Customer Service and Support

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply divides our customer service and support webpages into 3 general categories:

The Basics

    The Basics, which includes normal business hours, ordering methods, contact information and shipping policies.  This section answers the Basic questions of most customers.

All the Fine Print Stuff

    All the Fine Print Stuff is the common legal requirements of every business.  As most would define these requirements as fine print... the title "Fine Print Stuff" seemed rather appropriate.  The Fine Print section includes critical information concerning a worthless check written to Dogwood Ceramic Supply, Mississippi Sales and Use Tax obligations, pricing policies, school purchase orders and of course returns and exchanges as well as defective products.  Also included in this section of information are the links to the export policies of Dogwood Ceramic Supply and ownership of Intellectual Property.

Frequently Asked and Not So Frequently Asked Questions

   Frequently Asked and not so Frequently Asked Questions includes specific Product Support Information, answers General Customer or Consumer Questions as well as Questions specific to Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  Also included in this section are links to critical safety information from Dogwood Ceramic Supply as well as the products of the various manufacturer's.

The Basics

Business Hours

Contacting Dogwood Ceramic Supply

How to Order from Dogwood Ceramic Supply

About Dogwood Ceramic Supply

Shipping Policies

Gift Cards

Showroom Business Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 10AM to 5PM
Thursday 1PM to 6PM

Closed Wednesday and Sunday

    The Showroom Business Hours of Dogwood Ceramic Supply are posted in the footer of every page of this website as well as more predominately on key information pages.

    The business hours do not change, with the following 2 planned exceptions:

    1. Dogwood Ceramic Supply is closed on Thanksgiving Day.

    2. Dogwood Ceramic Supply is closed for a two week (14 day) period around Christmas and New Years with the dates to coincide with the dates of the local school district’s Christmas vacation.  The actual dates will be announced each year on Dogwood Ceramic Supply’s Hot Off the Press web page during the month of December.

    Please note, Wednesday is an administrative work day for Dogwood Ceramic Supply to complete complex and special projects.  The salaried staff may or may not be available on Wednesday to accept your orders and handle technical service issues.  The hourly employees of Dogwood Ceramic Supply do not work on Wednesday in compensation for working every Saturday of the business year. Dogwood Ceramic Supply is closed on Sunday.

Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards

   Having a bit of trouble picking the perfect gift for the potter or ceramist in your life?  Is purchasing a gift for your spouse, child, parent, sibling, best friend, next door neighbor or long-lost-cousin the greatest challenge you face this Christmas Season?  Instead of asking the Dogwood Ceramic Supply showroom staff to pick the perfect off-green, semi-opaque but can't be too glossy glaze for your difficult gift recipient, may we suggest a Dogwood Ceramic Supply GIFT CARD instead.

     The Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards look much like a standard credit card.  In fact the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card is processed on the credit card merchant bank network just like any conventional credit card.  However, unlike conventional credit cards, the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card can only be processed (swiped) during an in store transaction in the Dogwood Ceramic Supply showroom.  This means the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards are not suitable for mail order or telephone purchases.

Gift Card Advice, Suggestions & Fine Print

    Never use a Gift Card as a savings account.  Once funds (money) have been deposited on the Gift Card the funds can only be used to purchase goods in the Dogwood Ceramic Supply showroom.  If you are holding money for a major future purchase (such as a Paragon Kiln), you would be better served to hold the money in an interest bearing bank account then purchasing a Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card to hold the money.

    A Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card can be purchased in any denomination you desire.  Typical Gift Card values are $20, $50 and $100, though $250 and $1000 Gift Cards are not that uncommon.  Regardless of the denomination, treat Gift Cards the same as cash.  If the Gift Card is lost or stolen it can not be replaced.

    The Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards are not Gift Certificates or Cash Cards and as such do not have to be used in a single transaction.  Any excess value remaining on the Gift Card after your product purchase will be retained on the card and may be used for payment on a future purchase.

    There are no transaction fees with the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card and no preset expiration date either.  That said, it is never a good practice to allow the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card, or any other brand of Gift Card, to linger around for months or even years without being used.

Additional Questions

    What happens if there is a small residual value remaining on the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card?

    The residual value will remain on the Gift Card until your next product purchase from the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Showroom.  When the Gift Card is presented for payment, the card will be processed and the processing system will request the additional funds (cash, check, credit card or another Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card) to complete the transaction.  This way the residual value retained on the Gift Card can always be reduced to zero.

    If I purchase something of greater value than the amount of the Gift Card, will my Gift Card be rejected?

    No.  The processing system with the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards is programmed to request additional funds should your Gift Card be insufficient in funds versus the size of your purchase.  This type of operating system is quite different than some prepaid "Cash Cards" which can only be used if the balance on the card is equal to or greater than the purchase amount.

    Is the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card valid at any other business?

    The Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Cards are specific to our store and may not be used for purchases at any other business.

    What happens if the gift recipient does not desire the Gift Card, can I receive a refund?

