"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.