Who doesn’t love Pyrex? This heat-resistant and ultra-durable cookware has been a staple in many a kitchen since its launch back in 1915. Recently, the vintage or limited edition versions of the virtually shatterproof pieces have created quite the stir on online marketplaces like Etsy and eBay, with some hard-to-find sets selling for thousands of bucks!

But, before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s take a closer look at why so many home cooks consider these special composite glass pieces to be the Rolls Royce of kitchenware…

Why Pyrex?

Let us tell you a story to which all of you can surely relate:

You are 7-years-old, standing in your grandmother’s kitchen. It’s a big day for you because she is finally allowing you in on her famous cookie recipe. She instructs you to carry over that heavy Pyrex bowl filled with cookie dough that is sitting on the counter above you. You’re not sure if your small hands can lift it, but you don’t protest. All is going ok until…

SPLAT!

The ooey-gooey dough is all over Grandma’s linoleum, but somehow, that bowl magically survived the fall. Sounds familiar, right?

If your nanna was anything like ours, she cleaned up the mess and wiped away your tears without a second thought. After all, that’s what grandmas are for!

With that being said, the tale isn’t meant to invoke a bad childhood memory, but rather to illustrate the point at-hand—Pyrex pieces LAST. As a matter of fact, it’s why the company that makes the item, CorningWare, has managed to do well for the past 100 years.

Now onto the truly important issue—why people are actually willing to pay THOUSANDS of dollars for a set of their own.

The mystique of vintage Pyrex

If you are deep into the antique game, then you know that if someone loves something, they’ll spend an arm and a leg to get it. Case in point: the booming online retail community of vintage and limited edition Pyrex pieces and sets.

Type the word “Pyrex” into Etsy’s search bar and you will quickly be met with tens of thousands of results ranging from run of the mill pieces you would likely encounter at your local thrift store to truly impressive collectibles.

Currently, the highest valued set on the site is a double Pink Gooseberry circa 1950. You wouldn’t believe it, but the Etsy seller, FromTime2TimeVintage has actually listed it for $1,850!

It IS beautiful, isn’t it?!

While complete, pristine sets like these are hard to come by, sellers are starting to combine pieces from multiple Pyrex series to make their own thematic sets, which they call “Frankensets”. These don’t garner the same cash as ones like the aforementioned Pink Gooseberry, but they are known to fetch hundreds of bucks a pop!

That’s why it’s time to look in the back of your kitchen cupboards, your attic, your storage facility—wherever! —so you too can cash in on this vintage Pyrex trend. Who knows, your little treasure hunt may just end up paying for your next vacation!

We’d love to hear from you in regards to this topic. Are you a vintage Pyrex collector? If so, what is the most you’ve spent on a set? Do you own any limited edition pieces?