    Not normally.  If you are unsure as to the suitability of a Dogwood Ceramic Supply Gift Card for your for your spouse, child, parent, sibling, best friend, next door neighbor or long-lost-cousin then we suggest a nice plate of brownies or Christmas Cookies instead.

All the Fine Print Stuff

    All the Fine Print Stuff is the common legal requirements of every business.  As most would define these requirements as fine print... the title "Fine Print Stuff" seemed rather appropriate.

    The topics are listed below.  Please note, some of these topics, such as Shipping Policies, are links to other sections of the Dogwood Ceramic Supply website.

General Disclaimer

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply normally sells equipment and supplies to professional customers who have a direct knowledge of the products and fully understand the uses and limitations of the products.  Many other people, including hobbyist or amateur ceramists and potters, also use many of these same items.  We are not authorities on every product we carry, but if you are having trouble we will be glad to help, IF WE CAN!  The diversity of studios, tools, kilns, raw materials and personal work habits makes problems difficult to diagnose; therefore we can not guarantee results.

    Many ceramic products, such as glazes and clays, are manufactured from materials mined from the earth, and, as such, material composition, including trace components, may vary.  We strongly recommend that you test each new batch of products to determine consistency and suitability for your specific application.

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply is obligated only to replace products deemed defective.  We are not liable and shall be held harmless for loss, damage and or physical injury, direct or indirect, arising from the use or misuse of the products that we provide.  We carry no warranty other than the warranty provided by the original manufacturer of the product.

    Please take care in determining the suitability of any product for your intended use, BEFORE YOU BUY.

Intellectual Property

    Per the 1976 Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S Code) the inclusion of a copyright notation is not required to indicate copyright ownership. As such, unless otherwise specifically noted, the photographs, graphics, written descriptions, opinions and information content contained within this web site is the intellectual property of Dogwood Ceramic Supply and is provided to our customers for non-commercial use and may not copied or used without the expressed written consent of Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

Copyright Exceptions

    There are a very small number of photographs on this website which were provided to Dogwood Ceramic Supply following Hurricane Katrina specifically for publication on the Hurricane Katrina Photographs webpage of dogwoodceramics.com.  Proper attribute is provided with each of these photographs.  Copyright of these photographs have been retained by their respective owners.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply retains the right of first publication to these specific photographs.

Manufacturer Content

    A small portion of the content of this website consists of stock photographs and/or graphics provided by the respective manufacturer of the product.  These photographs and graphics can be considered public domain as they are provided to all vendors by the manufacturer. However, some manufacturer provided photographs were deemed inadequate by Dogwood Ceramic Supply for our purposes and were electronically edited, including color modifications, for best web presentation.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply retains the copyright to these modifications and has embedded an electronic watermark into the photograph for proof of ownership.


     Due to the number of spurious websites engaged in the practice of HOT LINKING, Dogwood Ceramic Supply has received written permission from a number of manufacturers to embed the dogwoodceramics.com name into the manufacturer's stock photographs hosted by the dogwoodceramics.com web server.  The embedded name allows Dogwood Ceramic Supply to pursue legal avenues to halt the Hot Linking practice.  The absence of the Dogwood Ceramic Supply embedded name does not preclude Dogwood Ceramic Supply from pursuing legal action against those engaged in the practice of Hot Linking.

    A small portion of the content of dogwoodceramics.com was acquired from manufacturer provided information.  This content, typically called "Boiler Plate" is basic product specifications, such as sizes, shapes and electrical requirements which are legal specifications of the product and can not be altered.

Website Problems

   Please contact the WEBMASTER at Dogwood Ceramic Supply during normal business hours regarding any questions or problems with the website.

After Hours Services

    If you require service outside of Dogwood Ceramic Supply’s established business hours, including the Christmas vacation period, please let us know and we will set an appointment.  After hours service is subject to an administrative fee and compensation for the employees who provide the service.  Substantial appointment cancellation fees will apply.

Pricing Information

Prices

    Nearly every item sold by Dogwood Ceramic Supply is stocked in our warehouse and is available for immediate purchase and pickup.  All prices, unless otherwise noted, are FOB our warehouse in Gulfport, MS.  In some instances the warehouse and manufacturing facility of the manufacturer may be used as an extension of the Dogwood Ceramic Supply showroom and warehouse and as such the products may be sold FOB the manufacturer's warehouse in addition to FOB Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

    Some equipment items (due to size, weight, or difficulty in handling) would be best if shipped from our warehouse (or the manufacturer's warehouse) to the customer's location.

     There are few items, either due to extremely low sale volume or complex shipping and handling costs, which are sold exclusively FOB the manufacturer's facility and warehouse.  These items will be clearly marked as such.

    Any shipping to the customer's location will result in an additional charge.

    All customers are entitled to current prices and available discounts.

    When the manufacturer has a published retail or list price, that price will be used as the basis for our pricing, and any discounts will be from the published price.

