Bauer Pottery Company of Los Angeles

Their customer service was fantastic. I bought a defective dog bowl in San Francisco and had a problem exchanging it with the retailer so Bauer went to great lengths to make sure it was replaced and that I got the bowl I wanted. Thanks much!

I love Bauer pottery, and usually buy one or two items during their holiday sales. A slow collector, I am. But sometimes, it’s quality, not quantity. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I sometimes mix Fiestaware with Bauer — met someone during the last sale who admitted she does the same thing. The colors and styles are complementary.

My love of all things Bauer is pretty much on the record. Knowing that there is a Bauer Pottery Showroom just an hour up the freeway has been slowly driving me crazy. The first weekend of the month, Bauer Pottery has a special Showroom Sale, and opens the doors to the public to sell their factory seconds at substantially discounted prices.
Yes, indeed the stars had aligned. Last weekend was the first weekend of the month, AND, I was free, and DH volunteered to drive me.
Mid-​Century Modern Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Rebecca’s 5 Point Rating Scale (1-​not-​so-​great and 5-​fabulous):
Store Size /​Inventory — 5 (Fairly large warehouse location stocked to the roof with Bauer in every nook and cranny with a wide variety of items and color choices available.)
Merchandise Quality — 5 (Even though they tout «seconds,» the merchandise quality was still quite good and color choices excellent.)
Organization — 5 (Pottery was organized well, with like colors and items grouped together.)
Pricing — 4 (Vintage Bauer Pottery is pretty expensive. Seconds Bauer Pottery is also pretty expensive, BUT the prices were 30% or more cheaper than retail. And deals can be had, especially around the holidays, I am told.)
Service — 5 (Excellent! I had all my questions answered by Robert Takata who manages the store. A gentleman helped me move my merchandise to a wrapping station, where all was wrapped and boxed up to go. They even helped us take all the loot to the car.)
Total Rating is 5 (out of 5 stars)
Honestly, I really thought I had died and gone to Bauer heaven.
Full review and photos:

Love the pottery!

I’ve been a fan of Bauer Pottery for a long time. I’ve owned vintage Bauer pots and admired new pieces at Potted. This was my first time to the warehouse though. I’m so glad that we came. I have always liked the Canoe planter and admired a small one previously at Potted but the price tag always made me put it back down and walk away. Today I bought the big Canoe planter which was discounted due to a small flaw that you can only see if you look really hard & if I tell you where it is. I’m picky, ask my husband, and I QC everything and it was barely noticable. I also bought the Biltmore Matte Black planter and both were an additional 25% off. Sweet! They are Made in the USA and proud of it. The owner was very nice and had his other hat on directing traffic in the jam packed parking lot.

I used to be a BIG fan, and I really like their colors and reproductions of classic retro pottery and that they are made right here in LA. The seconds sale is a good deal and I’ve been to a few.
A lot of vintage Bauer and Russell Wright have lead in them and it’s nice to have a modern alternative.
Having said that, I have been extremely disappointed in the quality and longevity of the pottery. We don’t have a dishwasher so I carefully wash all my tableware, by hand. 1 out of 3 of my Bauer wares have chipped in the 2 short years we’ve had them. I’ve never owned anything in my life that chips so easily.
Being that they are not exactly cheap, it’s not feasible to keep replacing them. I have handmade ceramics and Fiesta wares that have not chipped.
So needless to say, I buy no more Bauer. I would rather get Fiesta or even Heath Ceramics, if buying local/​made in USA is a main requirement.

I used to be a Bauer fan… especially of the seconds. But my recent experience has really soured me on their lack of customer service. I purchased a large jar on-​line as a second, and it was shipped to me. On receiving it, the lid for this jar did not fit. I asked for an exchange since this was a functional, not a cosmetic flaw, but was turned down. I was given the standard disclaimer about no returns on seconds. BUT — if I had gone to the showroom I would have never bought it since the lid did not fit properly. Since i bought it on-​line Bauer should have checked this before shipping it to me.
So — beware of those seconds if you’re not there to actually touch and feel; you’ve bought it with no consideration from Bauer. What poor customer relations to lose a customer forever on $ 44 — small change when it comes to Bauer prices. So much for customer loyalty.

Bauer Pottery is made right here in Los Angeles! If you like Bauer Pottery, you’ll LOVE this showroom. OK, we all love the vintage stuff, but it’s difficult to find in good shape and usually is very expensive.
Once or twice a year, Bauer offers discounts on seconds. Many of the flaws are extremely minor. The pieces still aren’t cheap, but much more reasonable than retail. Last year, I bought a colorful set of nesting bowls for $ 60 – the same set sold in the Sundance Catalog for close to $ 200. Gorgeous small plates were about $ 7 and dog bowls from $ 15-​$ 30 or so. I really wanted a HUGE maroon ringware planter, but it was still $ 150. The colors here will blow you away.
If you love this stuff, these sales are a must. In addition to holiday blowouts, they have sales on seconds first weekend of every other month.
Last year, the parking was really bad and the other customers way too aggressive (yes, designers and such bumping you out of the way to get to the best plates) but it was worth it. I feel lucky to have access to this place.