By Olivia Harrison
Staff Writer
When it comes to kitchen equipment, many look for something practical but appealing to the eye. That is why back in the mid 1950s, many people chose Pyrex mixing bowls, pots and pans for their cooking needs. Not only were the products made of solid material, but the beautiful handcrafted designs added a visual appeal. From the mid-50s to the 1980s, Pyrex was in full production.
The origins of Pyrex stem back to the early 1900s. In 1913, housewife Bessie Littleton found herself with a broken pie dish. Coincidentally, her husband was a scientist at Corning, a famous glass manufacturer. She asked if she could use the Nonex glass the company was experimenting with to bake.
The unique aspect about the Nonex glass was that it was heat resistant. Her experiment came out successful, and the name Pyrex was born (combining the words Pie and Nonex). In 1915, Corning then went on to create its first line of pie dishes under the name. Later, Corning expanded the pyrex line to include more than pie dishes.
Nowadays, collectors everywhere search far and wide for the colorful bowls, cookware and dinnerware. Vintage Pyrex has been very popular amongst antique collectors everywhere, but it has recently become a thing for millennials and Gen Z to collect.
Pyrex is all over TikTok, with creators showing off their colorful collections. In addition, Taylor Swift featured a set of Pyrex/Corelle dinnerware in her “Anti-Hero” music video. The vintage dish and tea cup broke the internet, leading Gen Z Swift fans on the hunt for the dinnerware and cookware. In fact, there were at least four pieces of vintage Pyrex hidden in the video. With the popularity of the vintage cookware sky rocketing, so are the prices.
According to the Golden Nugget Antique Market in Lambertville, N.J., sets of mixing bowls that once started at a friendly price of $12 now start from as little as $120 and reach a maximum of $800. Sometimes, they can even go up to $5000 depending on the rarity of the dish or pattern.
Although the high prices seem alarming, many Pyrex collectors find luck at antique flea markets and even thrift store chains as opposed to online platforms.
About three years ago, TikTok creator Heather Spiva, who posts on the handle @perennialpyrex, found herself in an antique store pondering the insane prices of Pyrex.
“I recalled passing up Pyrex often in my thrifting quests. Why had I done that? I would love to collect Pyrex, except for the ridiculous prices antique stores have on them,” Spiva said in an interview with The Signal. “That's when I had the idea: What if I thrifted all of them?”
Besides collecting Pyrex, Spiva is also a vintage clothing seller, which means visiting thrift stores is a crucial part of her job. Spiva finds herself looking for Pyrex in thrift stores alongside vintage clothing and refers to thrifting as “treasure hunting.”
After years of being in the vintage clothing market, Spiva found herself wanting to keep some of the treasures she found, which ultimately led her to the antique Pyrex market. Spiva realized that thrifting the Pyrex was more inexpensive than buying from antique stores or online.
“Sure, it's crazy to think I could collect everything, but I can afford thrifted prices. Plus, being in thrift stores is a part of my job,” she said. “[I thought] maybe I could collect the Pyrex on the cheap side and gain a collection I've always wanted to have.”
The most unique aspect of the cookware is the beautiful distinct patterns. Hand painted and silk screened, the intricate art was mass-produced onto most of the cookware. From 1956 until 1980, Corning and Pyrex made over 153 patterns. Patterns such as Golden Butterfly, Spring Blossoms/Spring Daisy, Autumn Harvest, Amish Butterprint and Forest Follies are some of the popular patterns collectors search for.
Spiva has taken this into account. At the moment, her collection is composed of 250 pieces of Pyrex, including complementing lids. She believes that thrifting for Pyrex comes in waves. Sometimes she finds se0veral pieces a week, but other times only one piece a month.
“There is so much Pyrex out there with so many patterns; it will be a while before I have everything,” said Spiva. “It is difficult to find Pyrex at times. They're easily found and available at antique stores because someone else is supplying it for me. Some months, I find several pieces a week. But, because I thrift all the time — we're talking almost every day, even if it's just to pop into one store for five minutes — I'm bound to find some eventually.”
With the demand of vintage Pyrex so high, other collectors may feel discouraged or lost when starting out. Spiva offered hope and wisdom to those who love to collect.
“There are a lot of collectors out there. That doesn't mean there won't be pieces for you! I've had many folks tell me that I'm ‘lucky’ or ‘you find all the good stuff.’ The truth is, anyone can do this,” said Spiva. “There is enough for everyone. We all can collect and love Pyrex.”
Although Pyrex has ceased making its beloved vintage patterns and cookware, collectors and fans alike still enjoy its novelty. In some cases, people have had their pieces passed down generationally. However, the quality and artistic value will remain the same for years to come.