    For the convenience of showroom customers, some items on display in the showroom and the website may be pre-priced with the appropriate discount.  Quantity discounts, if applicable, are always displayed in the showroom and on the website.

    All prices and quantities required to obtain discounts are subject to change without notice.

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply will honor written quotes for a period of at least 90 days from the date of the quote, unless otherwise dated on the quote.  Freight charges on written quotes are an estimate of freight charges and are subject to change due to volatile fuel prices and any accessorial services requested by the customer.

    Verbal price quotes are an approximate price provided for the convenience of the customer to estimate their purchase and as such are not legally binding.

    Dealers and institutions engaged in resale activity are expected to set their own selling price, independently of the prices set by Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

Minimum Orders

    Dogwood Ceramic does not require a minimum purchase amount, however, please be aware that for very small purchases, often the UPS charges are more than the cost of the item(s) purchased.

Back Orders

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply strives to have sufficient inventory to meet the needs of virtually any customer, and as such does not normally issue backorders.  In the event of a significant shortage, you will be notified prior to shipping of any item that is not available in current inventory.  Items that are placed on backorder by agreement of the customer and Dogwood Ceramic Supply, will be shipped separately to the customer and the the customer will be responsible for any freight charges.

Written Quote Policy

    For the vast majority of customers the published price on the Dogwood Ceramic Supply website is legally sufficient for their purchasing needs, as each individual product web page is dated with regards to the time limits of the published price.  With regards to freight charges many simple products, commonly purchased as a single item, include standardized freight charges.  For customers purchasing complex products (such as a mix of glazes) the basic UPS or Motor Freight shipping charges are outlined on the respective web pages.

Written Quote Policy for Schools and Governmental Agencies

    When needed, written quotes will be provided free of charge for governmental agencies and schools that request such quotation on their letter head via fax or mail, subject to the following limitations:

    1. Written quotes must be completed by an officer of the corporation and are subject to review by counsel as written quotes are legally binding documents.  As such, Dogwood Ceramic Supply does not provide rush quote service.

    2. Product Brands specified on the quote must be listed on the Product Index of Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

    3. Quotes can not be provided for products which have been discontinued by the manufacturer, or pending discontinuation during the period of time for which the quote will be valid.

    4. Dogwood Ceramic Supply will not provide quotes for “like" or “substituted" items.

    5. Dogwood Ceramic Supply’s quotation is for the entire proposal, purchased as a single transaction. Split or partial purchase orders will result in a $30 administrative charge being assessed for each partial purchase order received.

    6. Dogwood Ceramic Supply is not a quote mill.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply will only provide quotes only to those agencies that are sincere in their desire to purchase from Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply reserves the right to withhold written quotes from agencies that have abused the quote system or have demonstrated their desire to purchase exclusively from other vendors regardless of the cost of purchasing from those vendors.

    7. Unless specified on the written quotation the quote if valid for 90 days.

    8. Freight charges listed on the quote are an estimate based upon the specified items and off loading information provided by the customer. Changing the specified items or requesting additional off loading services can and will change the amount of the freight charges.  Due to volatile fuel costs, freight charges are subject a fuel surcharge which is adjusted weekly.

    9. If accessorial services, such as lift-gate or limited access delivery, are required, please request those services to be added to your prepaid freight charges. Any accessorial fee that is back charged to Dogwood Ceramic Supply’s shipping account by the freight carrier is subject to an administrative charge of $65 plus the cost of the service provided.

   10. Published UPS or LTL packaging and handling charges will apply to LTL or UPS shipments.

   11. Absolute minimum written quotation amount is $250, excluding freight charges.
 

Commercial Quote Policy

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply does not routinely prepare written quotes for commercial or private customers.  When a written quote is required by a commercial or private customer an administrative fee of $30 must be prepaid prior to the preparation of the estimate.

Payments

Over the Counter Customer Payments

    Over the counter sales may be paid by check, cash or VISA-MasterCard.

    An administrative fee may be applied to Credit Card or check purchases when any of the following conditions are met:

    A) Cash back is requested.
    B) Hold the check/delay in depositing the check is requested.
    C) Delayed credit card transaction is requested.
    D) Multiple transactions (checks or credit cards) for a single invoice.
    E) Two or more transactions (checks or credit cards) per day are completed and the average transaction amount is less than $10.

 

Customer Payments for UPS Orders

    All payments must be received prior to shipment. Dogwood Ceramic Supply does not ship on open accounts or COD.

    VISA-MasterCard is the preferred method of payment.

    Prior management approval is required for all orders that must be held awaiting payment by check.

Money Orders and Traveler's Checks

    Acceptance of Money Orders or Traveler's Checks requires prior management approval.

    Goods paid by Money Orders or Traveler's Checks may only be released after clearance of funds.

    Allow 3-10 business days for clearance of funds.

    Money Orders and Traveler’s Checks may be subject to an administrative fee of at least $10 or 2% of the net transaction amount.

