It’s all about rare, hard-to-find, and one-of-a-kind Pyrex pieces on the show today. Bex Scott dares to wade into often-times controversial waters to discuss some of the rarest Pyrex that collectors avidly pursue. Personal feelings on what is rare and what is hard to find may vary, but these pieces are all frequently difficult to find and coveted by Pyrex lovers.
It’s all about rare, hard-to-find, and one-of-a-kind Pyrex pieces on the show today. Bex Scott dares to wade into often-times controversial waters to discuss some of the rarest Pyrex that collectors avidly pursue. Personal feelings on what is rare and what is hard to find may vary, but these pieces are all frequently difficult to find and coveted by Pyrex lovers.
Bex focuses in-depth on eight so-called Pyrex Unicorns based on an article from WorthPoint. The article says that scarcity of Pyrex depends on “condition, popularity, whether it’s a complete set, a pattern in unusual colors and shapes, a trading stamp exclusive, or a test piece or prototype” and by those laid-out guidelines Bex talks about everything from the beloved Lucky in Love pattern to the Blue Dianthus to the Starburst Cinderella serving casserole. She shares facts about how certain test pieces came by their names and what colors are most infrequently found. She also lists some rare pieces that real collectors have found in the wild. Collectors all have favorite patterns and pieces, and definitions on rarity may vary, but all can agree that the Pyrex gems in this episode are truly unique and worthy of hunting down.
Resources discussed in this episode:
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Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, we are going to talk about a topic that is a little bit scary to me. I am by no means a Pyrex expert. I'm an avid collector. I love learning about it. And today I thought I would talk a little bit about rare and hard to find Pyrex pieces. Now, this is a topic that I know has gotten a lot of people in trouble on Facebook groups while talking to other collectors and kind of voicing their opinions on whether they think something is rare or hard to find. And I myself once asked in a popular Facebook group what the difference was between something that's rare, something that's hard to find, and something that's like a one of a kind. And the post caused so much trouble that the owner of the group had to take it down. And it just goes to show that there are true definitions of what is rare, hard to find, and one of a kind and what people believe it to be.
Bex Scott: [00:01:43] And what kind of sparked this podcast episode was an article that I found on Worthpoint. So most of the information that I'm going to be talking about is based on this article. So it may or may not be true. Take it with a grain of salt. But I did learn a ton from reading it and digging through the different parts of what they talked about in this article. And it's called Pyrex Unicorns: Eight Elusive Patterns Collectors Pursue. So factors that affect rarity, this is the first part of the article that they talk about. And it says "the scarcity of Pyrex pieces depends on several factors: condition, popularity, whether it's a complete set or if it's a pattern in unusual colors and shapes, a trading stamp program exclusive, or a test piece or prototype that wasn't produced. Some patterns that were promotional pieces or didn't appear on any standard production dishes weren't given an official name. So as these pieces have been discovered, collectors have made up names for them" and they give the example of the Golden Thistle. And this is something that's really cool to me because I actually didn't know this. I know that most of the Pyrex pieces out there have names, and that they were given these names at production, but it's really interesting to read that collectors have given other pieces names over the years.
Bex Scott: [00:03:16] Other patterns, like Angelfish, that was a name that was given by collectors. So it says, according to Shiny Happy Pyrex People, a site that I'm new to after reading this article, it's actually really cool. So head over to Shiny Happy Pyrex People, she has a book that you can buy, but she also has informational blogs that you can read, and she talks about her Pyrex friends and collectors that she knows who have found these rare, one of a kind pieces. They send her pictures and then she talks a little bit about them. So if you're interested in the really cool, kind of less known about pieces, check out her site. So it says "a site that documents rare finds, this 475 angel dish was found in New York in 2022, and it's only the second known dish of its kind". It says as well that there is an alternate color of gold on white that was discovered in 2021.
Bex Scott: [00:04:21] Next up in the article, they go into the eight patterns that collectors dream about, and the first one is Lucky in Love. This is one that I'm sure all avid Pyrex collectors know of, and it says that it's elusive because it was either a test or limited production piece. And according to the article, the price for it ranges between $1,800 to $9,000. And just a reminder, this is just what I'm reading from the article, what I've learned through my research, so it may or may not be accurate. So it says "nearly everyone in the Pyrex collecting community agrees that the most elusive piece ever created is the number 473 Lucky in Love casserole dish from 1959". It has little pastel pink hearts and green clovers and was a prototype. There's also a prototype of this dish without the pink hearts as well. And several of these have sold for four figures, including over $4,000 in 2015, $5,994 in a Goodwill auction in 2017, $9,000 in 2018, and $6,700 in 2019. And it was so loved by Pyrex enthusiasts that the company reissued it in 2018 as a modern pattern on clear glass in darker colors.
