Rae Dunn is a collectible brand of pottery sold primarily at TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and HomeGoods. Rae Dunn pieces are distinctive because of the lettering featured on the pieces and how they have words or phrases etched in them. The pieces are well known for being plain white with black lettering, and some of the most popular pieces are mugs. In “Collecting Rae Dunn: Everything You Need to Know” by Lauren Hofer, she outlines what the Rae Dunn craze is; provides some background on the artist; explains where to find the pottery pieces; and discusses getting involved in the Rae Dunn community.

This photograph showcases Rae Dunn pottery being displayed in the dining room of a collector’s home. Photographed by Rebecca Myers

There are, however, pieces that do not match the description provided above. Some of the pieces are different colors, contain different fonts (such as script or typewriter,) and display various patterns/images. With the exception of ghost stamped pieces, all Rae Dunn pottery pieces are marked with a stamp on the bottom. However, there are several different stamps Rae Dunn pieces have. The pieces are either marked with a Rae Dunn, Rae Dunn by Magenta, Magenta, Magenta Exclusive, or M Studio stamp. In Rae Dunn’s article, “RAE DUNN vs. RAE DUNN BY MAGENTA.” she outlines the difference between the Rae Dunn and Rae Dunn by Magenta stamps. As for the Magenta, Magenta Exclusive, and M Studio stamps, Magenta is the company that produces Rae Dunn pieces, so the pieces were marked with their stamps before her work became popular enough to have its own. So, even though the stamp does not say Rae Dunn on it, it does not mean the piece is not Rae Dunn pottery.

4 Places to Find Secondhand Rae Dunn Pottery

While new Rae Dunn pottery is be found at retail shops, secondhand pieces can be found at secondhand venues. These stores include thrift stores; flea markets; antique malls; and yard, estate, and garage sales. By shopping at secondhand venues, collectors are also able to avoid the crowds that retail stores house and collectors can find pieces outside the ones in circulation at the retail stores. At these secondhand stores, vintage pieces can be found as well as pieces sold for under retail.

In Cecilia’s blog post, “Rae Dunn Cookie Jar: Friday’s Find #246,” she shares how she found a Rae Dunn cookie jar at the thrift store. She goes on to share how she decided to use the cookie jar for decoration. As she notes in her post, even if you are not a Rae Dunn collector, it is still exciting to find Rae Dunn pieces at the thrift store.

Avoid the Crowds While Finding Pieces Outside the Circulation

One of the main benefits to hunting for Rae Dunn pottery secondhand is not having to track items and figure out when they will be hitting the shelves; to attend store openings and revisit the store multiple times a day to see if the shelves have been stocked; and to avoid the crowds and collectors at the store. The following video, “Why Rae Dunn Pottery is Causing a Frenzy,” explains what the Rae Dunn pottery craze is and how collectors hunt for pieces at the retail store HomeGoods. This video outlines how collectors spend countless hours in the store in order to ensure they get items they are looking for. While it is not guaranteed pieces will be found while secondhand shopping, there is not as high as a demand for secondhand Dunn as brand new Dunn, so there is a greater possibility of finding a piece secondhand against other collectors who shop secondhand opposed to finding a new piece against collectors who stop at the retail stores.

Another notable benefit to secondhand shopping for Rae Dunn is that collectors find pieces that are out of circulation. At retail stores, there are only certain items that circulate and can be found in stores at a time, while at secondhand stores older pieces can be found at any time, ones that are unable to be found in store. For instance, a collector may go to the thrift store and find a Magenta stamped piece. Pieces in retail stores only have the Rae Dunn by Magenta stamp on them. To note, some collectors care about the stamp while others don’t. The stamp gives the collector a general idea of the year the piece was released.

Inexpensive and Vintage Rae Dunn Pottery Pieces

One of the main reasons collectors hunt for Rae Dunn pottery at secondhand stores is to find vintage and rare pieces. Pieces that were released years ago and were never re-released are popular among collectors but are hard to find. These type of pieces are being found at secondhand stores by collectors and the pieces are highly sought after. The Facebook group, Rae Dunn thrift store finds!, is a group where members share their thrift store finds among one another. In the group, members are constantly finding and sharing vintage and inexpensive pieces they found secondhand. Among the group, vintage pieces tend to be the most popular and interacted with.

When encountering pieces at secondhand stores, they are likely marked below retail. Most of the time, sellers do not know the value of pieces and will mark their prices under retail value; however, some pieces may be priced above retail. At some secondhand stores the seller may know the piece being sold is harder to find or worth more, so they mark its price higher. In My Crafty Den’s video, “Thrifted Thursday…I scored a Rae Dunn Easter Jackpot,” she shares how she found five mugs at two dollars a piece and two sets of four melamine plates at five dollars a set. The mugs averagely retail for six dollars and the plates retail for $25, so all the pieces My Crafty Den bought retail at $80. She only spent $20 on all her pieces at the thrift store, so she saved a total of $60 by buying her pieces secondhand.