Black Friday: what to check before buying tableware

Before buying tableware during Black Friday: first check whether the discount applies to a large volume of factory tableware or a smaller, handmade run — that determines whether you'll still be able to reorder in a year if something breaks or you want to expand.

Why we don't take part in Black Friday

Our collections are hand-shaped or hand-glazed by artisans — that process doesn't speed up for a sales period. A discount would either come at the expense of the craftsmanship, or simply be a price hike beforehand to discount back down. Neither fits how we work.

Four questions to ask about a Black Friday deal

1. Is this factory tableware or handmade? Large discount percentages are more feasible with machine-produced volumes than with small-scale handwork.

2. Can I reorder later? With a one-off batch (like our last-stock collections Zafiro and Velvet), reordering later isn't guaranteed, discount or not.

3. Was the 'original price' realistic? Compare the offer price to what the product costs the rest of the year, not just the displayed discount percentage.

4. Does it fit how you want to buy? Buying deliberately — a piece you genuinely want, rather than something because it happens to be discounted — fits the wabi-sabi mindset better than an impulse purchase during a sale.

What we do instead

Our prices stay the same all year — no artificial spikes to show a discount later. See our buying guide for a fair overview of material, glaze and price per collection.

Frequently asked questions

Does Wabi-Sabi Livingware take part in Black Friday?
No. Our collections are handmade and offered at the same price all year round.

Is discounted factory tableware a bad choice?
Not necessarily — for purely functional, uniform tableware, a Black Friday deal can be perfectly fine. It depends on what you're looking for.

Why are discounts on handmade tableware rare?
Because the price mainly reflects the time of the craft, not production surplus that needs discounting away.