On-line shopping is beckoning, promising easy purchases day or night and from the comfort of your own arm-chair. Armed with a modem, credit card and keyboard, the Internet world of shopping is open to you. Or is it?
Buying goods on the Internet is still a fairly new business. Major credit card institutions advise against giving details over the Net, but many sites now offer encryption as a secure transaction method, although the ceramic world has a lot of catching up to do here.
Buying ceramics on the Net may seem a particularly strange thing to do. You can't actually see or feel the object before purchasing and in many cases with ceramics the tactile experience is nearly as important as the visual one. You have to rely on a low-resolution images and details of height and width to get an idea of dimensions. But then again, in some countries, catalogue purchasing is a big business.
These difficulties aside, how does one actually order ceramics on-line? Most commercial ceramics sites offer only a phone or fax number or e-mail address for ordering. As yet, none offer actual credit card transactions via the Net, let alone with encryption.
The Consorzio della Ceramica is an English language site for Italian ceramics. It is associated with the Museo Archeologico e della Ceramica di Montelupo (Italian language) and specialises in the socalled Maiolica Fiorentina ware. The site offers phone & fax details of 25 companies offering ceramics in Italy.
The Tom Gray Pottery in North Carolina specialises in functional ware made from stoneware, raku and porcelain. Ordering information can be obtained via e-mail. The Tom Gray site at Carolina Clay offers phone details and a list of galleries and markets where Tom's work can be found. Similar artist's sites can be found on the Carolina Clay's Potter's Page, that links to 5 other Carolina artists.
The The Highland Trail -Highland Stoneware, Scotland offers various hand-painted functional items made in stoneware. On offer are the Fish, Seascape, Wild Berry and Iris design series. After registration, the Highland Trail system lets you place items in a 'virtual shopping basket'. One then proceeds to the virtual 'check-out' and there is a 'customer service desk' (an e-mail address). While this 'system' is one of the most sophisticated (and fun), goods are delivered C.O.D.
The Rio Grande Bisque Company has the 'Sand Drift' and 'Navajo Etched' collections on offer, besides molds and bisque ware. It has an order form that includes payment by checks only.
STONART is the site of ceramic artists Jack & Cindy Phillips, who specialise in functional and sculptural stoneware. Ordering is by e-mail, phone or fax. An order form can also be printed out and sent in.
The site WWI -Handmade Ceramics for Collectors and Designers offers Marta Ortiz ceramics for sale. This company has Master Card & Visa facilities for wholesalers and retailers, although initial contact is via phone, fax or e-mail.
It seems buying ceramics on the Net still has a long way to go. Besides these 'commercial' sites there are many potters and ceramic artists with homepages that will also sell their ceramic art to you in one way or another.