Every year for as long as I can recall, the iconic, world-renown Mississippi pottery studio located in the tiny town of Merigold, Mississippi hosts its long-awaited McCarty’s Seconds Sale – and this year’s sales event, held on Monday, April 28, was unprecedented in attendance, temperature – and fun.
Now, if you have never attended McCarty’s Seconds Sale or do not know of anyone who has, then let me give you a little insight into this remarkable yearly event.
First of all, Merigold is a very small hamlet, located in the Mississippi Delta on Highway 278 between Cleveland and Clarksdale. The 2024 census data for Merigold states that 634 Mississippians reside there.
But once a year, on the day of the Seconds Sale, the population of this pretty, peaceful place swells exponentially. In fact, studio employees confirmed that around 2,000 guests were registered at this year’s onsite sales event.
Even that registration is a sight to behold.
The line to put your name in the pot for a chance to shop the Seconds Sale forms promptly at 7:30 a.m. on the day of the event. Then, an hour later, promptly at 8:30, that first registration line is roped off. (Now, granted, latecomers do get a second chance at the Seconds Sale, but not until the first line of participants plays out.)
So, as soon as the original line of participants that literally wrapped around an entire block were registered, the shopping process gets started. And that involves a portable PA system, a microphone, and a brand-new, large, lidded bucket filled with those 2,000 wannabe shoppers.
Let me stop right here and explain the scene as people are waiting for this yearly moment in time to begin.
The streets in front of the McCarty warehouse (which sits to the side of the famous McCarty studio on the next street) are filled with mud-loving McCarty enthusiasts. It is like a big, gigantic Mississippi family reunion of women (and a few brave men) who congregate each year for the mere chance to buy discounted seconds of their favorite pottery.
Lawn chairs line every nook and cranny of downtown Merigold, as groups of friends and family members visit with each other throughout the day. Now, some groups have coolers filled with drinks and snacks But, in true Mississippi Southern hospitality style, some groups have small tents and feasts spread out for all to enjoy – served via gorgeous pieces of McCarty pottery, of course.
Newcomers are just as welcomed as those who have been coming to the Seconds Sale for years. People come all the way from the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the northernmost corner of the state. Other states are represented as well, and the car tags spread all over the town attest to their long drives – all for the love of pottery.
The party atmosphere grows as the first ten names of lucky shoppers are drawn from the bucket. Those special souls line up with IDs in hand and receive matching laundry baskets with specific instructions on how to shop once they enter the hallowed doors of the Seconds Sale. Those baskets cannot be piled higher than the rim, extra-large times count as one shopping trip, and the shopper must carry her own basket through the sale, past the cashier, and out the door by herself. It’s every girl (or guy) for herself!
The shouts of celebration continue throughout the day as groups of ten continue to hear their names called from the lottery bucket. Yes, the rest of us are anxious and a little bit jealous, but the sisterhood of the mud always, always, always cheers for the lucky ones who get to line up and wait (again) to shop. But it’s not just about the sales; it’s about our mutual love for this magnificent Mississippi pottery.
With all that said, I did not make it into the shopping shed this year. I have friends who did, and my sister’s name was called later in the day. But we chose to head out of Merigold around 1 p.m. because the temperatures had reached over 90, and we basically wimped out. But other friends stayed until dark, because eventually, everyone gets a chance to shop – if they are willing to wait their turn.
On our drive home, we made big plans for next year. 2026 is going to be our McCarty Party of the century. So, make sure to join us there for another day of fun, friendship, and that amazing Merigold mud.
