipping system designed for speed - not delicacy. Unlike clothing or small goods, a ceramic piece can’t be folded, compressed, or lightly padded. One sharp impact, drop, or corner hit can crack or shatter it entirely. That means every order has to be packed with the assumption that it will be dropped, stacked, or jostled along the way.

What Shipping a Pot Actually Includes

When you see a shipping cost, you’re not just paying for a label.

You’re paying for:

• Protective packing materials (multiple layers, not just one)
• Sturdy boxes sized correctly to avoid movement
• Time spent packing by hand, carefully and intentionally
• Weight-based postage, which increases quickly with ceramics

Each piece is wrapped, cushioned, boxed, and secured so it can survive real-world shipping conditions - not just ideal ones.

Why I Don’t Cut Corners on Packing

It would be cheaper to:

• Use thinner boxes
• Use fewer packing materials
• Pack faster instead of carefully

But that would mean a higher risk of breakage.

I would rather take the time - and incur the cost - to pack your piece properly than have it arrive damaged. Pottery can’t be repaired once it’s broken. Packing it well the first time matters.

About “Shipping Shock”

I understand that shipping costs can feel surprising, especially when compared to mass-produced items or large retailers that can absorb or hide those costs.

As a small, independent studio:

• I don’t ship in massive bulk
• I don’t use lightweight or disposable products
• I don’t cut quality for cost

What you’re seeing at checkout reflects the real cost of getting a fragile, handmade object from my hands to yours safely.

Why That Cost Is Worth It

That shipping cost exists so that:

• Your mug arrives without cracks
• Your bowl arrives without chips
• Your piece arrives ready to be used and loved

The goal isn’t cheap shipping.

The goal is your pottery arriving in one piece.

Handling Fees

Because of all the above, there is a handling fee associated and automatically added to each shipment. These fees range from $5.00 up to $30.00 and are dependent on the product purchased and how far it's traveling. 

• These handling fees are purely for the materials needed to ship items.
• They are not a "tip" to the artist. 
• They are not "extra income" of any sort. 

I pack each mug in an individual box after I've wrapped it in a large piece of newsprint and again with it's own piece of bubble wrap. I tape those boxes shut and place them in a larger box surrounded with packing paper. The box, newsprint, bubble wrap, tape, and packing paper, and large box all cost money.

If the trip the piece is traveling outside the states, that means the piece has more time to settle inside it's packaging, thus, I need to pack it even more to avoid too much jostling - thus a larger handling fee.  

To watch me pack an order, please click the link: Pack an Order with Me!

If you're an international customer and would like a quote on shipping items, please use the messaging system on the website to send me a message with your request. You're welcome to email me at shop@leigharttx.com; however, my inbox may filter it as spam.

Thank You for Understanding

If you’ve ever supported a small pottery studio, thank you.

Every order is packed with care, intention, and respect for the work - and for the person on the other end waiting to open that box. If you ever have questions about shipping, packing, or how your order is prepared, I’m always happy to answer. Your support makes it possible for me to continue creating, firing, glazing, and sending handmade pottery out into the world - carefully, and intact.

xoxo - Whit