Pottery Shopping in Poland

Of all the things people expressed their excitement for about me moving to Germany, Polish Pottery was high on the list. "You'll become obsessed!", "I love all of my dishes", "I've had mine for years and want more!". TRUTH.

Before moving here, I didn't know much about it, but living here for even a short time, I quickly became well acquainted with these beauties and knew I needed wanted in on the action. So, one Friday afternoon in the fall, Jette and Courtney picked me up from work right at 3:00 (think that may be the only day I've ever left that early!) and the three of us drove straight to Poland, checked in to our hotel and got some rest before our early morning.

First thing Saturday morning we hit the stores right as they opened, starting at one of the bigger stores, the "Factory Shop".

Pottery is everyone in the town. This is a picture I snapped at one of the intersections in the main part of town. They love their pottery.

Another of our favorite stops, Henry's.

...sometimes there are so many choices you have to sit on the floor to contemplate. 

Fayetteville, NC - what are the chances???

...like I said, sometimes sitting on the floor is required.

We went into close to a dozen shops before closing time. Then headed back to the hotel to unload our spoils before heading off to dinner.

Our cute little Polish restaurant. 

And back at home I couldn't wait to get everything unpacked!

So happy with all of my purchases. They have already been put to good use. The great thing about the pottery is that its "graded" based on quality by something they refer to as "gat".  Before we went, we learned that the quality of the item is labeled on the bottom of each piece, usually with a small sticker. Generally speaking, here is what we went off as a guide:

Gat1: Highest Quality, no imperfections, safe for microwave, oven and dishwasher

Gat2: Safe for microwave, dishwasher, and oven, but may have imperfections in the paint

Gat3: May have a crack in the glaze.

Gat4: May have a chip.

Gat5: Not safe for the oven, but is ok for decorative items 

For me dishwasher safe is huge. As such, I didn't buy anything under Gat2. Several dishwasher spins later, they're all still perfect!  ...def. have my eye on a few pieces to add to my collection in the future. They have also made great gifts!