If you thought collecting baseball cards was the way to serious money, think again and head to the kitchen where the Pyrex collectors among us will let you in on a little secret. Vintage Pyrex patterns are raking in big bucks thanks to obsessed collectors. We've all seen them: those Pyrex bowls that don't ever seem to break or go away. Whether decked out in primary colors or mid century promotional patterns, Pyrex glass has a place on every person's table. Maybe they started with your grandmother, or an aunt who couldn't pass up a home goods sale for just one more bowl set in corning blue.
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No matter how they got there, every house has at least one hard glass Pyrex bowl with handles just large enough for a finger to grasp onto. Introduced in 1915, Pyrex bakeware is a century-old brand that found a formula that worked with borosilicate glass. Pyrex dishes are the kind you can mix, cook and bake in and take straight from the oven to the table. It was revolutionary for the time and now the brand is in the news again because with care, the brightly colored pieces Pyrex products stay in great condition.
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They're not in the news again for a great casserole recipe but for the fact that some rare designs are demanding high prices at auctions and not for its groundbreaking design, but for collectors who are willing to pay thousands of dollars for rare pieces. Don't believe us? Check out this eBay page where Pyrex tops alone are going for close to $600.
According to TODAY, the in-demand rare designs are those that are bright, floral or geometric. Also, look for opaque designs because those are hard-to-find for Pyrex enthusiasts, too. Nesting mixing bowls, vintage Pyrex bowls, vintage Pyrex casserole dishes, and general ovenware are in serious hot demand as the brand experiences this resurgence.
If you want to talk to others who share your love of pyrex, there's an app for that. Well, not yet, but definitely a Facebook page. "Pyrex Passions" has nearly 17,000 members and is dedicated to all things Pyrex from recipes to stories to swaps. Admin Kristina West even started a Pyrex swap meet-up in Tennessee that is now the largest swap in the United States.
Even perusing Instagram brings up hundreds of cute Pyrex nesting bowls, Pyrex mixing bowls, butter dishes, salt and pepper shakers, and refrigerator dishes in nearly perfect condition. It's official: Pyrex is back, and it really never left.
"I'm always surprised by the number of people collecting that didn't know how many others were out there," she told NPR. "It's like their secret shame." Not anymore.
Pyrex, whether you find it on eBay, Etsy, or in your family's stash of spring blossom patterns, has became a tradition over the last century of American cooking, and we hope this resurgence lasts.
This article was originally published Feb 11, 2019.
