SIX TIPS FOR FINDING RAE DUNN POTTERY
Today I am sharing everything I know about Rae Dunn Pottery, including where to find Rae Dunn and how to start your own Rae Dunn collection.
Let’s face it. Have you ever found yourself in the parking lot in front of Homegoods at 9:25 am waiting for them to open? Have you ever followed people into TJMaxx convinced they are heading to the “white dishes aisle” too? Or have you noticed that every recycled bag you own has a TJ Maxx logo on it?
If you can answer “yes” to all three of these questions then you are truly a Rae Dunn addict.
I have no idea how Rae Dunn pottery became so popular but the buying frenzy surrounding these white pottery dishes with handwritten black letters on them reminds me a lot of the Beanie Baby craze in the late 1990’s. In both cases, women all over the country were lining up to buy a very inexpensive item that was high on demand and short in supply.
Trust me, I know all of this because I am right there with you. I love Rae Dunn Pottery. I read all of the “Rae Dunn B/S/T” group posts on Facebook and used to check the Mercari app on my iphone daily to check the prices of the “hard to find” items.
A lot of people don’t even know who Rae Dunn is. Rae Dunn is a California native and resides in the San Francisco, Bay Area. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Design and worked in graphics and fashion design for several years before discovering clay, which has now been her passion since 1994.
Rae Dunn pottery (with the big letters) is currently sold primarily at HomeGoods, TJMaxx, and Marshalls. There are a few products on the Magenta website but most of them are Rae’s other pottery designs (not the big letter ones). The supply has been way less than the demand and unfortunately, there used to be a lot of “shelf cleaners” who travel from store to store to buy all of the product and then resell. Sadly, a lot of these “resellers” have made arrangements with the stores where they can call and have all of the items held for them. They infiltrated the stores, got to know the employees and basically were able to buy the product before everyone else. Although there is a lot of Rae Dunn pottery available for purchase, there are way more buyers than inventory.
It seems that things are changing. Apparently corporate at TJMaxx is aware of the problem and they have told stores they are no longer allowed to respond to calls about their Rae Dunn inventory and also cannot hold the Rae Dunn items for anyone. It also seems there is a bit more inventory on the shelves.
Where have I found Rae Dunn dishes and Rae Dunn mugs? TJ Maxx has been my best source for my Rae Dunn Collection. I usually shop the aisles quickly at TJ Maxx looking for new Rae Dunn items anytime I am in the store.
I have also found a lot of Rae Dunn clearance items in the stores. Be sure to check the clearance aisle because you just might find Rae Dunn on sale!
I often get asked if I use my Rae Dunn collection. Of course, I do! I love to set tables with my collection and I even wrote a blog post titled How to Set a Table with Rae Dunn.
I used my Rae Dunn for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.
Look at this adorable Christmas table I set with these holiday-themed Rae Dunn dishes!
I also use my canisters every single day.
If you are wondering why I have two coffee canisters, one is for regular and one is for decaf.
So far I have only been able to find one mug with my boy’s names on it. If you see a mug for Andrew and/or Matthew let me know!
Over the years I have been really lucky and have found quite a bit of Rae Dunn dishes on the shelves (hence the photos above). But I think I have been smart about my shopping and I am happy to share my tips with you.
S I X T I P S F O R F I N D I N G R A E D U N N
- Follow the Rae Dunn Facebook groups so you are aware of what products are being released in the stores. That way you will know what to look for! When the flower pots first came out a lot of collectors were only looking in the dishes aisle and they missed them! When the office products were released the same thing happened.
- Talk to the people who work at your local store. They will tell you which days and times they receive shipments. This will help you to determine the best time to shop.
- Check for the pottery in the store aisles but check more than once. I can’t tell you how many times I have walked right past canisters and flower pots!
- Check the merchandise carts. I have found at least half of my collection on the carts in the aisles!
- If you are looking for mugs, be aware most stores stock them in three to four different places. Check everywhere as you just might find them where you least expect it.
- Don’t just shop when the store opens. I have found some of my best items when stopping by a store in the afternoon. One time I happened to glance through the door to the stockroom. Sitting right there in plain view were two teapots on the shelf of an empty cart. I waited patiently and when a stock boy came out I nicely asked him if I could buy them. He happily loaded them into my cart. (In hindsight, I now realize that the two teapots were probably “on hold” for someone since they were sitting there all alone. Oh well, sorry about that!).
Good luck with shopping. I hope you don’t get frustrated if you can’t find what you are looking for. Keep trying and you just might find that RaeDunn unicorn!
I also had a personal conversation with Rae about how to take care and use her pottery. You can find that blog post here.
For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome
pick up inquiry (urgent response)……………….
hello,
I would like to place some order in your store.
but before i proceed i will like to ask some questions about your service.
1. Do you accept credit card Yes/No
2. What type of card do you accept ?
3 Can my personal shipping agent come for pick up and ship to one my branches in Republic of the Marshall Islands Yes/no.
hope to hear from you soon.
regard
Anyone know where i can get replacement lids. i have a cannister and accidently broke the lid )0:
No #6 is the BEST advice. I got my best “lot” an hour before close when employees were unloading the cart, and moving around shelves to fit all the merchandise. From teapots to sugar to rare mugs; I hustled for a cart and cleared the cart. The only advice I would add is “know your store”. Some stores get in more “rare” RD items than others on a more regular basis… some stores if I hit a shipment it’s always a winner. Others, even new shipments (carts) are all repeat/seasonal.
