The gift of Pyrex

Got the idea of putting some of my excess Pyrex bowls I've collected to use as Chanukah gifts. It's sort of a way of "recycling" them to combine the old with the new. Simply bought some cute kitchen gadgets, potholders, etc, arranged them in the Pyrex bowls, and wrapped it all up in transluscent-colored cellophane paper and ribbon.

Pictured are two of them (already wrapped) and one that remains to be wrapped up. Voila.

shabby-chic hamper

I like and use my retro hamper. In back, on the metal, the words "Detecto scales and hampers, New York," are stamped. This is in great condition, considering it dates from the 1950s. I found this at a yard sale about a year ago and paid around $2.00.
The floral design and paint are a little worn in some areas, but otherwise this metal hamper is in wonderful shape. In contrast, the previous hamper that I used, which I had purchased from a department store about 10 years ago, was falling apart.

found florals

Two fairly new aquisitions in the Spring Blossom pattern.

I found the Cinderella style Pyrex bowl for a dollar at a yard sale in Fort Washington, PA. This type of Pyrex bowl has indented "pouring" handles on each side. A complete set (dating from the 1960s) would include 4 bowls: 2 white with green flowers (as bowl pictured) and 2 with the reverse pattern (green with white flowers).

The large refrigerator/casserole dish was a gift from a friend from a thrift shop. It was missing its cover lid, but I have others that will fit.

verde dish

The Pyrex Verde line dates from the 1960s and comprises bowls, casseroles, etc, in a range of green and greenish yellow colors. Remember those avocado-colored appliances from the 60s? (Everything from refrigerators to mixers were available in that color.) Well, that's what I thought of when I found this lone avocado refrigerator dish at a garage sale for a dollar this past weekend.

pricey yard sale purchase

According to my research on the Internet (looking at the mark), this piece of Stangl is quite old, dating from the late 1930s or early 1940s. It has an unusual satiny green glaze.

I believe the piece is a planter…can’t imagine what else it would be used for. In observing the “handles” on each side, I think they are meant to resemble swan or birds’ heads (although my husband doesn’t see that at all!)

I bought this at a yard sale held by an antique dealer about a half dozen years ago. Her prices were inflated and, at $20, I think I overpaid big time. At any rate, this is my most pricey yard sale find.

got green!

"Looking for anything in particular?," the man asked as I checked out tables of items at his yard sale on a recent Saturday in Abington, PA.

"Got Pyrex?," I queried, although I didn't spot any on a table crammed with assorted kitchen items of every shape and size. "I have a piece in the house I don't use," he replied, and returned shortly with the green bowl from the primary bowl set.

Although not in the greatest condition (there's some color loss around the rim), I was still pleased to get it for a dollar. I already have the largest yellow bowl, so I'm "keeping watch" for the red and the blue bowls.

The yard sale guy told me he had the blue bowl, but wasn't quite ready to part with it. "I use that one all the time," he explained.

stangl server

I've seen this type of plate with handle referred to as a tidbit plate. Found this mint condition piece in the New Life Thrift store in Glenside, PA for $5. The basket floral pattern is called "Florette." Although this pattern is not the same as other Stangl dishes I have from my mother (called Apple Delight), it goes with most anything. I've used it sometimes to serve cookies on -- a very pretty presentation.

owl cookie jar

As mentioned on another posting, I like owls. Although I hear their hooting occasionally from the sparsely wooded area surrounding my neighborhood, I have never seen (other than at the zoo) a real owl in the "wild."

