How can they DO that!
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How can they DO that! Bob Masta 07-27-2008
Posted by Bob Masta on July 27, 2008, 8:26 am
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There's a small mall near me (in Ann Arbor, Michigan) that has a store
catering to the local Chinese population. Last week dozens of giant
pots (4 feet tall or more) appeared in the hallway outside the store.
I looked at the prices on some of the pieces that appealed to me, such
as a chest-high urn covered with spectacular crystal growth (1 inch or
bigger) for US$600. Wow, I thought, that would be pretty hard for a
US potter to compete with.

Yesterday I went by the same display, and there was a big "90% OFF"
sign. So that big crystal-covered urn would be... only 60 dollars! I
can't believe that even covers the shipping, all the way from China!

How can they DO that! ???

(No, I didn't buy it... no room!)

Best regards,


Bob Masta

DAQARTA v4.00
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Sound Level Meter
FREE Signal Generator
Science with your sound card!

Posted by D Kat on July 27, 2008, 12:20 pm
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I think the way they do it is there is such a huge difference in what a
yearly salary is there vs. here. Also at one time they used these pots for
shipping and they may still do that. I have a 3' vase that I got in China
town NYC that had been a shipping container.

When I was in California they were importing pots from Korea that made me
drool. High fired, 3'-4', dark cobalt blue. If I had driven out there I
would have bought whatever I could fit in the car and brought them back. I
think with fuel prices and the changing world economy this is a short term
blip of incredibly good deals. If you can get those pots, I would do so
(hell, turn them upside down and use them for tables. Put them outside in
the garden.

There is no way we can compete with what they do in Asia when it comes to
making large pots but we can when it comes to having our own style. When I
was in China I really enjoyed the pottery I saw but I did not see anything
that compared to the variety we have here. Most of what I saw had a very
cookie cutter feel to it as well. Almost everything I would look at and
think 'what beautiful art' was ancient.

I also think that our world is in some ways going to become smaller again.
I think we are going to go back to buying locally and that pottery is once
more going to be something appreciated by more people. Could be just
wishful thinking but that is what it feels to me.

Donna

> There's a small mall near me (in Ann Arbor, Michigan) that has a store
> catering to the local Chinese population. Last week dozens of giant
> pots (4 feet tall or more) appeared in the hallway outside the store.
> I looked at the prices on some of the pieces that appealed to me, such
> as a chest-high urn covered with spectacular crystal growth (1 inch or
> bigger) for US$600. Wow, I thought, that would be pretty hard for a
> US potter to compete with.
>
> Yesterday I went by the same display, and there was a big "90% OFF"
> sign. So that big crystal-covered urn would be... only 60 dollars! I
> can't believe that even covers the shipping, all the way from China!
>
> How can they DO that! ???
>
> (No, I didn't buy it... no room!)
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Bob Masta
>
> DAQARTA v4.00
> Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
> www.daqarta.com
> Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Sound Level Meter
> FREE Signal Generator
> Science with your sound card!



Posted by jdfanning on August 10, 2008, 8:44 pm
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I think they make those big pots from a mold.
Sandi


> There's a small mall near me (in Ann Arbor, Michigan) that has a store
> catering to the local Chinese population. Last week dozens of giant
> pots (4 feet tall or more) appeared in the hallway outside the store.
> I looked at the prices on some of the pieces that appealed to me, such
> as a chest-high urn covered with spectacular crystal growth (1 inch or
> bigger) for US$600. Wow, I thought, that would be pretty hard for a
> US potter to compete with.
>
> Yesterday I went by the same display, and there was a big "90% OFF"
> sign. So that big crystal-covered urn would be... only 60 dollars! I
> can't believe that even covers the shipping, all the way from China!
>
> How can they DO that! ???
>
> (No, I didn't buy it... no room!)
>
> Best regards,
>
>
> Bob Masta
>
> DAQARTA v4.00
> Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
> www.daqarta.com
> Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Sound Level Meter
> FREE Signal Generator
> Science with your sound card!



Posted by Elaine Stutt on August 11, 2008, 6:46 pm
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"jdfanning" (jdfanning@comcast.net) writes:
> I think they make those big pots from a mold.
> Sandi

>> There's a small mall near me (in Ann Arbor, Michigan) that has a store
>> catering to the local Chinese population. Last week dozens of giant
>> pots (4 feet tall or more) appeared in the hallway outside the store.
>> I looked at the prices on some of the pieces that appealed to me, such
>> as a chest-high urn covered with spectacular crystal growth (1 inch or
>> bigger) for US$600. Wow, I thought, that would be pretty hard for a
>> US potter to compete with.

I think they come across on ships for free as ballast. Or that was my
theory but given that so much of what we buy comes from China it's hard to
see them sending many empty ships. Maybe they get thunked down in the
bottom of empty grain ships.

There are ram pressed ceramic pots made in Ohio. So it's not simply
the manufacture. I can't buy the clay for the price they sell those
pots. Maybe they're loss leaders for the stores? Maybe they figure that
if you gear yourself up to buy such a big pot that then you will buy other
things. They are cheap.

Elaine



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