My daughter loves some of the Rae Dunn items and has requested them for Christmas. I purchased some items from Mercari. I just wish the seller had taken off the TJ Maxx price sticker so I would not have known that I paid more than double what she paid. I guess I will also be scouting out the stores for deals
You people are sick. I’ve been stalked by some sick Ray bs people at work!! I had people called on me because I didn’t want to let them inside the stock room… sick sick people you all are!!!! What is so great about those ugly dishes?! Y’all just sick.
Mercari.com you can find some great deals. I sell most of my Rae Dunn inventory there; however, you have to truly search though to find the great deals. Some people just raise the prices of the items like crazy.
Can someone tell me if the RD cat food bowl simply labeled made in China is lead free?
I am so frustrated. I just learned about RD from my daughter. She told me about this Santas cookie jar that she can’t find.. So I decided I was going to see if I could find it. I had to show a pic to the lady at the store after I pronounced it wrong. .. She told me good luck and why… I was so disappointed that this was not going to be an option to surprise my daughter for Xmas. Thanks to all that take the Xmas out of the stores and hearts of those that just want a Christmas present for a loved one because you want to make a fast buck. Shame on you
Before you list tips telling people to ask your local store you need to check the local stores POLICY. Some stores have strict associate policy’s now they have to follow for fear of termination!!!
Having a Dunn friend helps also. Their are plenty of nice women that will help you find items. Joining your local facebook page can help also. I’ve met a couple of women at my local store and we have built an alliance against the upsellers in our area. We shop for each other and friends of friends. We have become quite good friends due to inexpensive clay.
My girlfriend has sucked me into her RD obsession and we have to go to all three stores in our area twice a day. There’s nothing ever new. If we find something good it only fuels her lust to find the next big ticket item. It’s driving me nuts and I’m worried she’s just throwing money out the window. The pottery is ugly and I hate how much it upsets her not finding reindeer snacks or something. Congrats to Rae Dunn and those stores to finally finding away for grown woman to collect shitty dishes like little boys collect Pokémon. Let’s give these ass hats a round of applause!!
Well, you can hand in your man card now if you follow her around every morning looking for this RD crap. I see women every morning waiting at the store. And they come back throughout the day. They are convinced we are holding stuff in the back room like we give a shit. Please, get a life you all.
I find this is really interesting and I’ve seen this kind of information about the pottery and few places. I guess it really gets to me how much stuff do you really need? I really like the pottery and I thought I thought about starting to look for some, and there’s always a lot of eBay, I decided against starting another collection. I’ve been lucky that most of my little collections in my home were just lucky finds at thrift stores, estate sales Etc. Maybe looking at how much time you spend doing this might be interesting? Fads come and go but when you help your local community or individuals thru volunteering, ect., it might bring you even more joy? Just a thought..
Amen 👍
I love them but I don’t know what is collectible or not.i like to buy the mixer bowls, coffee cups
utensil holder, and the canisters
I was able to get my 4 pc. utensil set I’d been looking for for months at Marshalls. Patience paid off in more than one way. It had a small piece broken off, but nothing missing. Since I could glue that on and turn tray around to the other side, I asked for a discount and got it for half price!
This year I was shopping at TJ Maxx for Christmas presents and I found some RD Ornaments that I thought were cute so I put them in my cart. Upon checkout the cashier was very impressed she said oh wow you found RD Christmas ornaments. I was like oh why what’s the big deal and who is Rae what? She was like all the ladies are snatching everything they can find on Rae Dunn. I found the ornaments in two different places one set on end isle Christmas stuff and the other in the pet area on a tier of stuff they were selling. I never heard of them before till this year, truely. I am starting to see the appeal. Happy Hunting 🙂
I am extremely late to this thread and Rae Dunn, but l just needed a few things for a new second home.
I live in Northern NJ, and l am very shocked at how much Rae Dunn is in my local Homegoods and TJ Maxx!! There has been the same Easter Mixing bowls and Easter Trays on the shelf for 4 days. When l asked the very young checkout girl if Rae Dunn wasn’t popular anymore ..,she said … “ What is Rae Dunn?”
I just hope that l can find the last two pieces l need sooner rather than later!
I’m new to the Rae Dunn world. I am pretty shocked to see a $12 item be bought and then tried to be sold at $40. It kind of blows my mind. Her collections are lovely and hope to find good deals in the future.
I live over 2 hours away from these stores so shopping is a privilege to visit a TJ Max or Home goods store. I do like the simple white items, as of yet I do not own anything Rae Dunn, so I guess I am always the last to know. I guess I’ll check next time & see if I can find any items because I would like the canisters set or the coffee cups.
Good morning all.
I live in northern NJ (about 20 from NYC). This morning l went to the nearby Homegoods looking for one last item ( I love my Peeps mug) . As l waited at the door another woman showed up, looked me over, and asked if l was there for RD, and what l was looking for . She was not friendly just business like. I told her (hoping that she might have one in her car to resell). She told me that she hasn’t seen one, and she comes here all the time at opening.
When the doors opened she headed to a TJ Max in the same shopping center with a friend that joined her.
In the RD area there were tons of cookie, coffee, sugar and flour canisters. As well as salad servers, cheese servers, some easter things, pitchers and of course mugs and bowls, plates and more. At the check out l spied the smaller chick and rabbit black and white mugs and about 4 small easter long letter snack plates in packages of 4.
As l was checking out, those two came in with their shopping carts, which made me sad for the people who really want these canisters and can’t find them.
I asked the manager if there was truth to the rumor that Homegoods was going to limit the amount that one person can buy at a time and she said, “ no the will never do that”.
I had never heard of Rae Dunn until my oldest daughter got hooked. Women are losing their minds for pottery made in China with just words on them. I thought my obsession with vintage Pyrex was bad lol.