I found this McCoy brown owl cookie jar at Stephenson's auction house in Southampton, PA, and won the bid at $35.00. This piece dates from the 70s and was manufactured in several shades...have come across it in pictures in a lighter beige/brown.
I've read that it's sometimes referred to as the "patriotic owl" because one wing is positioned in a pledge-of-allegiance pose.

retro snacking

The popcorn is not vintage, but these two pieces of Boontonware melamine are. I found this bowl and large serving platter at a barn sale along with a Boontonware creamer and sugar bowl (not pictured)-- all for a couple of dollars. While I had come across pieces of Boontonware in colors of aqua, pink, and yellow now and then in my rummaging, this ivory color was a new one for me.

colorful "sour cream" glassware

Back in the day, sour cream was sold in a variety of patterned drinking glasses of various sizes. Now, they're a usable collectable. Pictured are my recent finds: the two taller glasses, which I found on a table of glassware at a recent yard sale, were a quarter each. I unearthed the two smaller red "pinwheel" design glasses at a yard sale just yesterday. The people running the sale had a box of household items at the curb marked "free," -- that's where I found the red-pinwheel glasses. Not bad!!

hello 1950s..!

I found these pink and black canisters at a barn sale near my home in Pennsylvania the other year...all four for a dollar!


They are marked with the brand "Decoware" on the bottom, and aside from a little rust in a couple of them, they are in good condition for an item that dates to the 50s. I don't actually store anything in them but use them for show in my breakfast room, keeping them on the very top of my display cabinet.

I've seen a variety of other vintage metalware by Decoware in this same pattern on the Internet, including a wastebasket and a cake holder.

mystery roman pattern on vintage glass

Pictured is a "vase" that I purchased at a garage sale for a dollar. Actually, I'm using it as a vase, but the seller told me it is a martini shaker from the 1950s. I've never really seen (or used) a martini shaker, but it makes sense as you can see that there are pouring lips in the the glass on the top rim.

What attracted me was the pattern, which is a stylized roman motif. I actually have other vintage glassware (regular drinking glasses) with the exact "roman" pattern that were used by my mother-in-law.

If anyone out there knows the name of this pattern or maker of this glassware, let me know -- I am very curious!

lemony pyrex

Pyrex manufactured numerous carafes over the years. I found this 1 1/2 quart juice carafe at a garage sale the other week for the "bargain price" of a dollar. Perfect for lemonaide with its lemon slice design, and I enjoyed using it to serve pink lemonaide on Mother's day!

I've seen this same carafe in Pyrex books with an orange slice motif and also with a combo of orange/lemon slices. Unlike other Pyrex beverage holders that can be used for hot liquids, this is intended for cold drinks only, and "says so," imprinted right on the glass.

oh-so-cute refrig dishes

Pyrex refrigerator dishes are quite collectible, and my friend "M" has the full basic primary color set. These have the thin-ribbed lid design (though you can't tell from the photo), and are probably pre-1950. They used to belong to her Aunt.

I remember seeing similar ones at a yard sale in my pre-Pyrex days...maybe 5 years ago or so...stopping to look at them, and then moving right by. What was I thinking?!

curbside Pyrex

I think I may take up jogging. Or at least walking briskly in other neighborhoods.

My friend and neighbor, "M", was jogging by some homes several miles from our own neighborhood, when the glint of something bright orange/yellow caused her to investigate.

Curbside with the trash, in front of a house with a 'For sale' sign, was a laundry basket full of kitchen items, including the pictured stash of Pyrex. Good thing her husband was home and could bring the car over to pick up the "trash" before the garbage/recycling trucks came.

What caught her eye were the sunny shades of a set of Pyrex casseroles with the flower lids--these are from the Daisy line, circa 1960s. Also included were a set of six "pixie" 10 oz. casserole dishes...very cute and in great condition.

the real McCoy

Every kitchen needs at least one vintage cookie jar, I think.

I became interested in cookie jars about 5 years ago when I went on the 127 yard sale and saw various McCoy and Hull cookie jars on roadside tables throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. Lots of fakes though, some more obvious then others. I was hesitant to buy, however, my interest was sparked.

After returning, this McCoy black "cookstove" cookie jar caught my eye at Stephenson’s Auction in Southampton, PA. Someone was bidding against me when the bidding started at $10, but when it went up to $35, it was mine.

This piece, from what I have read, dates from the early 60s. Its gold trim and other painted designs are delicate and prone to flaking, but this particular one is in good shape. I’ve also seen pictures of this same McCoy cookie jar in a matte white finish, with the same gold trim.