Foreign Addressed Credit Cards

    VISA / MasterCard are authorized to assess a surcharge for any Credit Card processed by Dogwood Ceramic Supply which does not have an USA billing address. This surcharge will be appropriately charged to the customer.

UPS shipments to other than credit card holder’s address

    Customer’s often request small packages to be shipped to a secondary address. Most of these requests are for gifts or similar purchases. Dogwood Ceramic Supply is happy to assist gift buyers with such purchases.  However, please be advised that credit card regulations may subject the seller (Dogwood Ceramic Supply) to additional service charges when the billing address and “ship to” are not identical.  These service charges, if they are incurred, will be applied to the customer’s invoice.

Worthless Checks

    ANY check that is issued to Dogwood Ceramic Supply which is returned for any reason is deemed worthless and will incur a $15 worthless check fee and will be subject to collection by the Worthless Check Division of the District Attorney for Harrison County, Mississippi, per MS Code 97-19-55, adopted 1972 and related statutes.

Mississippi Sales Tax

    The 7% Mississippi Sales Tax is will be assessed on all in store and intrastate shipments unless the purchaser has a valid Tax Resale or Tax Exempt Number.  Interstate transactions requiring payment of sales tax will be assessed the 7% Mississippi Sales Tax Rate.

Tax Resale Numbers

    Tax Resale Numbers are accepted by Dogwood Ceramic Supply for businesses actively engaged in a ceramic, pottery or related business, or otherwise purchasing ceramic or pottery equipment and supplies which are appropriate for the business.  The following conditions and limitations will apply:

    A. Photocopy of the original tax number is required.
    B. The purchasers name must be listed on the document.
    C. A completed resale application must be on file at Dogwood Ceramic Supply.
    D. Capital equipment items will be assessed the Mississippi 1½% Use Tax Rate.
    E. Some categories of equipment and supplies may not qualify for tax exemption.
 
    In addition, Dogwood Ceramic Supply may impose an initial purchase requirement prior to accepting your Tax Resale or Tax Exempt number, or require a minimum amount per purchase to continue accepting your Tax Resale or Tax Exempt number.  These minimums are necessary to avoid the administrative costs associated with processing tax exempt or tax deferred sales.

Tax Exempt Numbers

    Tax Exempt Numbers are accepted by Dogwood Ceramic Supply from appropriate governmental and institutional customers, subject to standard conditions and limitations.

Showroom Pickups

 
    Everybody is invited to visit Dogwood Ceramic Supply on a regular basis.  If you will need to pick up equipment and supplies during your visit we suggest that you call or fax Dogwood Ceramic Supply with your order before 1 PM on the business day prior to your visit.  You can add small items to your purchase during your visit to Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  This way the bulk of your order will be pulled, processed and ready for your purchase and our staff can be free to assist you during your visit.

Defective Products

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply strives to provide the proper goods to our customers that are free of defects and appropriate for use by the customer.  In the event of a defective product, Dogwood Ceramic Supply is responsible for replacement of the product with an identical product.  All claims for defective products must be made within 30 days of the transaction date. Customer is responsible for returning the defective to Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  All freight charges are the responsibility of the customer.
 

Shipping Damages

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply pledges to fill your order correctly, and your order will leave our warehouse, complete, and in good condition. We do not ship used or damaged goods.

    Please take care in transporting goods from our warehouse to your location.  The items have been packaged in the manner deemed appropriate for routine transportation.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply is not responsible for damage to goods after they leave our warehouse.  In the event of products shipped from our warehouse are damaged during shipping, please follow the claims instructions for that particular shipping method.

Exchanges and Returns

Exchanges

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply strives to provide the proper goods to our customers. Selling (and shipping) the incorrect goods is costly to our business and disruptive to our customers.  It is our belief that customers should make every effort to purchase the proper products and when/if you are unsure about the product, you should not purchase the product.  That said, customers purchasing the wrong size, color etc may EXCHANGE the products for the correct size, color etc.  The EXCHANGE of products is conditional upon the products being in the same product classification (glaze equals glaze, kiln equals kiln, glaze does not equal kiln), must be accompanied by the original receipt, made within 30 calendar days of the original purchase date and all original packaging material must be intact.  Customers are responsible for any and all freight charges involved with the product exchange as well as any difference in the cost of the exchanged goods.  Any Dogwood Ceramic Supply employee can handle the product exchange.  Any used, damaged or soiled goods may not be accepted for exchange.  Custom ordered items, such as non-stocked or unusual voltage kilns may neither be exchanged nor returned.

