IT’S possible that the vintage casserole dish in your cupboard from the 1950s could be worth a six-figure payday.
An iconic brand sold homeware at the time that has since become highly-sought-after among collectors.
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Mostly the nostalgia factor is what gets some to pay a pretty penny for older Pyrex dishes.
Corning Glass Works, founded in New York in 1908, would later create the Pyrex line with the help of a woman named Bessie Littleton, per Food & Wine.
Bessie was married to Corning scientist Jesse Littleton, who worked on creating borosilicate glass that could bear extreme heat and cold and not shatter.
Except, Bessie found another way to use it, making a sponge cake in the oven using the glass after a baking dish shattered.
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After inspiration from her choice, Corning decided to create a Pyrex line of kitchenware, which rapidly grew to becoming the household staple that it continues to be today for many Americans.
That’s why an eBay listing this month has a 1970s two-quart casserole dish with the signature Pyrex label at $100,000, according to ABC affiliate WFTS.
It could potentially go for that price, but it’s still fairly unlikely.
RECORDS SET
The highest known purchase price for a Pyrex dish is currently $22,100, sold on eBay in 2022, per Curbed.
But, what made this particular Pyrex so special?
It was a limited edition “Lucky in Love” bowl prototype from 1959.
The standard version of the glass bowl featured hearts and clovers along the sides.
With the prototype version, there was only the clovers, no hearts.
The previous record for a Pyrex, again with this design, sold at a Goodwill auction in 2017 for $6,000.
Corning’s Museum of Glass also holds the prototype version without the hearts.
Brief Pyrex Facts
- Created by Corning Glass Works in 1915
- Idea came after Bessie Littleton used one of the company’s Nonex glass battery jars to bake a sponge cake
- First Pyrex line had 12 pieces, including plates and loaf pan
- Measurements weren’t added to measuring cups for Pyrex until the 1940s
- 80% of US homes still have Pyrex today
Pyrex actually re-released the “Lucky in Love” pattern, given its iconic history, in 2018 for a brief period.
Several food storage containers with lids had it at prices ranging from $3.99 to $11.99.
Pyrex parent company Instant Brands also filed for bankruptcy in 2023, but later re-emerged.
VALUE THRIFTED
While the Pyrex casserole dish may not bring you hundreds of thousands, some thrifters have managed to find Le Creuset pots and pans for cheap.
Le Creuset similarly makes kitchenware that is exceedingly popular.
It’s known for designs with quality materials that last for years.
New options can retail for hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Last summer, a savvy shopper managed to find a 14-piece set for nearly $1,500 less than its typical price.
Someone else also found a $980 braiser and Dutch oven for just $42.
