A few weeks back, my good friend Sara was in town and she accompanied me to an estate sale in Tamarac. While we were there, I saw a vintage turquoise "Amish Butterprint" Pyrex 444 Cinderella nesting bowl, i.e., a large mixing bowl. I asked Sara to check the price on it and she said, "Oh, it's just Pyrex."
Uh, what? "Just Pyrex?!"
I explained to her that this pattern in particular was highly collectible and extremely popular given it's Tiffany Blue coloring. I told her what kind of coin these vintage dishes could fetch. She was surprised, but no more surprised than my parents, who when I told them years ago I was gonna start an online
Etsy shop selling vintage Pyrex, were like, "Hey, we've got tons of vintage Pyrex in our kitchen cabinets!"
But that's the appeal! Especially for my generation. It's nostalgic. It reminds us of making cookies with our moms in our grandmas' kitchens. It evokes memories of leftover peas and mashed potatoes in our fridges. They're fun and collectible! So, for me, as a picker, I love hunting for limited edition prints or complete, rare sets.
So, how do you know what's rare? Well remember back. Do you remember it in your friend's mom's kitchen cabinets? If not, it might be collectible. But, there's a resource online, with a wealth of information on all things Pyrex.
This site is great! It has tips for cleaning and caring for your Pyrex as well as pricing guides. But my favorite thing is the Vintage Pyrex Pattern Guide. You can quickly and easily get a sense for the value and rarity of a piece.
Have a gander...you'll get sucked in!
I recently came across a casserole dish at one of the Salvation Army's nearby and recognized it immediately as being a bit uncommon, thanks to the Pattern Guide on
Pyrex Love. No sooner than I listed it on Etsy, it was sold.
This Promotional Round Casserole was manufactured in 1971 and was available for a limited time. The pattern, called Moon Deco, is one of Pyrex's more modern motifs with it's simplistic red dot encased within a round black spot.
It's really shocking what you can find at thrift stores if you frequent them.
But one of my absolute favorite finds has been the Complete Set of 400 Series Pink Pyrex Mixing Bowls we bought at an estate sale that was held for an amazing Ft. Lauderdale woman who had a collection after our own hearts.
I have the set listed on Etsy and will be taking it up to my shop-in-shop tomorrow, but if for some reason they don't sell, and I have to keep them, whatever would I do??
Hehe, I guess I'd just have to keep them and enjoy them myself!
Now, in addition to the painted bakeware that comes to mind when we hear Pyrex, there's also the ever collectible casserole baskets.
I've come across a few of these and they're always a hit with my buyers. They're perfect for pot-luck dinners or weekend barbecues.
Speaking of weekend barbecues, that sounds like a good idea! Down here in South Florida, our weather is still ripe for 'cueing!
It's November 5th and the "feels like" temp is 90.
Well, I better get off the computer and get my pickin' boots on! I've got a pre-sale in Loxahatchee to get to!
Oh, before I leave! Going back to the turquoise "Amish Butterprint" bowl my good friend Sara wasn't impressed with, I just wanted to mention, it was one of the first things to sell in my booth at
The Sugar Chest Antique Mall. Cha-ching!
Best,
Angela
