AusBonsai

wrcmad wrote: ↑November 6th, 2019, 11:33 pm I have travelled Japan extensively over the last 25 years, and it has always been my experience and opinion that the best pot bargains to be had are in the 2nd-hand market, for a number of reasons:

Firstly, like anything brand-new, you will pay a premium.
Secondly, the sellers of second-hand pots are trying to offload excess or unwanted inventory, in used condition - this forces them to reduce prices in competition with the brand-new market.
Thirdly, the second-hand market contains pots made by potters who no longer produce from their kilns, meaning they are often more desirable on a personal level (like my own personal fetish for Yamaaki pots), or more desirable on a collectible level due to their increasing rarity.
Lastly, if they are undamaged (without chips or cracks) they are as good as the day the came out of the kiln, because good pottery does not deteriorate with time.

Given the above points, where do you start looking?

If you happen to be in Japan, I would point you to either the sales tables at big events such as Kokufu (I have scored some bargains here),
or, the excess stock the nurseries have for sale. For example, last year there were some absolute bargains to be had in Omiya - to give a couple of examples, Fuyo-en was off-loading excess Koyo stock, which was actually commissioned stock, so carried the Foyo-en counter-stamp on the bottom of the pots... absolute bargains. Also, Mansei-en was selling hundreds of excess pots at absolute bargains, and I picked up a nice Ittouen. However, you are very limited by your hand luggage weight and dimensions - forget about sourcing big pots due to this limitation.

If you travel to Tokoname - a trip very worth-while, you will be looking at brand new stock, which costs comparatively more than I'm willing to pay for. Although I love visiting Tokoname and recommend the trip to anyone, I balk at the prices the kilns are asking for their wares. The best bet in Tokoname is the warehouses like Kataoka, where they sell of excess stock of other kilns at cheaper prices.

Surprisingly, some of the best bargains I have had in terms of quality, collectible Tokoname pots have been on the Japanese online auction sites (I once picked up a nice Tofukuji for AUD$30, which was selling at the Kokufu tables for AUD$1100). Even including shipping to Australia, some of these auction buys have been absolute bargains. If you are after large pots (40cm+) then ship by sea for a significant cost saving. However, over the last few years as the AUD/USD exchange rate has deteriorated, the Americans have pushed prices sky-high, meaning bargains are increasingly difficult to find online.

wrcmad wrote: ↑November 6th, 2019, 11:33 pm Surprisingly, some of the best bargains I have had in terms of quality, collectible Tokoname pots have been on the Japanese online auction sites

SquatJar wrote: ↑November 7th, 2019, 7:32 pm wrcmad, do you mind posting what auction sites you use? I haven't had much luck in the past

Jb1 wrote: ↑November 8th, 2019, 5:41 am Hi Rolf,
I purchased a number of pots from a bonsai market adjacent to Osaka castle. Plenty to choose from. Reasonably priced. Unsure where they originated from. I sent them home by air with no worries.
Jb1

Ash wrote: ↑November 8th, 2019, 8:18 am Kinbon in Kyoto had a three-storey warehouse with pots and stands from all over Japan and China. They foam wrapped my selections into a tailor-made sturdy suitcase sized cardboard box for me to bring back on the plane. Koju-en shohin bonsai nursery is nearby and also has many smaller pots. The service at every bonsai nursery, pot supplier, show and street market that I visited was kind and helpful. Ash

Jb1 wrote: ↑November 8th, 2019, 7:35 pm Hi Rolf
PM sent
Jb1