Remember those colorful Pyrex bowls stacked in your mother’s kitchen? The ones she used for everything from mixing cake batter to storing leftovers? Chances are, you owned a set yourself at some point. What you may not know is that some of those dishes are now worth serious money.
Appraiser and glass specialist Reyne Hirsch knows exactly which ones collectors are hunting for. She spent 13 seasons on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow and also appeared as a guest appraiser on American Pickers. She shared her expertise on which vintage Pyrex patterns command the highest prices today.
What Makes a Vintage Pyrex Dish Valuable?
According to Hirsch, patterns matter more than shapes when it comes to value. “Pyrex made hundreds of patterns, but some only for short periods of time. Those are the pieces that are the most valuable,” she says. “Rare or short-run patterns can sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars.”
Color plays a role, too. Hirsch says to look for mid-century modern colors like turquoise and pink. Collectors especially favor Cinderella bowls, space-saver casserole dishes, complete nesting sets, and pieces that still have their original lids.
And if you are thinking about heading to Goodwill to find a bargain, Hirsch has a reality check. “There was a time when you could find vintage Pyrex in every Goodwill and garage sale you went to,” she says. “However, what was once your grandmother’s hand-me-down is now something sought after by collectors nationwide. The days of 25-cent price tags are just about gone.”
One more thing to watch for: condition is everything. Hirsch notes that even small chips or cracks can dramatically reduce a piece’s value. “The damaged value is often 10 to 20 percent of the value if it were in mint condition,” she explains. She also recommends washing vintage Pyrex by hand and keeping it out of the microwave.
The 9 Most Valuable Vintage Pyrex Patterns
Here is what Hirsch says collectors are paying for right now, starting with the most affordable and working up to the one that could fund a very nice vacation.
- Snowflake — Produced from the 1950s through the 1970s, this classic repeating snowflake design appeared on mixing bowls, casserole dishes, and refrigerator dishes in turquoise and white, charcoal, and snowflake blue. Prices range from $20 to nearly $200.
- Golden Hearts — Released as a promotional item from 1958 to 1959, this pattern featured gold hearts on a cream-colored casserole dish. A complete casserole dish with a stand typically costs $100 or more.
- Turquoise Diamonds — Also known as the Dainty Maid, this 1950s promotional piece featured randomly placed turquoise diamonds on a white base. It sells today for $75 to $380.
- Pink Gooseberry — Made from 1957 to 1966, this pattern came in white with pink leaves and a berry design, and also in pink with a white pattern. Depending on whether you are buying a single piece or a full set, prices run from $60 to $650.
- Blue Stripe — Often called the Bar Code, this design debuted in 1966 as a promotional casserole set. It is mainly found in deep blue with white lines, though red-on-white and yellow-on-white versions have also been reported. Individual pieces go for $40 to $100, while complete sets sell for $300 to $500.
- Atomic Eyes — Also simply called Eyes, this mid-century pattern ran from 1950 to 1959. It featured turquoise-blue or pink elongated eye shapes on a chip-and-dip service, with a coffee carafe added later. The large bowl sells for $200 to $650.
- Amish Butterprint — Made from 1957 to 1968, this beloved pattern showed Amish figures and roosters in turquoise and white, white on turquoise, and pink, white, and orange combinations. The orange pumpkin color alone can fetch $100 to $300, or even over $1,300.
- Atomic Starburst — Debuting in 1960, this pattern featured a single gold starburst on casserole dishes in white, turquoise, and black. If you come across one, expect to pay $600 to $1,500.
- Lucky in Love — This is the one. Hirsch calls this 1-quart casserole dish “the rarest of Pyrex patterns.” Decorated with pink hearts, green grass, and green shamrocks, it was released in 1959 as a promotional product only. “When and if you find one, expect to pay $4,000 to $10,000,” Hirsch says.
So before your next cleanout, take a good look at what is in the back of that cabinet. That cheerful old bowl with the turquoise diamonds or the little casserole with pink hearts might be worth a lot more than you think.