For as long as I've loved thrifting and vintage things, the most interest I ever had in thrifting vintage glassware was a trinket dish or two. As I have gotten older, the more my priorities have changed when thrifting (go figure) and this year I have been spending more time in the home goods sections of the thrift.

I thrifted my very first vintage Pyrex at the beginning of this year. I've been learning so much about different Pyrex patterns and dates and figured there would be some vintage lovers out there who could teach me even more about my collection!

Today I'll share some pieces I have thrifted recently.

This post is all about second hand glassware.

What is vintage Pyrex?

Pyrex is a brand of glassware that was created in 1915. Pyrex pioneered a new type of glass called borosilicate glass. This composition made the glass more resistant to shattering upon changes in temperature, making it ideal for several different uses, including cookware.

Its unique properties made Pyrex a very popular kitchen item from the 30s to today.

Why is it a sought after collector's item? There are several reasons, but the durability of Pyrex glassware combined with the several colored patterned produced by Pyrex over the years make it super fun to collect and can bring a sense of nostalgia to even the youngest of collectors.

My vintage glassware collection so far:

I jumped into the world of collecting Pyrex with little to no knowledge of it, I was just eager to join in. My very first piece was a large pink gooseberry Cinderella mixing bowl. I am actually surprised at myself for picking such a great classic piece at the beginning of my journey. I found it at an antique mall by itself.

I was always so hesitant to jump into collecting because I felt like I could never find a piece I was obsessed with enough. Plus, I felt like I didn't know where to start. Once I started with my pink gooseberry, I was off to the races.

This is such a classic Pyrex collector's item. The pattern is not necessarily rare, but it's also not the easiest to find in the pink color. The Cinderella mixing bowls were made with a handle and a spout on each end. This pattern is dated somewhere between 1957-1966. Most Pyrex pieces were offered in a set, and some collectors are very intent on collecting full sets.

I'm still building my way up to that. I find it kind of fun to hunt for the other sizes of the pieces I currently have. That being said, if I see an entire set being sold, I try to keep that set together. Having a set is great, it's just not a requirement for me to own a full set of a pattern at this point.

This sunflower Cinderella bowl is probably my favorite thrift store find. I walked through the glassware section at Goodwill a few times before an associate came by and casually set this down. I about ran to scoop it up! I had my eye on this print for a while so the fact that I was able to find this in the wild made me so happy.

I also really love the Colonial Mist colorway. These are casserole dishes (when am I ever going to make a casserole lol but I just love to collect these). These casserole dishes were being sold in a set and then I randomly thrifted the clear mixing bowl a few weeks later. I felt so lucky!

These mixing bowls have such a cool story. I always pick up a good sturdy piece of glassware when I'm at the thrift because you never know what it will be! These ended up being Pyrex and I was intrigued when I saw "Hamilton Beach" at the bottom of the first one, I did some research.

Turns out in the 40s, Hamilton Beach collaborated with Pyrex to come out with a mixer/mixing bowl set. The other funny thing is that I found the large bowl while thrifting in my hometown, and then I kid you not, a few weekends later I was thrifting out of town and found the matching smaller bowl sitting on the shelf. What are the odds of that, seriously!

Pyrex resources

I use this site a lot to look up the names/colors of patterns. I also use this site to date patterns and to learn more about the background behind my pieces. There are also books you can buy, but I haven't tried any of those out so far!

Where to look for Pyrex?

There really is no limit to where you can find vintage Pyrex. I tend to find most of mine at the thrift store, antique mall, or eBay. I have also heard that estate sales are great for finding the best Pyrex. I even know some people who will get up super early to be first in line to have the best chance to snag it. I am not that dedicated yet, and plus I'm not much of a morning person anyways.

Most of my glassware I like to source on my thrift trips, just because I think it's a joy to find things out in the wild, but I know a lot of people really prefer to purchase complete sets so antique malls and eBay are the best for that. Or even Facebook Marketplace!

One tip is if you're in the antique mall and you want to purchase a Pyrex, use the link I provided above to search the pattern and make sure to cross reference eBay to ensure you're not overpaying for something!

I am still a casual collector so I select items that catch my eye or I think are interesting or would match well with my set. Of course, over time I've developed some patterns in my head that I would love to have or I think are cute. I guess I disclaim this because there are a lot of avid Pyrex collectors out there, and I don't claim to have the most rare or expensive collection. I just do it for fun!

Can you actually use Pyrex or are they just for display?

Honestly, this is kind of a controversial question. I personally do not have a problem using my Pyrex and hand washing them. There have been some discussions swirling online that vintage Pyrex may allegedly contain trace amounts of lead in the paint used on certain pieces. These are pieces from the 40s to the 80s after all. If you are worried about it, feel free to purchase your own lead testing strips on Amazon.

I just always liked the idea of using my Pyrex since it doesn't do too much good to display them. I kind of figure that anything I eat/cook on the inside of the bowls doesn't make any contact with the outside painted area of the bowl. Plus, my grandma used them all the time and she turned out fine (I am aware this is a very small sample size with which to test this theory haha). Proceed with caution, I make no promises about any lead content or safety make up of vintage Pyrex pieces!

Conclusion

I am still photographing a few pieces of glassware I would love to share with you guys soon. Do any of you collect vintage glassware? I would love to see your collection.

If you have any tips on thrifting/collecting Pyrex, I would love to hear from you as well! <3

This post was all about vintage glassware.