Returns

    Prior management approval is required if a return (refund of payment) rather than a product exchange (a similar product accepted in place of the original product) is desired.  Products which are damaged or soiled, products with a high rate of hidden damage (such as bisque and kiln furniture), products which are used or could have been used as well products rated nontoxic will not be accepted for return.  Any product accepted for return shall be subject to a 25% restocking fee.  All approved returns must be accompanied by the original receipt and completed within 30 calendar days of the original transaction date and all original packaging material must be intact.  Returns for purchases originally by check may not be returned for 10 business days to allow the original payment to clear through the bank.  Returns for purchases made by credit card may only issued to the credit card used for the original transaction.  Returns for purchases originally made by cash or check will be issued a Dogwood Ceramic Supply gift card.  Customers are responsible for any freight costs incurred for returning the product to Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

Additional Information

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply primarily serves a professional customer base located throughout North America with the equipment and supplies necessary to properly run their business or education/recreation program.  As with many other distributors, Dogwood Ceramic Supply grew into the role of national distributor from the position of neighborhood ceramic studio. 

    For those customers from Gulfport, Biloxi and surrounding area that have traded with Dogwood Ceramic Supply since 1988, Dogwood Ceramic Supply continues to offer greenware, bisque, firing services, and related items for the hobby customers.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply provides these services, primarily to service a loyal customer base, but more importantly, because there are no other ceramic studios in the City of Gulfport or Biloxi.

    Because of the needs of commercial customers, whom are our first obligation, some services performed by the typical neighborhood ceramic studio, may not be performed by Dogwood Ceramic Supply or may be performed only on a limited basis.

   The Product Index is the backbone of dogwoodceramics.com and was designed for customer usage.

Frequently Asked and Not So Frequently Asked Questions

    An eclectic group of questions and answers.  Please note, the answers to some of the questions, such as the kiln support questions, are links to other sections of the Dogwood Ceramic Supply website.  The MSDS may be linked on our website or the manufacturer's website, and in many instances will be a pdf file.

Product Information and Support

General Customer Questions

Dogwood Questions

Safety

Consumer Issues

Post Katrina Recovery

Safety

Safety advisory for customers visiting the Dogwood Ceramic Supply to make their purchase of slips and clays.

Repairing a kiln exposed to rising water, especially rising salt water, can result in significant safety risks.

What are ISPM-15 Regulations are why are they important to protect the environment.

MSDS

Consumer Issues

Fuel Surcharge on Freight Shipments, what is a fuel surcharge and how does it impacts customers.

Minimize your risks, simplify your life, just say no to Freight Brokers.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Recovery News

   Dogwood Ceramic Supply survived Hurricane Katrina with minimal damage! Please refer to Hurricane Katrina update for additional information about our post Katrina recovery efforts, special projects and hurricane damage information including local Hurricane Katrina Photographs. Dialup Warning!

    For current information about Gulfport Mississippi's recovery after Katrina, please visit Gulfport Mississippi Updates.

Will you sell to me?

    Why wouldn't we sell to you?  Are you a bad person?

    Seriously, why wouldn't we sell to you?  The usual answer is that the customer believes their order is too small.

    While is true that are lots of practical reasons not to sell small quantities of products.  But for each of those reasons there are just as many reasons to accept small orders.

    One reason to accept small orders is Dogwood's history in the local community.  As Dogwood Ceramic Supply grew from the little neighborhood studio to what we are today a loyal local hobby customer base was developed.  Most of those customers continue to purchase small quantities of products in over the counter transactions.

     Hurricane Katrina has displaced many of those local hobby customers, customers whom refer to Gulfport or South Mississippi as home and still desire to buy from Dogwood Ceramic Supply.

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply has accepted that we will need to provide small quantities of products to our loyal customers.  If all they need is a single jar of Duncan glaze or a glaze brush we will be more than happy to provide the products, even if it means shipping a small order via UPS to a customer located a great distance from South Mississippi.

    Bottom line is that we will not refuse anybody's small order, even if the order needs to be shipped to the customer.

    The flip side of this entire issue are shipping costs.  For very small orders it is not uncommon for shipping costs to far exceed the product price.  We will never apologize for shipping costs, but we will also never refuse an order just because of the size of the order.

How can I get the best price? How can I get a better price?

    Seemingly every few days there will be a prospective customer that inquires about receiving a different price than other customers. The questions are usually asked 1 of 3 different ways:

1) "Is that the best you can do on the price?"

2) "When will the item go on sale?"

3) "How can I get a better price"

Let's take a second to answer each of those questions:

1) "Is that the best you can do on the price?"

Yep.

2) "When will the item go on sale?"

It doesn't.

3) "How can I get a better price"

Unit prices and discount terms are published.

    Gasp, how unfair!

    Really?

    Think of it this way.... if we could sell the item to you for less money then why wouldn't we sell the item to everybody for less money?

    From Dogwood Ceramic Supply's perspective, we have priced our goods at the best possible price that we can offer and the best price is available to everybody, every day of the year.

    Wow, what a concept, fair pricing for everybody every day of the year.

    By the way, the paraphrased version of the Federal purchasing standards entitles the government entity to the same price as the vendor's largest commercial customers purchasing the identical items, in the same quantities under the same terms.

 
    In other words the government agencies want to be treated fairly.