And no, I don't keep cookies in it...use it for decorative display only! My cookies are wrapped up, in the pantry.

surviving Stangl

A "Jersey girl" by birth, I guess maybe that's part of the reason I like both melmac Boontonware and Stangl dinnerware -- New Jersey is the common denominator!

Stangl is known for artware, figurines(such as Stangl birds), and hand-painted dinnerware, often in floral or fruit patterns.

Stangl had a factory in Trenton, which I believe was the origin of the pictured pieces, which are the "Apple Delight" pattern. This creamer, sugar bowl, and divided serving dish are practically all that remain from the full set of "Apple Delight" that my mother had from the 1960s. I also have (not pictured) her gravy boat in this pattern. My mother used this Stangl for her everyday dishes: the plates broke many years ago, and these less-used serving pieces survived. As I like to mix and match, I often use them with my other dishes.

tick tock

Although not specifically for a kitchen, I want to display a picture of my retro clock, a $35 e-bay acquistion several years ago. The clock was manufactured in the 1950s by United Clock Corp. in Brooklyn.

My grandparents had this model by their TV, on a table in their Morristown, NJ duplex, where they lived in the 1950s and 60s. I used to admire it when I was a child, enjoying when my grandfather would flick the back switch that made the little fireplace logs glow red. A single nightlight-size red bulb gives that charming effect. Growing up in the same duplex house, I was constantly visiting my grandparents and spent much time in the room with the clock!


One day in 2003, a random memory of me in my grandparents' house and the clock on the table popped into my head. I googled the words "fireplace clock" and was excited when several appeared up on e-bay in a matter of seconds. I have no idea of what became of the specific one from Morristown, but this one, down to the smallest details, is an exact match.

bigger than a breadbox?

This breadbox, manufactured by Ransburg, has a shabby chic quality. The tole-painted metalware box, with its stylized flowers and green/orange colors, seems to be from the early 70s, if I had to pin a date on it.

Found it in a kitchen display of furniture at an antiques store off Route 309, north of Quakertown, PA. I think it was there for display only, not for sale because there was no tag on. However, the sales clerk and I came to agreement on ten dollars when I asked. In my house, I use it to hold various boxes of tea and packets of hot chocolate, but not for bread.

Growing up, I remember my mom had a metal breadbox. In it, I seem to recall that she often stored a loaf of soft Wonderbread and, occasionally, a bag of rolls from the grocery.

Generally, I think that the popularity of breadboxes is a thing of the past. Does anybody ask anymore if something "is bigger than a breadbox?" I know that if I kept bread in a breadbox, I'd forget about it until a week or two later. My bread is in the freezer, where I sometimes forget about it, but at least it's not moldy!

retro owl

I have a penchant for retro owl kitchen accessories. However, until now, it wasn't common knowledge as I wanted to avoid getting random owl accessories on my birthday from family! Actually, I’m pretty particular about the owl-items I select.

This molded resin napkin holder “spoke” to me at a yard sale for a dollar. I would date it from the 1970s. The iridescent orange color glows brightly when the sunlight hits it in my kitchen.

coffee time collection

I guess you could say coffee is an important part of my life or, at least, that’s what my family would say as they think I consume too much.

Along with my affinity for drinking coffee, I enjoy collectible coffee items. Two of the old coffee containers pictured come from the Brimfield flea market in Massachusetts. The Folgers can with the ship graphic (which is my favorite of the three) was a bargain for 25 cents at a local garage sale. The little yellow coffee bank was a splurge for $10.00 (what was I thinking!!), at a place called Powerhouse antiques in the Collegeville, PA area.

Also pictured is a vintage 1950s Fireking mug. It shows Davy Crockett, "king of the wild frontier." This was a find for 75 cents in a box of otherwise junky stuff at a local yard sale.

sifter shopping

My vintage flour sifters--brand name "Androck"--date to the 1950s, early 50s, I believe.

