Best online shops for pots UK/Europe

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giharding

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I was about to say EBPC until I looked at your last link. If you’re willing to consider ordering from the US, hollowcreekbonsai.com occasionally has very nice things. Also, Ashley Keller is in Canada, ashleykellerpottery.com. Her incised and hand-painted pieces are exquisite, painted in a calligraphy style.
 
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I got some nice and very affordable pots from bonsai.de
I was amazed by the amount of care invested in packaging.
However, I do want to note that I'm not a ceramics expert and I don't have the experience to judge the quality. But thus far, they've been frozen and thawed for a few times without visual damage.
 
Depends on what you look for...
I found some nice pots at Wattsonbonsai. Awaiting delivery of yellow shohin pot by Eimei tomorrow.
 
Vlad Cruceanu said:
For special bonsai pots, visit http://www.atelierbonsai-element.com/en/ . Erik Križovenský is a great guy from all points of view. I bought from him and the package (pot 50 kg, the package 106 kg) was extremely nice secured.
Click to expand...
When you mentioned a 50 kg pot, I thought it must be a mistake. Then I went and looked at his pots. My God, those are incredible! Number 97 looks like it’s just begging for Kimura’s attention.
 
Keep an eye on ebay for TB pots (Tom Butterworth), think hes busy cooking and should have a lot of new listings soon. Tommys basically non profit so prices are great, good quality, quirky and there is bound to be a few you like when he puts a run up. I`ve gathered quite a few the last year..

Can't go wrong with Erin as said above. Beautiful thick glazes, and solid.. (already good prices and free shipping uk, not bumping the price)

And of course EBPC and Thor Holivar if your after something special ;)
 
I have tried to buy pots from https://www.laosgarden.com, but I find their prices very expensive (at least for Koyos), and they were not willing to consider an offer at 80% of their asking price.
 
Their prices are some of the best in the EU though and to be fair a quick search of other retailers in the EU it's much the same.

The problem is for us to import most things you will be hit with a 21 percent sales tax and a further 2.5 percent import tariff which gets passed on to the consumer. And to import something individually then customs may slap you with a 48 percent tax because it's a Tuesday so no point in us going directly to Japan.
Most things are cheaper on your side of the pond, I once worked out that with the money saved by buying a certain telescope in the US I could afford to buy a return airfare and bring it back with me and still come out ahead.
Just part of life over here really.
 
@Starfox

Thanks for the insight, i had no idea that non-antique tokoname pots were taxed so heavily.

It sounds like Europe needs people like we have here: people bringing in a bigger quantity of pots per shipment, and purchasing from established buyers/dealers based in Japan who themselves obtain a good price from local sellers.

For example, this 19" (50cm) Koyo pot would never sell for $1500 USD on our side of the Atlantic. Even if you remove the 50% tax, at $750 USD the pot is still a couple hundred dollars more than the going price even after the 1) original seller, 2) japanese dealer, and 3) american retailer have taken their cut.

https://www.laosgarden.com/gb/author-and-vintage-pots/1210-jta2161-koyo-kouichirou.html

To be clear, i deeply sympathize with your situation. Somebody should take the initiative in Europe and start bringing in pots!
 
derek7745 said:
@Starfox

Thanks for the insight, i had no idea that non-antique tokoname pots were taxed so heavily.

It sounds like Europe needs people like we have here: people bringing in a bigger quantity of pots per shipment, and purchasing from established buyers/dealers based in Japan who themselves obtain a good price from local sellers.

For example, this 19" (50cm) Koyo pot would never sell for $1500 USD on our side of the Atlantic. Even if you remove the 50% tax, at $750 USD the pot is still a couple hundred dollars more than the going price even after the 1) original seller, 2) japanese dealer, and 3) american retailer have taken their cut.

https://www.laosgarden.com/gb/author-and-vintage-pots/1210-jta2161-koyo-kouichirou.html

To be clear, i deeply sympathize with your situation. Somebody should take the initiative in Europe and start bringing in pots!
Click to expand...

I don't think supply is the problem. If I'm not mistaken, it is the Value-Added Tax (VAT) in the EU that is applied to purchases from non-EU countries. BTW, I'd expect the current U.S. battle with the Chinese over trade could hike prices for Chinese tools, pots and other bonsai stuff come springtime, as 25 percent duties on imports from that country go into effect...
 
rockm said:
I don't think supply is the problem.
Click to expand...

Yeah I would tend to say it is more likely the demand side of it, they already have over 2000 pots listed for sale which they claim is the largest on offer in Europe and I would guess they are one of the bigger importers as they make yearly trips so I'd say they have a fair handle on the costings involved.
Anything else is just speculation, their prices on imported trees are pretty good, perhaps they offset the price to offer cheaper prices on products that sell more? I wouldn't even know if a used pot needs to be treated or quarantined either.
I couldn't say in all fairness.
 
Starfox said:
Yeah I would tend to say it is more likely the demand side of it, they already have over 2000 pots listed for sale which they claim is the largest on offer in Europe and I would guess they are one of the bigger importers as they make yearly trips so I'd say they have a fair handle on the costings involved.
Anything else is just speculation, their prices on imported trees are pretty good, perhaps they offset the price to offer cheaper prices on products that sell more? I wouldn't even know if a used pot needs to be treated or quarantined either.
I couldn't say in all fairness.
Click to expand...

Pots don't have to be quarantined. ;-)

The primary dealers in Japanese imported antique pots here in the U.S. bring in hundreds of pots every month. They sell primarily through Facebook auctions and not through their own websites for the most part. They've also developed quite a following for antique "pot freaks" too with some deals reaching into the $100,000 range. I don't know if any of the Euro dealers are selling that way. Here in the U.S. there is a specific audience for older Japanese pots. The sellers know that and know how to get to those folks via the web. They're not waiting for someone to come by their websites and order. The best stuff is snapped up quickly in the auctions.
 
I guess it depends on where it is too, I know that if I were to move back to Australia my biggest hassle(probably not but still it'd be a thing) would be my pot collection and more so the ones that have been used as they need to be declared and treated by customs at my expense before they will release them. Australia is really strict on these things though and I can't really say for elsewhere. I can find EU related info on bonsai trees specifically but not used pots.

No idea what the high end market is like here or if there is one it may not be limited to just the bonsai community. Those sort of prices are best left to others.
 
Thanks very much everyone for your contributions. Does anyone know if there are similar FB auction groups here in Europe?
 
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