    The Federal purchasing standards have been adopted by many State and Municipal governments.  And since schools, hospitals and recreation programs account for the bulk of Dogwood Ceramic Supply's business, and most of those programs are local, state or Federal agencies, then it only makes sense to treat all of customers equally and fairly... because ya never know who might actually be a purchasing agent looking to buy 125 Shimpo pottery wheels for their school district.

    With the idea of treating people fairly (and to attract the school purchasing agent with a spare one-hundred grand to spend), Dogwood Ceramic Supply clearly states our prices.  Quantity discounts, if available, are always published and available to anybody purchasing the specified quantity at any time of the year.  There are no sales or special seasonal prices to cause downward shifts in the price of the goods.  And most importantly there are no secret sign-in pages, no special prices or discounts for "good friends" or "left handed stewardesses with red hair" and no way that you will pay more than somebody else.

Simple, clean and fair.

    If being treated fairly is not what you seek, then by all means take your business elsewhere.  If another business has a published price or discount schedule that is better that what is offered by Dogwood Ceramic Supply then by all means buy the item from the other business.

    Changing prices at will is not a good way to conduct a business. 

    One last important point:    Dogwood Ceramic Supply's pricing policy will not be changed or violated as we would rather loose a potential sale to you than alter our policies and overcharge/harm other customers.

    Follow-up Question: Does Dogwood Ceramic Supply have anything on Sale?

    From time to time, when the link to the House Cleaning Sale is active, Dogwood Ceramic Supply offers a sale of manufacturer discontinued products with a limited selection of closeouts or excessive overstocks. Excessive overstocks are the result of Dogwood Ceramic Supply's purchasing mistakes.  Closeouts means Dogwood Ceramic Supply is ceasing to carry the product.  Having overstocks and closeouts is not desirable for any business as it reflects poorly on the decisions of the purchasing staff.  Regardless of the cause (discontinued, overstock or closeout), the house cleaning sale is available to all customers.  Advance notice of product discontinuations are always published on Dogwood's Hot off the Press.

    But the link to the House Cleaning Sale is NOT active?  You are correct.  Dogwood Ceramic Supply and our manufacturers have been making far fewer mistakes over the past year and there is no need to liquidate the overstock etc products.  

Does Dogwood Ceramic Supply conduct Classes?

No.

   If you are just looking for information, the Dogwood Ceramic Supply website can be a serious learning opportunity for many customers.  Need information about purchasing a kiln? Then click over to Dogwood Ceramic Supply's Paragon Information webpage.  Most (actually way more than 95%) of the information on the page was written by Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  If parts of the page look a bit familiar, they should.  Back in the mid 90's, Dogwood Ceramic Supply wrote a single page information handout for in-store use.  Later that handout would be adapted by Paragon for use in their printed catalog.  Since the original handout, Dogwood Ceramic Supply has upgraded and expanded the information.

   Beyond our website, Dogwood Ceramic Supply offers an extensive selection of clay and pottery books for sale.  Many of these books were written by experts in their respective fields and can be a great resource of information.

    If you are still looking for a class, the question that remains is what kind of class?  Academic?  Recreational? Expanding your skill set?  Classes for children?  Classes for parents and children?  Obviously there are a lot of class options:

Colleges and Universities:

    Pearl River Community College has been offering continuing education classes for adults at Hancock High School. Contact PRCC at (228) 467-3892 for information on their upcoming classes. These classes are especially popular because the classes are designed for adults seeking a bit of education and a lot of fun.

    The University of Southern Mississippi does not offer a degreed clay program on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. However the main Hattiesburg campus offers several degree programs in ceramics and sculpture. In addition to the degree programs, the University offers adult education classes in pottery and sculpture, as well as provide various outreach art programs for children throughout the Hattiesburg area. Contact USM for additional information.

   Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College offers various classes for degree seeking and non-degree seeking artists at both the Jackson County Campus at Gautier as well as the Jeff Davis Campus in Gulfport. Contact either MGCCC-JC or MGCCC-JD for additional information.

    William Carey University has closed their clay programs due to financial restraints caused by Hurricane Katrina. We continue to see Professor Jeff Schmuki as he returns to Mississippi Gulf Coast from his travels across the USA and hopefully one day we can keep him here...teaching pottery and sculpture.

Other Programs:

    The George Ohr Museum offers pottery classes for everybody from the youngest beginner to adults and advanced students.  The Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art (228) 374-5547, is operating out of their temporary headquarters in the Swetman House at 1596 Glenn L. Swetman St in Biloxi (north one block on Miramar St from US Hwy 90).  The Ohr Museum offers the Mud Daubers Art Camp for children every summer as well as special weekend projects for children throughout the school year.  The Great Tile Project is an outreach program for school age children throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  And for the 2009-2010 school year the Ohr Museum has expanded their outreach programs for school age children by offering various clay projects, including choices of air-dried or fired clay.  Contact the Ohr Museum for additional information on various children's classes.

