Mark C.

Seconds are just that pots that have flaws-if that flaw can hurt someone it should be tossed out. I have many a second working in the kitchen.Say a chip and dip used for pot lucks-
I do not take seconds to art shows much. I do have a few local shows I save them for if they are fully functional and are super minor flaws.I tend to put them aside and occasionally I will have a metal shift and toss them all out. But if I get a box full I have will take it to a local show and leave it in the box. I often give these away as well.
If that pot functions and the flaw is safe its second.The main thing is can you live with this pot if say you see it at a friends house. Thats the benchmark for me keeping a second.I like Min said below have to explain the reason as they are minor-and the price is 1/2 off as well.

For text work in letters I use a small squeeze bottle with the glaze or stain and fill the letter voids-far less clean up and messing with things-then I wax over them for glazing.

Its really changed for me since the beginning as a high school student. My friend asked me back then to take some private clay classes taught by a studio potter for a very small group of 4-5 people.The high school also had some minor clay facilities .
It was fun learning not thinking to seriously back then. The serious stuff for me at that time  was losing one of my brothers  to suicide and taking flying lessons.
Clay just crept inside slowly and within a year I had bought  a Brent wheel to throw at home.
By collage I was sponging up all the knowledge I could on building kilns doing Raku,making glazes formulating clay bodies whatever I could learn I was game.I just in a few years was only thinking about ceramics while pursuing an BA in art. I was the President of the ceramics club at collage and built a few kilns at home during school . I began selling during school pottery club sales. I sold outside of collage as well . By graduation I was making and selling pottery with another potter . It just mushroomed from there . I had a starving decade before it started gaining traction.I never thought about a plan or a goal back then I was having fun and making it by if only barley.
I became a prolific potter along with about 15 other potters in our area all from the same collage clay classes . Now there are only a few of us left doing this from that era locally .
I started with all the local fairs and a few consignment outlets. Soon I was applying to juried shows out of my area and that really helped with income.
Most  local potters faded away decades ago-I stayed at it and it has become brand (Liscom Hill Pottery) for me locally. Now I know pottery is work but it still to some degree is fun. I have 100# control and can still pick and choose my work schedule. I'm trying to slow the train down a bit now.
The things I still like are customer interactions (selling direct to customers) Getting paid well and having this clay work as a lifestyle. its be a good mix with my  love of the the ocean  and diving as I set my own schedule.
Now I'm down to 5 shows and a mix of wholesale and consignment-so with 3 income streams its been a good mix.I used to never wholesale but now shows are just harder on me so I'm cutting them down and my wholesale filled that gap well. After 45 years with this in one area the business side is easy and I'm in the drivers seat.Never planned that but its evolved naturally.
The why clay is something that is beyond me-it took hold of me  early and grew into a lifestyle quest maybe a disease ?Its been a bit hard on the body but kept me active as well.
 

Mondays bench (actually 3 areas)-glaze wares from two fires priced and packed-lots of mugs
Pots been flying out of here lately-shipped to Vermont-So-Cal gallery-all local outlets-
All stocked to the gills for Mothers day and our Collage Graduation weekend-usually a large sales event for all shops locally
today bench is empty -off to a show in am for 5 days
 

Last pot on the bench today, carved vase.

Mondays bench (actually 3 areas)-glaze wares from two fires priced and packed-lots of mugs
Pots been flying out of here lately-shipped to Vermont-So-Cal gallery-all local outlets-
All stocked to the gills for Mothers day and our Collage Graduation weekend-usually a large sales event for all shops locally
today bench is empty -off to a show in am for 5 days
 

Mondays bench (actually 3 areas)-glaze wares from two fires priced and packed-lots of mugs
Pots been flying out of here lately-shipped to Vermont-So-Cal gallery-all local outlets-
All stocked to the gills for Mothers day and our Collage Graduation weekend-usually a large sales event for all shops locally
today bench is empty -off to a show in am for 5 days
 

I saw it on e-bay-it did not sell so I made them an offer off site -so when the auction closed I bought it.

Last Wedesday It looked like a wheel repair shop on my bench-really my outside tables next to kilns under large metal roof
I bought a new old stock model A new in the box. These have not been made for 15 -20 years or more. I took it apart and sealed the deck edge and bottom with 6 coats of clear sealer (pressboard with a plastic top )
I also replaced the top deck hardware with stainless steel fasteners and replaced the belt since the original belt had a flat spot from sitting 20 years.I had all the parts as I have a model A already for trimming. This is my 6th Brent wheel now.Not sure what I'm doing with the two extras wheel yet as I use  only 4 of them now.
Thursday my bench was filled with bisque ware -Friday it all got glazed and loaded into two kilns and today Saturday the bench is empty.
Monday the bench will be covered with two glaze fires unloading-pricing and packing-some to my outlet a few (one box) to mothers day show at UC Davis next weekend and most summer back stock .Monday night bench will be again empty. Its about every week-pots on bench pots gone pots on bench pots gone. 
 

