Road Trip to Fiesta Ware

From the picture you can see that R may not have been totally thrilled with plates at Fiesta Ware, but he did like the hat and guitar in the photobooth at Fiesta Ware. While visiting family in Pennsylvania this summer we took a day trip over to Newell, West Virginia to score some deals on dishes.
 
Don't let the horror movie-esque exterior fool you, it's worth it. Both R and I have been here twice. The first time there were bins all along the parking lot outside that were marked as seconds for a dollar. This means that they might have some tiny flaw, but from what we saw they were in awesome condition. This was in addition to the seconds room in the back of the store with even more items.

The second time we went, the bins were not outside, which we were bummed about, but we still had plenty to look through in the seconds room. The front room holds items that are in perfect condition, but not discounted. I did fall in love with several Halloween plates, but couldn't convince myself to buy them and haul them all the way home.

The factory does offer tours, but children are not allowed, and they only run them on Tuesday and Fridays. You may also want to take a rag or cloth because the dishes in the seconds room can be dusty, and you'll be digging through piles and in boxes to find what you want. Another cool thing to check out is the dump where cracked plates, mistakes, and misprinted colors find their way. It's like an explosion of color. My family found the $.50 old school toll bridge that you have to cross both charming and terrifying. Be aware though, there is very little else to do in Newell. There are only a handful of places to eat and nowhere that I saw for kids to run around outside of the Fiesta property. R may not have been super amused, but he did like being fawned over by all of the ladies. If you find yourself in Pittsburg, it's about a 45 minute drive, and if you're a Fiesta fan it's worth it. Be on the lookout for the tent sales and special events here!