summer sale
Pewabic’s annual sale of seconds is one of our most popular events. Shop seconds and unique finds under the big tent for up to 50% off! This is a great opportunity to get imperfect Pewabic art tiles, vases and architectural tiles at a steep discount.
Saturday, August 19 from 10am - 5pm - MEMBERS ONLY
Not yet a member? It's not too late to join or renew your membership for first access!
Sunday, August 20 from 11am - 4pm - OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
special tips:
- Arrive early — Looking for the best selections, especially architectural tiles? Come early with your camp chair and your favorite morning beverage.
- BYOPM — Bring your own Packing Materials! In an effort to make this event more sustainable, we will not be providing packing materials. Be sure to bring bags, boxes, reused packaging, etc. to make sure your treasures make it home safe.
- Shopping for architectural tiles? Bring measurements for the space you are trying to fill and images of your space and any tiles you have already collected. Do not bring tiles from previous Summer Sales. It is hard for our team to differentiate previously purchased tiles from those you are purchasing at the sale. If you bring physical tiles, you will be asked to take them back to your vehicle. For more information on architectural seconds, scroll to the bottom of this page.
- Come prepared — Wear comfy shoes, and prep for the day's weather forecast. Bring sunscreen, your umbrella, water and snack, etc.
- Prices and sales are final — No additional discounts are applied. Pieces will be priced as marked. All seconds purchased are final sale and not eligible for returns or exchanges. We look forward to seeing you under the big tent!
What makes an item a second?
Seconds are imperfect. They haven’t passed our quality assurance for a number of reasons ranging from imperfections on the glaze surfaces, unexpected color results, cracks, fractures, warping, odd shapes, or missing/incorrectly placed stamps or makers marks.
Below are some examples of what you can expect from a second. Please note that these depicted flaws and items do not represent the items available this year.
Glaze
Glaze bubbles, pitting, crawling, running, and extreme color variation can cause a piece to be deemed a second based on its glaze surface. Items with glaze running have been ground smooth.
cracks + warping
With the extremely high temperatures of the ceramics process, warping and cracking are common reasons for pieces to be removed during our quality control review. You may still find minor fractures, cracking on the back side of tiles, warping, and chips that will not be visible after grouting amidst this seconds sale.
shape + form
This category is most applied to our vessels – vases and drinking vessels. When a new wheel thrown object is designed, or an artisan is being trained in our wheel thrown forms, many of their first attempts will end up as seconds.
stamps + markings
You may notice that some of our seconds are missing their signature Pewabic, Detroit, or artisan stamps. Other times the stamps may have been put in the wrong location. You will also notice a black X or a special stamp designated for seconds on the bottom or back side of each piece. This is how we track that an item is reserved for a seconds sale.
what is available
The sale includes vases, drinking vessels, embossed art tiles as well as a selection of architectural field tiles while supplies last. Items in the sale will be priced up to 50% off. Member discounts do not apply to seconds sale items. No additional discounts apply. Seconds are sold as is and are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
architectural tile
During the tile making process we inevitably end up with tiles that don't pass our quality control standards. These imperfect yet charming tiles are completely functional but classified as seconds due to cosmetic imperfections.
If you have been collecting tile over the years, please leave your previously collected tiles at home. But absolutely bring as many measurements and pictures that you need for our designers to help you complete your project. You may also place a custom order for new tile through our design team (minimum order amount is required).
Please note that our tiles are siblings not twins, tiles resemble each other but will have some variation. New orders may vary from the result purchased in the seconds sale.
Calculating your architectural tile needs
When purchasing architectural tile, it helps to calculate your square footage needs ahead of time. Use the following formulas to find the correct measurements on most projects. Follow the link below to measure more complicated designs like a fireplace.
If measuring in feet -
Length' x Width' = Square feet
If measuring in inches
Length" x Width" = Square Inches / 144 = Square feet