Bex Scott: [00:05:51] Next up we have the Blue Dianthus piece, and this one is pretty cool because I remember not too long ago in one of the Pyrex groups that I am a part of, somebody mentioned that they found one of the blue Dianthas Cinderella bowls at their local goodwill for something like $6.99, and if in fact it was true, which I'm sure it was, that would be a once in a lifetime find and super amazing for them to have that in their collection. So the Blue Dianthus remained a mystery until 2014, when a collector acquired a boxed set from the estate of a Corning employee. I went on to the Pyrex passion site and found an article from March 19th, 2014 talking a little bit about this Blue Dianthus, and it says that it in fact was produced as a sales test piece in 1963. And they discovered this because a collector acquired numerous vintage Pyrex items from the estate of a 50 year employee of Corning. And this is all information from the Pyrex Passion website, and one of the items they purchased was the three piece 480 casserole set in the original box. The box reveals the date of production as 1963. It shows that Blue Dianthus was a sales test pattern, so this was considered a Pyrex mystery that had been solved. And if you go to the Pyrex Passion website, you can see that there is a photo courtesy of a Flickr member, and it's the box with the stamp. It says 480 of one sales test. Kind of an awesome piece of history to see.
Bex Scott: [00:07:40] So for those of you who have never seen the Blue Dianthus, it came in the Cinderella bowls 441, 42, 43, 44 and the 483 piece casserole set 473, 74 and 75. Based on the backstamp, items dated before 1974, which we know it was now produced in 1963. So for those of you who haven't seen the Blue Dianthus before, it featured a blue floral design on opal that resembled the dianthas, which is why it was given its unofficial name by collectors. And the pattern is on pieces in blue on white and then there's a reversed white pattern on blue as well.
Bex Scott: [00:08:25] Next up is the Duchess casserole set, which is hands down my unicorn Holy Grail piece. And this was a promotional piece with prices ranging from $520 to $4,326. It was produced in small numbers and was made as a hostess party gift for Stanley Home Products. The set includes a Cinderella casserole with a matching lid and a warming stand. It featured gold flowers on a pink background, and it included a Perk King coffee pot with a warming stand, a sugar and creamer set with a holder, a juice carafe, and glasses in three sizes. And so far, the only thing I have of this set is four of the juice glasses. I found them when we were in Portland, Maine for my cousin's wedding in the summer and I was so excited to find them. It was hands down a no-brainer to purchase them, but one day I will definitely need to find this Duchess casserole. Next up we have the Eyes chip and dip set. It says price range $56 to $1,476. If I found this set for $56, I think I would, I wouldn't even know what to say. $56 is crazy. So it says Eyes circa 1950 to 1959, is another pattern name made up by collectors and is also known as Atomic Eyes. It's a turquoise and white design, and it was one of the first hot and cold chip and dip sets. Some of the bowls have a Pyrex stamp, while others are unmarked. The pattern was also printed on a coffee carafe in gold and a juice pitcher with a turquoise lid, which can sell for hundreds, as can individual bowls. And this is one that I've seen pop up in collectors groups quite often. Never in the wild. I've never seen it here. It is an amazing set though.
Bex Scott: [00:10:31] Next up we have Gypsy Caravan mixing bowls and it says here the Gypsy Caravan bowls are valuable and seldom seen. There's a picture of one that a collector has. "This large mixing bowl with the fanciful horses sold in 2023 for $4,750", and this one is believed to be a prototype or promotional item, ranging from $2,500 to $4,750. And this is another example of a pattern that was given its name by collectors. It didn't appear on any standard production bowls, and it's believed to have been made between 1968 and 1971. For those of you who have never seen one, it's red on a white background with a horse and a caravan, and it can be found as a one and a half quart bowl, a 442 and a four quart bowl, a 444. So the bigger bowl's design has a horse in fancy attire, and a complete set is a holy grail for sure. It says that there's record of only one selling in 2019 for $5,010.
