Saturday Scores {Including a NIB!}

We hit the yard and estate sales bright and early today. It was a mixed bag of highs and lows. I'll do the highs below. The lows, well, can you say $10 for a Town & Country casserole? How about $6 for a red mixing bowl (I think it was a 404) that had seen better days? Or, $36 (yes, you read that right) for a Woodland set of 401-403! Yowza!

Now, on to the highs. I will save the best for last.

Though not all Pyrex I couldn't help but share the above, especially as they were all part of a bundle. The top is pink Fiestaware: a sugar bowl, gravy boat, and creamer. It's not really my thing but I know people like it so I will be selling this. The bottom is a Fire King Tulip pepper shaker, it's too bad the salt was not available but someday my prince will come; I'm keeping this for myself as I love the print. Next to it are some Pyrex spice canisters which I will also sell. I got the above and some other random craft stuff for my daughter for $15.

Butterprint 403 in perfect condition for $2. I spotted this from across the yard and I started to walk fast. I grabbed it right on up. I wasn't sure if I had it as I had picked up some Butterprint a couple weeks ago so I whipped out my phone and found this blog and what I had posted from my last Butterprint find. Turns out I didn't have this; I had the 401 and 402. One more piece to go and I will have a complete set!

And now for the best deal I think I will ever find. Maybe. I hate to say "ever" as there is always the possibility of something better and I like to think of myself as an optimist.

I searched Craigslist Friday night for Pyrex and came across a yard sale listing that had this pictured. This is new, in box, never been opened. When I saw the posting and the price this was marked at I knew I would have to be there right as it opened. The house was behind a gate at the end of a long drive. We rolled up ten minutes early and were the first ones in when the owner opened the gate. I came away with it giggling like a schoolgirl.

$5!!!!!!!!!

I want to open this so badly and see how it is packaged, what the usage book (owner's manual) looks like, and just look at brand new "old" Pyrex, but I am controlling myself. I'm not sure how to proceed with this!

Jacquelyn

Only one Find for the Week

I ran by the thrifts a couple times last week with the "oh well, it's okay if I don't find anything" attitude.  But heck, let's face it, inside I was like "oh please, oh please, oh please".  A promotional, maybe Gooseberry,  Friendship (I know I'm asking too much) or even a piece of Horizon Blue would have made my day.  Well, that didn't happen, but what did is this!

It isn't marked Pyrex, but it is clearly a Pyrex 403 mold.  I looked it up when I got home and found a number of folks who have this referring to it as an unmarked Pyrex.  I found that some Eyes Hot 'n' Cold Chip and Dip Set were also produced unmarked as stated on the Pyrex Love site.  I guess some might question this bowl, but I do feel deep in my Pyrex lovin' heart this is a Pyrex bowl.

After a good cleaning I found the bowl has very few utensil marks in the interior and the outside looks like new!  I paid $4.50, which I thought wasn't unreasonable for a 403.

A Rip Off (of sorts) and a Challenge {Weekend Finds}

My daughter, who usually wakes us up so early on weekends, decided to sleep until 9 Saturday so that meant no early yard sales. What it did mean is a few hours of quiet on a cool morning in the desert.

This is Modernism Week in the Old Pueblo and we had decided to go to the furniture expo. Last year we scored an amazing vintage patio set. This year we scored nothing. But, we did make a few stops on the trek to the expo.

We hit a local junk shop called Bettie Blue's. Fun fact: this shop has a ghost. Seriously. They have video to prove it. What they also have is neat stuff and some overpriced Pyrex. I saw this Early American 2.5 Q casserole for $14 ($10 for the dish, $4) for the lid. I thought that was insane, way too high of a price considering the wear (it had some scratches and abrasion), especially since this is not a super collectible pattern. Needless to say I passed. 

The next stop was completely random. We spotted a small sign for an estate sale that claimed to have vintage and mid-centry goods. We are all about both so we hunted down the place, even though it was late afternoon. The sale was still going and there were some amazing pieces but the prices were insane for the condition. There was an Eames chair that was destroyed. An cute end table with a huge chip. Some really random vintage home goods and furniture. Oh, and these Primary Colors Pyrex Mixing Bowls. I seriously think the woman stored everything outside, because not just the bowls were covered in dirt and grime.