I found the one with the diamond and stylized star design at a barn sale in Blue Bell, Pa. I paid a dollar for a box of mildly rusty kitchen items--this sifter was my favorite item in the box and it had minimal rust! Still works (has 3 screens) but I just display it as the inner screens are hard to clean thoroughly.
The companion sifter with the daisies is by the same manufacturer. It has similar construction except the handle is paint over wood instead of metal. I bought this one in a rather interesting way, at an auction house called Stephenson's in Southampton, PA. I had lost a bid on a box lot that had a number of interesting boxes of household items (such as this sifter) to a man who was determinedly bidding on the same lot. Later, when he claimed his boxes and was packing up, I approached him and asked about buying the sifter. We settled on $3--he didn't seem very interested in it compared to other items in his lot!

melmac en masse

My melmac bowls en masse! These are great for serving, especially if you’re fond of 1950s pastels (with the exception of the maroon dish). All are the Boontonware brand.

Most are from garage sales, and I believe the maroon one was the most expensive, costing about $4 from a thrift store, name forgotten, several years ago.
Some are divided in the center, and there are a couple with lids. The side handle and lid handle design reminds me of the “fins” on cars from that time period…sort of an art deco look going on.

tuna fish dish

This somewhat faded-looking dish is known as the tuna fish dish. That's because back in the 1960s, my Mom would serve her tuna salad in it...frequently.

The dish is made from melamine (trade name was “melmac”), a super hard plasticware that had its heyday of popularity in the 1950s and 60s. Its claim to fame was indestructibility… this material is tough stuff. Although the pieces appeared attractive when new (if you enjoy 1950s colors), they don’t age well (even though they won’t break!). Two downsides to melmac: it scratches easily from utensils and can get a scuffed look, and it can discolor from holding certain foods or beverages, like coffee. Despite those negatives, I’ve come across numerous melmac dishes in good condition.

By the time I was in college, this dish had fallen out of favor in my parents’ household. I found it had been relegated to the basement, where my Dad used it as a container to mix spackle. I cleaned it up and claimed it some years ago, and it now has “upstairs bowl” status in Pennsylvania.

There are various brands of melmac, and this bowl is stamped “Boontonware” underneath. It was manufactured in Boonton, NJ, not far from where I grew up.

collectible thoughts

"I don't get it," my younger brother said, when I asked him to check out my blog at a recent get-together. "No offense, " but I'm not sure anyone would want to read about this Pyrex stuff," he continued, clicking through my entries quickly.

"No offense taken," I said, although I'm not sure that was true. "I guess it's hard for a nonPyrex enthusiast to relate to my kitchen collectibles."

So what's the appeal in all this old and inexpensive "stuff?" Well, I like the way the dishes look or I wouldn't have acquired them. I also enjoy spending time at Saturday morning yard sales and drafty thrift shops, and I actually use what I get.

Mostly, there's the nostalgia factor, which is a very strong appeal, though harder to describe. It's a spooky feeling, for sure, to have an old bowl of my mother's bring back a long-ago moment that I hadn't thought of in years. Definitely spooky... but in a good, comfortable way.

For me, the Pyrex... the dishes from my family, all have a story. And the items from yard sales and thrift shops also have their stories... I just don't know them, but that's ok.

ten cent find!

What can you buy with a dime? For me, it was this 1 1/2 quart refrigerator dish in the "Snowflake Blue" pattern.

Several years ago, I was checking out a large yard sale in an older neighborhood. Other neighbors had also started impromptu sales on their lawns, as the one big advertised sale was generating much interest and traffic.

One of these offspring yard sales certainly looked quite meager: the homeowner had put a sheet on his lawn on which he had placed only a handful of items.
The blue Snowflake dish appeared pristine with its strong color and lack of scratches. "Ten cents," he said when I picked it up, and a sale was made.

This piece dates from the 1960s, and I've seen the pattern also referred to as "Garland." Great for reheating dinner for two.

the colonial category

Although brown Pyrex isn’t my choice color and patriotic eagles aren’t my decorating style, I'm actually liking these two pieces more than when first acquired. The pattern, introduced in the early 1960s, is aptly called “Early American.” An interest in American colonial symbols/themes for decorating became trendy in the
1960s, continuing into the 70s.