Its really changed for me since the beginning as a high school student. My friend asked me back then to take some private clay classes taught by a studio potter for a very small group of 4-5 people.The high school also had some minor clay facilities .
It was fun learning not thinking to seriously back then. The serious stuff for me at that time  was losing one of my brothers  to suicide and taking flying lessons.
Clay just crept inside slowly and within a year I had bought  a Brent wheel to throw at home.
By collage I was sponging up all the knowledge I could on building kilns doing Raku,making glazes formulating clay bodies whatever I could learn I was game.I just in a few years was only thinking about ceramics while pursuing an BA in art. I was the President of the ceramics club at collage and built a few kilns at home during school . I began selling during school pottery club sales. I sold outside of collage as well . By graduation I was making and selling pottery with another potter . It just mushroomed from there . I had a starving decade before it started gaining traction.I never thought about a plan or a goal back then I was having fun and making it by if only barley.
I became a prolific potter along with about 15 other potters in our area all from the same collage clay classes . Now there are only a few of us left doing this from that era locally .
I started with all the local fairs and a few consignment outlets. Soon I was applying to juried shows out of my area and that really helped with income.
Most  local potters faded away decades ago-I stayed at it and it has become brand (Liscom Hill Pottery) for me locally. Now I know pottery is work but it still to some degree is fun. I have 100# control and can still pick and choose my work schedule. I'm trying to slow the train down a bit now.
The things I still like are customer interactions (selling direct to customers) Getting paid well and having this clay work as a lifestyle. its be a good mix with my  love of the the ocean  and diving as I set my own schedule.
Now I'm down to 5 shows and a mix of wholesale and consignment-so with 3 income streams its been a good mix.I used to never wholesale but now shows are just harder on me so I'm cutting them down and my wholesale filled that gap well. After 45 years with this in one area the business side is easy and I'm in the drivers seat.Never planned that but its evolved naturally.
The why clay is something that is beyond me-it took hold of me  early and grew into a lifestyle quest maybe a disease ?Its been a bit hard on the body but kept me active as well.
 

Last Wedesday It looked like a wheel repair shop on my bench-really my outside tables next to kilns under large metal roof
I bought a new old stock model A new in the box. These have not been made for 15 -20 years or more. I took it apart and sealed the deck edge and bottom with 6 coats of clear sealer (pressboard with a plastic top )
I also replaced the top deck hardware with stainless steel fasteners and replaced the belt since the original belt had a flat spot from sitting 20 years.I had all the parts as I have a model A already for trimming. This is my 6th Brent wheel now.Not sure what I'm doing with the two extras wheel yet as I use  only 4 of them now.
Thursday my bench was filled with bisque ware -Friday it all got glazed and loaded into two kilns and today Saturday the bench is empty.
Monday the bench will be covered with two glaze fires unloading-pricing and packing-some to my outlet a few (one box) to mothers day show at UC Davis next weekend and most summer back stock .Monday night bench will be again empty. Its about every week-pots on bench pots gone pots on bench pots gone. 
 

Last Wedesday It looked like a wheel repair shop on my bench-really my outside tables next to kilns under large metal roof
I bought a new old stock model A new in the box. These have not been made for 15 -20 years or more. I took it apart and sealed the deck edge and bottom with 6 coats of clear sealer (pressboard with a plastic top )
I also replaced the top deck hardware with stainless steel fasteners and replaced the belt since the original belt had a flat spot from sitting 20 years.I had all the parts as I have a model A already for trimming. This is my 6th Brent wheel now.Not sure what I'm doing with the two extras wheel yet as I use  only 4 of them now.
Thursday my bench was filled with bisque ware -Friday it all got glazed and loaded into two kilns and today Saturday the bench is empty.
Monday the bench will be covered with two glaze fires unloading-pricing and packing-some to my outlet a few (one box) to mothers day show at UC Davis next weekend and most summer back stock .Monday night bench will be again empty. Its about every week-pots on bench pots gone pots on bench pots gone. 
 

Busy glazing once again, Honey Jars this time to be out on Thursday for trip Friday.
best,
Pres

Two glaze kiln loads on bench yesterday-all priced and boxed-some going to upcoming big show some going on 8 hour drive to Santa Rosa wholesale  in am and killing two birds on that am trip with a gallery drop off in Eureka in afternoon on return drive.
Bench is clean today

2X 300 discs in 2 300 disc players- random play mode in house-
speakers (6 sets) two in studio  area with volume controls.
Could not work without that. 

2X 300 discs in 2 300 disc players- random play mode in house-
speakers (6 sets) two in studio  area with volume controls.
Could not work without that. 

The bench is 2,400 miles away  now and when I left a month ago it was empty. I will check on it Friday when I get back to see whats turned up.