Bex Scott: [00:11:48] Next we have the Hex Signs casseroles, and this was made as a promotional item and was also given its name by collectors. Says prices range from $10 to $4,050. It was manufactured between 1958 and 1960, and it has alternating snowflake-like symbols with leaf circle symbols, and it can be found on a tan 404 bowl with a rack and a clear lid, and the 473 and 475 Cinderella casserole dishes in gold on white and a white 475 Cinderella casserole with the design in turquoise. The 475 casseroles had clear lids with gold and turquoise patterns that matched their corresponding design colors. Lids alone can sell for $100 or more. Particularly scarce is the 475 Cinderella casserole in white and turquoise, with a matching under plate that collectors especially seek. Huh? They don't have a picture of the under plate here, but I bet that would be a really neat set to see together.
Bex Scott: [00:12:57] Next up we have the Pink Stems casserole. Little is known about Pink Stems, and it says that the one that they have pictured in this article sold in 2023 for $2,399. It's elusive because it was a promotional item, and according to the article, prices range from $300 to $2,399. It was released in 1962 and including whether it has an official name, collectors gave it this moniker. This pattern of white, leafy stems on a pink background has only ever been found on an oval 043 with a large, clear glass lid and cradle. Next up we have the Starburst Cinderella serving casserole. This is one that I've seen a lot of arguments break out over on Facebook as well, because there are collectors who have 6 or 7 of these, and there are the people who that seems to aggravate because they don't have any. But I think it's awesome if you can afford to buy 6 or 7 of them, and this is your jam, and you want to collect the Starburst Cinderella all day long, I say go for it. Because if I could, I definitely would as well. This one was a promotional item and it says prices range from $275 to $4,000. And you know where I am in Alberta these ones sell for around $1,200 Canadian. And that's without the stand. So better known by its unofficial name Starburst or Atomic Starburst, Pyrex released the Cinderella serving casserole in 1960 and produced it for only a year. It has become one of the most wanted Pyrex patterns. It's the iconic mid-century 575 two quart space saver casserole, and it originally came with a cradle, double candle holder and clear glass lid. And it came in three colors, black, cream and tan, and turquoise. And I can't decide which one I prefer. I think it's probably going to be the black. Each was decorated with an atomic gold starburst. The rarest color of the three is the cream, as only a few are known to exist, but collectors most prized the classic turquoise. That wraps up the Worthpoint portion of the article, where they went through the eight rare dishes that they thought were coveted by collectors.
Bex Scott: [00:15:41] Next, I thought I would go quickly through a fun section on the Shiny Happy Pyrex People site where they talk about the rare finds in the wild as of December 3rd, 2022. So it's a little bit outdated, but it's pretty fun to see what people have been finding. It says "the good news for all of us is that rares and hard to finds are still being found in unknowing thrift stores and antique stores for great prices, and there are still new Pyrex shapes, sizes and patterns being discovered". The first one is the Green Foulard, found in August 2022. Next up there is a Brittany Yellow quiche dish. I think I prefer this one over the Brittany Blue dish found in August 2022 as well. This one's pretty cool: Pink Grapes 441. I've never been a huge fan of the Grapes dishes, but I think if I had the pink set, I would definitely display that one. Next up is a 404 Woodland found in October of 2022 in the UK. A prototype Red Heinz hostess-like dish found in October 2022 as well. This one's really cool because it does look like the Green Heinz dish, but it has the red color and shape of the hostess dish with the hostess looking lid. Next up is the Clouds space saver, found in October of 2022. This one always reminds me of what you might see on the wall in a baby's room. It's like baby blue with little clouds and stars.
Bex Scott: [00:17:28] 441 Bright Stripes found in November of 2022. A Zodiac chop plate. Super cool. It has little zodiac signs with the starburst in the middle, found November 2022. The 475 Angelfish found in New York. As I mentioned before, this is the second one known and a third alternate gold on white was found as well in 2021. This one I really like. It's a really nice light blue color with the Angelfish and a ton of detail on it. And to finish off, the last one is an 043 Pink Tulip, and it looks like it's actually gold tulips on the pink background. And this one was found in November of 2022.
Bex Scott: [00:18:20] So I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode talking about the rare, hard to find, and one of a kind Pyrex pieces. I know this can be a bit of a difficult subject, depending on people's opinions and what information is still being found out there by collectors today, but I hope that you enjoy your hunt. I know I'll always be on the lookout for maybe one day being able to find one of these one of a kind pieces out in the wild. And I'll keep adding to my collection. And I'd love to know if any of you have any of these pieces in yours. Feel free to find me on Instagram at Pyrex with Bex. Thanks, everybody!
