The Backstory
Today I wanted to quick chat with you guys about something you have seen on my social media and sometimes here on the blog for years now. This feels so weird to be talking about this today. I don’t really know why, but I just haven’t talked about it before in any length here on the blog or really anywhere. I have been a collector of Rae Dunn Mugs and Dishes for many-many years now & how I have never blogged about it is beyond me, but I think there is one reason.
You see when I first started collecting it I would find pieces at TJ Maxx & Homegoods & there used to be aisles filled with it & no one really talked about it or was collecting it at that time. The pieces would sit at Homegoods for days & you could go home and think about a piece and go back and buy it a week later no problem. Those were the good days.
The Rae Dunn Mugs and Dishes
A few years ago all of the sudden Rae Dunn dishes became super popular & things got a little weird. People were going crazy over it & waiting outside TJ maxx daily an hour before it opened to line up to get it & buy the store completely out, selling it online for 10x the price, & other things I really didn’t want to be a part of.
So I decided to just keep collecting quietly & not bring any attention to it online besides the occasional Instagram photo because I didn’t want to get involved in the conversation about it. I felt like there was a negative vibe when it was talked about… some hated it so they felt they had to bash it or mock those who collected it & so I just kept quiet about it & went on my merry way.
I really have loved Rae Dunn’s work & I have truly loved growing my collection & displaying it [& using it] in our home. & the amount of questions I get about it & the comments I felt like I owed it to you guys to chat about it. My collection has grown pretty large & I have stopped adding to it & unless a piece comes along that I “need” this is it & this large cabinet in our dining room is the perfect place to display it all… well most of it…
My Collection
Ok, yah. That’s a lot of Rae Dunn. But it’s been 4 years of collecting & to be perfectly honest this isn’t even close to all of her designs [isn’t that insane?] If I had it all I wonder how many cabinets that would fill? So who is Rae Dunn & what are “Rae Dunn dishes”?
Well Rae Dunn is a clay artist who is super creative & has a lot of different style dishes out that are sold nation wide. I am a huge fan of all of her work, but in this post I am talking about one line of her dishes that I collect that have an organic shape & a large thin handwritten font on them. I get questions all the time about my Rae Dunn collection so I figured I would answer some of those questions here today. If you have more.. leave them below!
When did you start collecting?
I can’t remember the exact day, but I believe it was 2013. My earliest photo of it in our house that I could find on my Instagram is early 2014 [Yes, I went back and looked] but it’s been a while & I still have the original pieces & they are my favorite.
Where did you find all of your pieces?
Most are from TJ Maxx, Home Goods, & Marshalls. I used to frequent these stores more often before moving to Michigan & living on the farm & owning a shop so I would find a piece here & a piece there which quickly added up. BUT another way I obtained pieces that I wanted to add to my collection were shops on Instagram. The prices were higher, but I never had a problem finding someone that would sell for a reasonable price. If you are interested in purchasing that way you can look up “Rae Dunn For Sale” on Instagram & that will bring up a ton of accounts that do it this way.
Do you think you will ever sell your collection?
Coming from someone who changes her mind often, I have kept these dishes around for 4+ years so I think they will always be a part of me in some small way. Even if I pack part of it up in a box to keep for my grand children, BUT I have started to dwindle down the doubles and pieces I don’t need & selling them at my shop. But the true answer is that I don’t know.. I could sell the whole thing in a few months or keep it forever.. I’m not quite sure. I just know I won’t be selling it this week. haha
How do you store your pieces?
Most of the collection is in this hutch in our dining room, but we do have a few more pieces scattered. Mainly coffee cups because I use those the most frequently. If you haven’t drank coffee out of a Rae Dunn mug before, I highly recommend it! They are the perfect size & shape. In the large cabinet there is no rhyme or reason to the way the pieces are displayed, but I kind of love the messy undone look of it all displayed in there.
Do you ever use your Rae Dunn pieces?
Yes! I think this is the main question I get on Instagram & people assume we don’t use our Rae Dunn pieces [which if we didn’t, I don’t see the problem with that either or why people get so upset about that idea], but yes, we do use our Rae Dunn dishes & our dogs even eat & drink out of them as well. The dishes make me happy to look at & to use. They are super durable & can be put in the dishwasher which is my favorite part.
What’s your favorite part about Rae Dunn pieces?
That’s an easy one. I know Rae designs a lot of pieces so when I’m talking about my “Rae Dunn pieces” & my favorite part about them, I’m talking about the ones that I collect. Anyways, my favorite part is the creamy color & the organic shape of the pottery. I love that even if the words are not showing that they are still beautiful pieces of art. I also love the large font she uses & how organic that is well. It’s all quite lovely.
Do you sell Rae Dunn at your shop?
We do sell her work at The Found Cottage! When we get it in the shop it sells out super quickly, but we carry her “boutique line” which is hand selected items that she creates specifically for boutiques to carry from plates, bakeware, mugs, & more. Like I said, we do try to keep it in stock & now we even have her new jewelry line as well. If you are local you should come & check it out!
Well, there are all the questions I could think about for now, but if you have more I would be happy to try to answer them all! I Rae Dunn pottery isn’t for everyone. Like most things, we all have different opinions and different styles [that’s what I love about the world.. I love all being different and having different & unique styles] But I know I do have some Rae Dunn lovers that read the blog so this is for you guys! I hope that this answered some of your questions or inspired you in some way. Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by the blog today. Be sure to follow me on Facebook & Instagram for more behind the scenes & of course the occasional Rae Dunn shot. xx
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