    For adults and advanced potters, the Ohr Museum offers a wide range of classes and special projects.  Basic and advanced pottery classes for wheel-thrown pottery are 10 weeks long and taught by various staff artists. Additional specialty and intense pottery classes are taught by Brian Nettles as well as various guest artists. Beyond the pottery classes, the Ohr Museum offers juried art competitions, retail sales of artist's wares and national exhibits of art in various medias.

   The Mobile Press Register donated their old building on Cathedral Square in Mobile Alabama to the Center for the Living Arts.  An 8000 sq ft studio at the rear of the building was converted to Space 301, a studio dedicated to contemporary arts.  Space 301 is offering pottery classes for both children and adults.

    The Arts & Crafts Center at Keesler AFB (228) 377-3078, offers pottery and ceramic classes throughout the year.  Adult classes for active duty military, dependants and retires are held on Saturday and are designed around a single theme, such as casting molds or various painting techniques.  The Arts & Crafts Center also offers children ceramic classes one Saturday per month through the school year, and during summer months will always have a wide selection of classes for children.  The Arts & Crafts Center also offers handbuilding and wheel thrown pottery classes for adults the 3rd Saturday of every month, and for children at various times during the year.  The pottery classes are typically taught by one of the George Ohr Museum staff artists.

    Pottery Classes at the Ocean Springs Park and Recreation Department (228) 875-8460, Moving Arts Center on Middle St in Ocean Springs. Pottery Classes are held at night on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.  Morning classes are held on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.  Instructors are Steve Burtt and Lisa Dickerson.  The program emphasis is on wheel thrown pottery, though hand-built and slab work is taught as well.  Classes are 10 weeks in length and slots are limited due to continuing student participation.  Classes are aimed at adults, though teenagers can be considered for admission to the program.  Photos of the well established program are published on the city website.

    Ceramic classes are held at the Ocean Springs Park and Recreation Department (228) 875-8460, Moving Arts Center on Middle St in Ocean Springs. The ceramic classes are conducted in molded (cast earthenware) ceramics every Wednesday morning.  The program is self sufficient and does not offer a full time instructor, however, the ladies in the program are always willing to assist a stranger and will welcome any new members with open arms.

For Profit Studios:

    Brian Nettles Pottery Studio is offering various basic to advanced classes at his home studio (228) 452-3511 at 22291 Bells Ferry Rd, Pass Christian MS. Class emphasis is on the potters wheel with wares fired in standard electric kilns as well as wood and gas fired kilns. Day and evening classes are available, with class sizes limited in size so Brian can individually assist each student. Brian is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a BFA in Ceramics and Sculpture. Brian also offers private lessons for the student that needs one-on-one attention.

    Yvonne Brown is offering instruction on the potter's wheel along side an exploration of different hand building techniques including slabs and extrusions. Yvonne's class sizes are limited to 2-3 students per session and private lessons are available by appointment. Basic class is 6 sessions for $125, with glazing and firing costs an additional charge. Yvonne received a BFA from William Carey College (now University) and has been working as a studio pottery for the past 11 years. Contact Yvonne at 868-7652 for additional information.

    Mark King's Pottery Studio (228) 424-7176, has limited seating for up to 4 students per class. Mark's studio is located in Ocean Springs.

Does Dogwood Ceramic Supply provide Finished Ceramics?

   Needing a nice gift for that fussy bride-to-be?  Your boss is retiring and you want to get him something to help him remember the office staff?  Your home washed away in Hurricane Katrina and you would like to decorate your FEMA trailer?  What you are seeking is FINISHED Ceramics.

   To be very clear, Dogwood Ceramic Supply DOES NOT sell finished ceramic and pottery items.   However, some of our customers DO.

    Some customers do exceptional work. Some works may be out of your price range.  Some customers enjoy doing one-of-a-kind items.  Other customers have perfected their techniques and limit their works to a narrow range of products that they routinely produce at extremely competitive prices.  Regardless, Dogwood Ceramic Supply is not going to recommend one customer over another.  We will provide a short list of places that you can find finished ceramic and pottery items and let you be the judge as to the items that you want to buy.

Gift Shops:

    There are a number of fine Gift Shops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Just open the BellSouth Yellow Pages and look under the "Gift Shops" heading.  At last count there were approximately 70 Gift Shops in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson Counties.  Most of those Gift Shops sell a wide range of handmade pottery and ceramics, many of which are purchased from local and Mississippi artists.

Art Galleries:

    What makes an Art Gallery truly different from a Gift Shop?  The quality and uniqueness of the wares.  Most Art Galleries are dedicated to providing limited edition art works versus the repetitive items typically found in a Gift Shop.  When you want something truly unique, try one of the many Art Galleries listed in the BellSouth Yellow Pages.  Many of the galleries specialize in just a limited selection of artwork.