A Memory Lane flashback:
My parents' family room in the mid1960s featured a sofa with rust-colored cushions displaying a pattern of eagles, muskets, and little "scrolls," which I think were supposed to represent the Declaration of Independence. Tacky looking, maybe, but it was comfortable for TV viewing!

When I got married in the late 70s, the pseudo-colonial look was still popular, further sparked by the 1976 bicentennial. Many of my young-married contemporaries seemed to be buying dark, heavy pine furniture and oval braided rugs.

Back to my "Early American" Pyrex. The oval flat divided dish is very useful for heating leftovers and the price was right at New Life Thrift in Glenside, PA…about 2 dollars a couple of years ago. The 1 1/2 quart oval casserole was an e-bay purchase by my husband. He had broken the lid for a similar-size casserole when pulling it out of the cabinet, and he bought this one to get me a "replacement" lid. At the time, it was actually less expensive to purchase the complete casserole rather than the lid alone.

a primary piece

In the early 1950s, the Pyrex primary colored mixing bowls appeared. With their appealing bright colors, they became a kitchen classic. My mother had a full set of these bowls, which she used intermittently. She kept them stored in a cabinet over the oven range hood, and I remember her climbing up on a step stool (she was short) and carefully taking down the one she needed. They nested in each other in graduated sizes: the smallest 0.5 qt blue, the 1.25 qt red, the 2.5 qt (very desirable!) green, and then the "mother of primary bowls" size-wise, the 4 qt yellow one. That particular set, which is intact, has a happy home with my sister in New York.

This yellow Pyrex mixing bowl came to me via another path--my mother-in-law gave it to me back in the late 1970s because, I recall, it was something she no longer wanted. Where did she get the bowl, and why did she only have one? (I never saw any others in her home.) This mixing bowl's solo history is an unknown, and I didn't think to ask while she was alive.

I photographed this bowl in its natural habitat for the past 20 something years, my kitchen cabinet near the oven. I like to use it as a serving piece as well as a mixing bowl--- the sunny color gives it a casual picnicky look.

refrigerator dish reflections

According to the “literature,” Pyrex refrigerator dishes came onto the kitchen scene in the late 1940s and, like other Pyrex, can be used for refrigerator, oven, and freezer. Pictured is a small one in the “butterprint” pattern that I found at a yard sale. These came in various sizes, and this particular one would be the smallest in a set. Supposedly, earlier refrigerator dishes had lids with finer, thinner glass ribs, so the one pictured is not a real early one according to that "lid criteria"...I would guess that it dates to the 1960s.

Originally intended for storage of leftovers, I think that once Tupperware and other plasticware with more airtight seals came to market, these started to go the way of the dinosaur. A couple of reasons: they just don’t keep food for very long because the glass lid does not seal, but simply sits on top. Another reason: you can’t readily see what leftovers you have. I realized this “phenomenon” the couple of times I stored a small bit of leftovers in this particular dish--it just kept getting pushed further and further back into the dark corners of my refrigerator because I couldn’t easily see the contents.

OK, negatives aside, I do like my little refrigerator dish for nostalgia and “cuteness” factors alone and would definitely purchase others at the right price. I also think it would be a great little serving piece on the table for dip, salsa, etc.

canisters with caché

These canisters in the "spice of life" pattern resonate 1960s, and many items of Pyrex and Corningware had this popular motif. I've found a variety of uses for them: as you can see, mine currently contain plastic cutlery, toothpicks...even can be used as a dinosaur holder! Purchased in 2007 at the New Life Thrift Shop in Glenside, PA, they ranged in price from 1 to 2 dollars a piece. The lid on the tallest canister has yellowed a bit with age/use.

There actually used to be a fourth canister that did not survive to see 2008.
Note to self: while Pyrex is quite sturdy in many ways, let a piece slip from your grasp onto the hard floor, and there's a high probability it will break. My daughter dropped it while attempting to store rice (excellent idea for use, by the way!) and then had a nasty mess of rice and glass to sweep up.

