A Visit to Bailey's

I have been buying supplies from Bailey's in Kingston, NY for years now online, but when I get a chance, I shop in person. I was driving up to the Adirondacks this week, so I stopped in on the way back to New Jersey.

Bailey's is in the industrial part of Kingston, right by the railroad tracks. In fact, a freight train hoo- hooted and rumbled by as I had my total tallied up in the office. The cars had an incredible "surface" and "patina," of age, paint and rust that was extremely inspiring to me since had just been contemplating glaze samples looking for interesting effects.




Even more inspiring though was the very fine collection of pottery inside the store. Famous potters, many that I recognized, though unlabeled, were mostly inside glass display cases. A few were out on the office window sills and on side tables, able to be touched and maybe lifted to feel their weight, which I confess I did. This is the case that you first see as you enter. There are more inside the building and they are three times as big as this one - MANY wonderful pieces.

I bought 100 pounds of Tucker's brown, speckled clay, and glazes to replenish, new glazes to try, some corks, and a blow sprayer.










I entered a raffle for clay supplies and from the Christmas tree in the show room got to choose a tool from those hanging there. A free gift!


The warehouse guys filled my order immediately, loaded it into my Subaru and I was off - driving like mad down the NY Thruway, like a freight train headed south.