Other Places:

    Every year the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce hosts the "Peter Anderson Festival".  Local artists and craftsmen showcase their wares at the juried craft show, and the competition for entry can be fierce.  The population of Ocean Springs is only 17,000, but during the 2 event the population is nearly 10 times larger due to the influx of art loving customers from throughout the Deep South.  With such a huge number of customers in attendance, every artist and crafts person is applying to attend the show.  Not everybody that applies is allowed to setup a booth at the Festival, but with 350+ booths at the Festival if you can't find what you want at the "Peter Anderson Festival" it probably does not exist.

    Have you been to the George Ohr Museum Gift Shop?  No, the works of George are not sold in the Gift Shop, but every potter and artist on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is at one time or another showing their finished wares through the Ohr Gift Shop.  The selection adjusts seasonally so visit often.

Did we forget anyplace?

    Oh, yes, dozens or even hundreds. You will find artists and crafts people at church bazaars and community events.  There are a number of co-op art and gift shops that set up for a single season.  Doctor's and lawyer's offices are often showcasing the works of a special family member.  Local restaurants often display artwork that is for sale.  And don't forget school shows.  Student pieces are often for sale and who would not want to encourage a budding artist?

Can't find what you want?

    Have you considered doing it yourself?  Most of us started in ceramics and pottery because we wanted something different or special.  Maybe it was a particular shade of peach to match our drapes.  Maybe it was special gift for our Grandmother.  And we found out that it wasn't all that hard.  Most of the time we didn't even need to sign up for a class to accomplish our special piece.

    And when you are ready to dive in and do your own thing, contact Dogwood Ceramic Supply for all of your greenware, bisque, slips, clays, glazes, brushes, tools and of course all the major equipment items such as ceramic molds, Paragon Kilns, pottery wheels from Speedball and Shimpo as well as North Star Slab Rollers.

    Just wanting to do a single project?  No problem.  For those interested in doing the pieces themselves, Dogwood Ceramic Supply offers Firing Services.  Just visit the Dogwood Ceramic Supply showroom and select an item from our extensive selection of prefired (bisque) items which are ready to be taken home, decorated and then returned to Dogwood Ceramic Supply for the final firing.

Safe Purchase of Slips or Clays from Dogwood's Showroom

    To avoid freight costs many customers will chose to visit Dogwood Ceramic Supply to make their purchase of Mackie Slip, Standard White Stoneware Slip, Standard Moist Clay or Standard Porcelain Slip.  To benefit customers, Dogwood Ceramic Supply has a ground level loading area and provides forklift service (at no charge) to load modest quantities of slips or clays into standard pickup trucks.

    If the automotive manufacturer's data plate permanently attached to the driver's door of the vehicle does not allow the weight, do not try to carry the weight.  Your life and the lives of others could be at risk.

    Obviously the weight limitations for casting slips also equally apply to clays or other materials.

    Because of the weight limitations of most passenger type vehicles, many, many years ago Dogwood Ceramic Supply shifted our quantity price breaks to benefit customers purchasing half pallets of slip or 1000 lbs of moist clay.  For customers purchasing products for pickup at the Dogwood Ceramic Warehouse there is seldom any financial advantage (in terms of product price) to purchasing double quantities.

    Please note, if the customer's vehicle is unable to accept palletized loads via forklift, the customer is responsible for loading the slip, clay or other goods into their vehicle.

Product Information and Support

What is the difference between a Banding Wheel and a Turntable?

How to choose the perfect Paragon Kiln

Paragon Kiln Support Questions includes Frequently Asked and Unusual Paragon Questions

Are Small Kilns a good value for consumers?

Can a kiln exposed to water, such as during Hurricane Katrina be repaired?

Kiln Shelves, what are they and why are there so many different types?

Speed is not your friend during the firing and cooling of a kiln.

Why are Freeze Warnings for slips, clays and glazes important?

Have you heard my coat story?  A special discussion for those who suffer from glaze application disease.

Why potters and ceramists should avoid the cold slip and clay season?

General Customer Questions

Will you sell to me?

How can I get the best price? How can I get a Better Price?

Is there a printed Dogwood Ceramic Supply catalog?

Is Dogwood Ceramic Supply an ecommerce business?

What are Simple Shipping Rates?

Clay Card? What is a Clay Card?

Dogwood Questions

What is the history of Dogwood Ceramic Supply in the ceramic industry?

Have More Questions about Dogwood Ceramic Supply?

Who is Emily Basset and what does she do at Dogwood Ceramic Supply?

Classes, does Dogwood Ceramic Supply offer Classes?

Does Dogwood Ceramic Supply sell Finished Ceramics?

May I bring my Dog to visit Dogwood Ceramic Supply?

Will Dogwood Ceramic Supply buy my used ceramic molds or accept my donation of used molds?

12590 Dedeaux Road
Gulfport Mississippi, 39503
Telephone (228) 831-4848        Fax (228) 831-3111

Showroom Business Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 10AM to 5PM
Thursday 1PM to 6PM

Closed Wednesday and Sunday

  Dogwood Ceramic Supply's general business policies, contact and technical customer support information consolidated into a user friendly webpage.