For kitchen enthusiasts who love a little nostalgic kitsch, hunting down vintage Pyrex dishes at at garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, thrift shops, antique shops, and on Facebook Marketplace is a thrill like no other. A large part of the appeal? First, there's the increasing rarity of what used to be ubiquitous: Pyrex ceased production of its color ware in the mid-1980s. Then, there's a huge variety of styles, over 150 patterns that provide a visual catalog of American design over four decades. Collectors tend to feel a pull to certain designs, whether it's whimsical daisies, blades of wheat, constellations, floral borders, or the earthy mushrooms that were among the last of the patterns Pyrex put out before the end of color ware.
Finally, there's the nostalgia. "Pyrex continues to hold its value because most of us associate it with memories of family and holiday gatherings and memories from their childhood," says Willow Wright, owner of Urban Redeux Vintage in Alexandria, Virginia. "The vintage designs and patterns of Pyrex evoke a nostalgia, which adds to its value for collectors. Many people will recognize a pattern we have a piece of in stock and say, 'Oh, my grandmother used that pattern.'"
In some cases, Grandma still has that dish (and you should definitely keep it in the family!). Some of the most elusive Pyrex pieces go for hundreds of dollars and there's even anecdotes of collectors bidding thousands for rare pieces. A rare Lucky in Love Pyrex casserole dish from 1959—what might have been only a test pattern, made of shamrocks and hearts—sold for $5,994 in a 2017 Goodwill auction. Someone bid more than $22,000 for the same pattern in 2022, but the bid was rescinded and the rare promotional piece sold for an undisclosed amount in a private auction.
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Here's everything you need to know to collect vintage Pyrex like a pro—and figure out if you've got a goldmine in your kitchen cabinet.
What Is Pyrex?
Pyrex was developed by Corning Glass Works in the early 1900’s and began as clear glassware, Wright says. The company went on to produce a milky white glass and eventually added an exterior color to their bowls. By 1945, Pyrex Color Ware was introduced with a primary color four-piece nesting set, and, over the next 40 years more than 150 patterns would be released, she says.
Pyrex was extremely popular during those years as people could add fun and function to their kitchen and dining spaces, Wright says. The glass could withstand extreme temperature changes without shattering, which added to its practicality and made it ideal for baking and cooking, she adds. That's also why pieces survive until today, making the world a virtual Pyrex museum.
What Are the Patterns Should I Look For?
By far, the most sought-after pattern of all time is "Lucky In Love." This was a promotional pattern that was released in 1959 and very few pieces remain, Wright says. The cheerful round casserole dish has green shamrocks and pink hearts and is encircled by blades of green grass. Rumor has it that because the hearts and shamrocks bled into each other, the design never went into mass production.
Pyrex Agee Pyrex Rare Turquoise Dotted Diamonds Bowl
Pyrex Agee Pyrex Rare Turquoise Dotted Diamonds Bowl
Other patterns considered rare would be the Turquoise Diamond, Pink Daisy, Snowflake, Black (or Atomic) Starburst and New Dots to name a few, Wright says. The most popular shapes are by far the mixing bowls which can simply be round or have a spout on one end and a handle on the other, known as Cinderella mixing bowls.
Pyrex Vintage Pyrex Set of 4 Butterfly Gold Cinderella Nesting Bowls
Pyrex Vintage Pyrex Set of 4 Butterfly Gold Cinderella Nesting Bowls
What Makes a Piece Desirable?
Bowls in fair to poor condition may go for a few dollars at a thrift store or yard sale, but a highly sought-after pattern in excellent condition may reach as high as a few hundred dollars, she says. Complete nesting sets in almost any pattern can fetch over $100 on the low end and often into the several hundred range or more.
A pro tip: If you have some Pyrex that you want to learn more about, or you're interested in collecting, start looking at the pattern museums that are available online, suggests interior designer Ashley Macuga of Collected Interiors.
Also, when looking for Pyrex that has value, Macuga says, seek out pieces that don't have knicks or scratches.
"It's also important to assess whether or not the dish still has its luster," Macuga says. "Dishwasher detergent can dull the colors, so those dishes that have been hand washed over the years will have more value."
Most Pyrex was originally sold in a box adorned with its logo, so if you find one still stored in its box, there is a good chance that it has been well taken care of, she says.
$240.00 Pyrex Cinderella, Vintage Pyrex Butterprint set, midcentury Pyrex set,
$240.00 Pyrex Cinderella, Vintage Pyrex Butterprint set, midcentury Pyrex set,
Where Can You Find Vintage Pyrex?
If you want a Pyrex bowl solely for its functionality, hit your local thrift store, Wright says. "You can almost always find a piece in the kitchen section, and you can expect to pay under $10 for it and it’ll last you forever."
But if you're looking for a specific pattern or want to begin a collection, eBay and Etsy are great places to start, she says. Then, spread the word! "I’d recommend sharing what pattern you collect with friends and family that are often out thrifting or hitting estate sales," she says. "I’ve had multiple people bring me a piece of my pattern, Butterprint, because they knew that I collected it."
A great way to start a Pyrex collection is to begin with one particular serving dish (for example, a rectangular shape with lid) and then over time, you can look for the same pattern in a different shape or size and add to your collection, says Karen Nepacena, owner and principal designer at Destination Eichler in the San Francisco Bay area.
"I once broke one of my small storage containers, so then I searched for the same shape, so I could reuse the original glass lid," she points out. "Most of the shapes and sizes have interchangeable matching lids, so if you collect a number of them, you will always have a matching container plus lid."
Brittany Anas is a former newspaper reporter (The Denver Post, Boulder Daily Camera) turned freelance writer. Before she struck out on her own, she covered just about every beat—from higher education to crime. Now she writes about food, cocktails, travel, and lifestyle topics for Men’s Journal, House Beautiful, Forbes, Simplemost, Shondaland, Livability, Hearst newspapers, TripSavvy and more. In her free time, she coaches basketball, crashes pools, and loves hanging out with her rude-but-adorable Boston Terrier that never got the memo the breed is nicknamed "America’s gentleman."