A little Pyrex mystery...
I'm thinking that the smallest canister pictured (holding the toothpicks) may be part of a different set. While the motif on the lid matches the other two, the colors are slightly different. No red pepper, for example, on that canister's lid...it's more of a brown color and though it's hard to tell from the photo, the other spice-colors do not quite match the larger container lids.

heirloom to hand down

This 1 1/2 quart casserole dates from the 1950s and is the "Snowflake" pattern.

I had met my husband’s Aunt June, the original owner of the piece, only once. Back in 1976, newly engaged, my husband (then fiance!) and I visited her at a hospital in NYC. Very frail, I remember that she spoke with me for a few minutes and then had to rest. Just in her 50s, she died of cancer later in that winter.

Some months afterward, her possessions were disbursed. My husband received her stereo “record-player” and some books. Several household items, including the Snowflake casserole, came to me.

Even meeting Aunt June for that single time, I got an immediate impression of her feisty personality--independent and inquisitive. And though this turquoise casserole is faded (mistakenly put it in the dishwasher in my early Pyrex ignorance), it is one of my favorites.

my first Pyrex

In late December 1976, in a modest off-campus apartment by Rutgers College, I received my first Pyrex.

The setting was a small bridal shower given by some college friends before my January wedding. I remember swiftly tearing away the paper, tossing the ribbon aside, and opening the box… full of anticipation…and then lifting out the set of 3 mixing bowls. (They were the Homestead pattern.) At the time, I wasn’t impressed. “Oh, gee, thanks...what nice bowls,” I vaguely remember saying to the giver.

Little did I anticipate how much use these mixing bowls would get as they became the starting point of so many successful (and some not so successful) recipes.
Unfortunately, I dropped the littlest bowl of the group in the early 80s, and replaced it with the blue one, which is a pattern called Colonial Mist.

"fresh as a daisy"

This Pyrex lid is part of the "daisy" series of Pyrex, which I believe dates from the late 1950s/early 1960s. I found the lonesome lid in the New Life Thrift Shop in Glenside, PA. The corresponding "bottoms" in this series are in different solid shades of yellow. It's handy to have an extra lid to 'mix and match' with some of the 1-quart casseroles that I already have.

This daisy design also comes on white milkglass as well as the clear glass pictured.

ornate casserole

In Summer of 2007, I hit the open road to go to the Ohio stretch of the Rt. 127 highway garage sale. We had done part of the southern stretch (Tennessee & Kentucky) in a previous year, and at that time I spotted huge quantities of Pyrex. Not so much in Ohio, it seemed.

However, at the end of my last day there, before heading back to PA, I found this piece for $5. According to the Barbara Mauzy reference, this is a piece of decorative, engraved Pyrex ovenware, which was probably manufactured before 1940. The holder is quite ornate, and the handles are actually very sharp to the touch! It's hard to discern in my photo, but the Pyrex lid is engraved with a repeating floral pattern.

"salt of the earth"

I was glad to find this salt shaker pushed back on a shelf at the New Life Thrift Shop in Glenside, PA, for a dollar. The gold band design at the top indicates vintage Pyrex and, sure enough, the actual Pyrex mark is on the black cap piece.

The classic look of the design, to me, gives this glass salt shaker both a vintage and modern look. It was fairly grimy, but it cleaned up nicely after a thorough washing. I use it often...now, just need to find the companion pepper shaker!

little-known lid

Family relations who are looking to clean clutter can be a prime Pyrex source. This piece comes to me courtesy of my father-in-law, who kindly allowed me to rummage through some old kitchen items that he kept stored in a cabinet in his garage.

The black and brown patterned lid is one of those little Pyrex mysteries. I have never seen this pattern before and could not find a similar pattern in Pyrex references or on the Web.

Pyrex pamphlet

This brochure (about 4 inches high) came in a piece of boxed Pyrex that I got at the New Life thrift store in Glenside, PA. I believe it dates from the 1960s although there is no actual date in the publishing info that I could find. This pamphlet gives cooking tips with Pyrex along with pointers on cleaning it. Of interest, it instructs, "Anything you can't clean easily by hand (or in the dishwasher) should be soaked in warm soda water--3 tbs. to 1 qt. water--to remove most baked or browned food stains."

