Field Trip!: Serving Up Style at the Fiesta Outlet

I had no idea it was so close. Yes, word on the street was-- or rather word from a fellow Fiesta fan was (because there's not as much discussion on the street about vintage style pottery as you might think)-- the Fiesta Retail Outlet was practically in my own backyard.

And sure enough, it turns out Newell, West Virginia-- home of the Homer Laughlin factory and birthplace of Fiestaware-- was just a hop, skip and a jump away from me. A jump and/or skip of around an hour.

Well, that's all I needed to hear. I've never had the chance to visit a place where things I actively collect are made. And Fiesta ware has enjoyed a long history of nifty art deco style.

So I called up my buddy Scoobie and asked her if she was up for a mini-roadtrip. I knew she'd had her eye on a couple of pieces of Fiesta in Tangerine to go along with some Grand Canyon printed dinnerware she already had. And my Fiesta information source had mentioned that not only was there a Fiesta Outlet there, but a "seconds" outlet. Where you could get pieces with minor flaws at discount...
It was music to the ears.

(Probably involving mariachis and maracas. We like to keep it themic.)

While Fiesta Drive, the location of the outlet, might not come up on Rand McNally directions, you really can't miss it in Newell, off Route 2...

Just head down the long driveway, past the warehouses, and along the river, in back...
There you'll find the outlet entrance...
A peek through the windows gives just a taste of the vibrant color that awaits you. Even on a grey, rainy day, it looks bright and cheerful...
Head to the front doors and pause at the "Brokenware Garden"...
Look, but don't touch! I was happy the snow we'd had piled up for weeks had melted away and I was able to see this little pottery patch...
Inside, there are two rooms. One, with brand new flaw-free pieces, factory-fresh. It's a mind-boggling variety of colors and styles to choose from. Pieces come in boxed sets and as individuals. And the prices are comparable to the rates department stores seemed to be charging for the same items.

Then, on the left-hand side of the shop is the Seconds Outlet. There, pallettes are simply stacked with the Fiesta pieces that the Homer Laughlin folks felt didn't quite measure up.

Some have minor run flaws... Some, the glaze might not be as thick as expected... Some may have chips or color issues or dimples. If you're not looking to collect Fiesta for it's resale value, you can find many pieces which are perfectly servicable and still have great looks.

The Fiesta folks supply sturdy milk crates in which to stack your selected pieces. And while the choice is limited to whatever pieces have been sent to Seconds with flaws, there really is a wide selection. Scoobie did, indeed, get her dream of Tangerine fulfilled with a lidded canister, some big coffee cups, a pitcher and a few other goodies.

I snagged some choice pieces myself-- largely things I knew I couldn't get in the stores around me.
If you visit the outlet and still have some energy, I'd suggest crossing the Newell Toll Bridge ($0.75 gets you there) and heading on over the bridge to East Liverpool, Ohio...
Just five minutes from Newell, East Liverpool is home to the Pottery City Antique Mall...

And there, you have four floors of treasures to peruse-- both pottery and non-pottery alike. My brain was still rather in Fiesta mode, so I picked up a few pieces of Fiesta that aren't a part of their current line...

Like these three fun and very art deco coffee mugs here at left...
From there, you're also not far from BeaverFalls/Chippewa, PA, which is home to Antiques Emporium, or-- northward-- Columbiana, Ohio, which has three different antique shops.

With this kind of grouping, it's more than worth the trip!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed our field trip today and that your virtual feet aren't too sore!

• If you missed Wednesday's Treasure Box post, you can click here and check that out.

And if you have to be heading off, I hope you have a colorful and cheery week ahead of you.

Treasure Box Wednesday: Partying with Fiestaware

While here at The Thrift Shop Romantic, we typically delve into vintage resale finds, there happens to be one so-functional collectible that is still being produced, and hasn't changed much since its birth in East Liverpool, Ohio in the 1930s-- decorative, art deco Fiesta.

I've been picking up pieces of this, both new and used, to balance out the plethora of purple pottery plates I'd found at Big Lots over the last few months. I love the big deep mugs and bowls, but the sheer purpleness of it all was a bit much. It was starting to look like Tim Burton's kitchen cabinets.

But most interestingly, this last week, retail stores actually came through to give me the balance I'd wanted-- and in a huge way. (I know: it gave me a little unnerved shiver, too.)

Department stores Kohls and-- of all places, the normally-pricey Macy's-- have had big sales on the dinnerware. 40% off in the case of Kohls, and Buy-One-Get-One-Free at Macy's.

So I chose some colors I knew would work with my kitchen, and was able to pre-order some to be picked up this very Wednesday evening. It's going to feel a little bit like Christmas, I suspect.

One thing worth noting-- the "Lemongrass" color above has photographed much more yellow than it appears to be in person-- in my kitchen it looks like a bright lime/Depression glass green. Lighting is funny that way...
Which is why I recommend anyone looking to buy Fiesta who hasn't done so before, and might not know what the various color names mean, to make sure you see it in person to start.

I'd noticed the new Kelly Green that's out appears actually way more green-green than it looks online as well. So just a word to the wise.

The other nice thing about the newer Fiesta is that, beginning in the 80s, the Homer Laughlin company began making sure the glazes were lead-free. You can identify many of these pieces by the "lead-free" mark on the bottom.

So tonight, I'll be putting on my sombrero, gathering up my maracas, and having myself a Fiesta! And as always, you're more than welcome to join the party. :)

Have a great rest of your week!