Pottery equipment lasts decades and studios close regularly, so the used market is good. Wheels, kilns, slab rollers, extruders and shelving all appear, and knowing what wears out on each is the difference between a bargain and someone else's problem.
What is worth buying used
Wheels, where bearings and pedals are replaceable. Kilns, where elements, thermocouples and bricks are replaceable if the maker still supplies them. Slab rollers, where almost nothing wears but the cloths. Banding wheels and shelving, where nothing wears at all. All of these routinely sell for a fraction of new.
What to be careful with
Kilns from makers who no longer supply parts, anything that has stood in a damp building, and electrical equipment with no history. Ask what the last firing reached and how long it took, when parts were last replaced, and why it is being sold. A studio closing gives different answers from a machine that stopped working.
Where it comes from
Studios closing, colleges and schools replacing equipment, potters retiring, and people who tried a hobby for a year. The last is the best source for wheels; the first two for kilns and larger equipment, often complete with furniture and tools that would cost a lot separately.
Moving it
Kilns and slab rollers are heavy, awkward and often need dismantling. Check the route in and out before agreeing a price, including doorways, steps and the final position, and arrange help. This is the part most often left to the last minute and it is the part most likely to go wrong.
Questions people ask about pottery equipment for sale
What pottery equipment is worth buying used?
Wheels, kilns from supported makers, slab rollers, banding wheels and shelving. Most of what wears on them is replaceable.
What should I avoid?
Kilns whose parts are no longer available and anything that has stood in a damp building.
Where does used equipment come from?
Studios closing, colleges upgrading, potters retiring, and people who tried the hobby for a year and stopped.