I was intrigued by the mention of the dishwasher. First of all, this helps date the guide to the later 60s, I think, as I don't believe dishwashers were common earlier.

Also, I do not put my Pyrex in the dishwasher because the colors will fade.

My only exception is when I first get a piece at a garage sale or thrift store...then I will put it in the dishwasher once to really clean it, but after that it's strictly washing by hand only!

Aqua rules!

My 1 qt casserole is the Butterprint pattern, sometimes referred to as the "Amish" print. Definitely, aqua is one of my favorite Pyrex colors. I think it's because it 'brings me back' to my family's suburban ranch-style house in Parsippany, NJ. Back then, in the mid60s, aqua "ruled" in my mother's kitchen. I can remember her bright aqua oven and rangetop.

I bought this casserole at a Goodwill thrift store off Route 309 in Quakertown, PA in 2007. No matter that the lid was missing: for a dollar, it was a "find." I had been to this Goodwill a number of times previously... didn't expect to find any Pyrex because this shop is heavy on clothing items and has a rather small household section.

Snack time

Yep, these containers are Pyrex. A fond Pyrex memory flashback: my husband recalls his mother had these canisters years ago (well, not these actual ones, but you know what I mean!)

My story: it was a quiet spring morning in 2007, and I was checking out some yard sales, happily content with my to-go coffee. Suddenly, from the street, I spotted “The Cracker Barrel” on a table in a nearby yard (recognized it from my Barbara Mauzy Pyrex Guide). Made a beeline for it and was pleasantly surprised by the 75 cent price (sticker shock, but in a good way). For the rest of the summer and fall, I kept a vigilant lookout for its companion “ The Cookie Jar” at yard sales and thrift shops. No luck.

In December, I received "The Cookie Jar" from my husband, as a gift. He had tracked it down on E-bay and ordered it. Because it was a present, I have no idea what he spent, but I can safely guess that it was significantly more than 75 cents.

Tip: The painted gold and white decoration on the surface of these is delicate and prone to flaking off: (I washed them very gently with mild dish soap.)

Pyrex with cradle

One of my hunting grounds for Pyrex is the New Life Thrift Shop in Glenside, PA. I’ll generally stop in once a month. This shop has a number of separate rooms, and one is devoted entirely to kitchen items! The “kitchen room” is a jumble of modular shelving full of dishes, pots, pans, canisters, odd pieces of silverware, and some things that I can’t identify. In short, a perfect place to forage!

This is where --for 8 dollars--I found my 2 1/2 quart Pyrex casserole with cradle, half buried under some other items. Although I’m not sure of its age, the cradle holder has a definite 1960s vibe. This piece, which I found there in its original box, appeared never to have been used. The pattern, I believe, is called "Empire scroll."

Cautionary note: Pyrex has been “discovered” in this shop as a collectable commodity; ie, in the thrift shop, there is a clip of a magazine article on collecting Pyrex posted in the kitchen area. That said, I still feel the prices are good, although not rock bottom.

Flower Power!

In December 2007, I found myself in the Impact Thrift Store in a shopping center in East Norriton, PA. There was a preholiday 30% sale off all items, so I browsed the approximately six or seven aisles that were devoted to a mixture of knickknacks and kitcheny stuff. Saw a good amount of Corningware, but not much Pyrex. Then I noticed the pictured Cinderella-style bowl and purchased it for a couple of dollars after the discount. Identified it through Barbara E. Mauzy's Pyrex Guide as the Spring Blossom pattern, circa 1960s.

Some Pyrex TV trivia: Shortly after buying this particular bowl, I happened to be watching a rerun of the sitcom “All in the Family” on late night TV. Edith was serving a family dinner, and the Bunkers were passing the food around the table in a set of the Pyrex Spring Blossom bowls.

Gettysburg Goody

Though much of my Pyrex comes from thrift stores, random garage sales are another source. On a weekend trip to Gettysburg in 2006, I found myself at a relatively rural garage sale. The red casserole dish and four ramekins were mine for 1 dollar! Suspect this set dates from the 1950s.