This wasn't even how I found them (here they are pictured on the patio table I mention above). They were all nested in each other relegated to a table in the backyard. They were a hot mess. My husband asked how much. The seller said $25. I laughed. Really, I did. She said she had meant to clean them and that sets like these go for $100 on ebay. Well, maybe if they are a full set that is clean and in good shape. This set is missing the blue 401.Yes, the larger 404 can be harder to locate but sheesh, the curb appeal is terrible, don't you think? They are filthy on the inside and the outside, with dirt and grime and goodness knows what else. I mean, there are pieces of plant life attached to the bottom of the bowls. It made me so sad as most of her stuff was so amazing but so poorly cared for.

I hemmed and hawed and asked if she would take $15. She grudgingly agreed. So now I have them but I now also have a challenge. These need to be cleaned up both inside and out. Inside is easy-peasy. Outside I am not so sure. I will need to polish them up. I've looked online for tips but can't seem to find anything for the colored Pyrex like this. 

I'm sure someone in the Collective knows how to clean these babies up and make them shine like new. Ideas and suggestions are welcome!

Jacquelyn

First Thrift Store Find!

Well, after a months of trying to find a piece of Pyrex at any thrift store in the Old Pueblo my drought was broken. Hallelujah!

This afternoon my daughter missed her bus stop as she was too busy reading (a good habit!) to be bothered to keep track of when she needed to get off the bus. I wasn't able to stop the bus in time to see if she was on it so I ended up following it back up to the school while on the phone with the front office, who confirmed she was on the bus, she just missed getting off. Whew! I picked her up at school and to calm my nerves decided to stop at a thrift store right down the street from my neighborhood. I'm glad I did.

I found the Butterfly Gold 403; it has some minor scratches and fading at the top but otherwise no other flaws. I also found a Golden Honeysuckle casserole but it was in very sad shape, some DWD, but a lot of black marks, scratches, and discoloration. It was marked $2.50 but I just didn't want to bother as I was not drawn to the pattern enough to want to clean it up. Anyway, the 403 you see above did not have a price, so little miss and I took it up to the counter where they sold it to me for $2. I was relieved I had decided to not get the casserole because no doubt they would have charged me more for the 403 when the kind ladies up at the register saw the price and condition of the other item. I escaped without even having to pay our insane sales tax, as the store supports a local non-profit. 

Perhaps this is a sign of good things to come? We do plan to hit yard and estate sales Saturday, and I may do some independent searching at the Friday pre-sales. Reading everyone else's blogs about their various Pyrex and other cool vintage finds has really inspired me!

Jacquelyn

A Serious Yard Sale Score

I'm happy to now be a part of the Pyrex Collective! Thanks for adding me, Erin!

One of my biggest yard sale regrets is letting my mom sell all her Pyrex bowls. I wish I had scooped them up for myself, but alas, I was young and foolish and totally invested in Gladware in my hip new apartment. I sat there at that yard sale and watched them sit and sit and then eventually get sold for a few dollars. Sigh. Hindsight is 20/20.

Well, no more. I am on the Pyrex bandwagon and enjoying the ride.

My "awakening" began in earnest last fall, when I decided I wanted to ditch the cheap plastic containers and vintage-up my kitchen and use real, solid vessels. Our family of three loves to go to yard sales at least once a month, and this past May was one I will not soon forget. We live in Arizona, it was already hot, and we were not not having much luck. It was late morning, yard sale time was drawing to a close, but we spotted one last corner sign and my seven-year old asked to check it out.

We found the house and parked well down the street. I ambled up the sidewalk and then broke into a run-walk move the likes of which I save for extreme sales. Seriously, I couldn't get there fast enough, because I saw these sitting on a table, all by their lonesome:

Yep, three Spring Blossom nesting bowls, the 401, 402, and 403, in near perfect condition. And then I picked them up and saw the price sticker: $5. Yes, $5. I just about died. I didn't even try to negotiate, I just pulled out the cash and sprinted away. My husband followed me and grabbed the bowls before I danced too much and dropped them. He's good like that, I needed him to hold them so I could snap the picture you see.

In the Old Pueblo we call a major deal such as this a gonga.

Jacquelyn

Green Green Everywhere!

Last Friday I went about my business thrifting like normal.   Must have been a day for greens.  I found many green stuff.

Square Flowers 444

Verde 402 & 403

Not Pyrex, but still green and cute

I also came across some other lovelies. You can check them out at treasuresmyhh.blogspot.com. Including some pretty vintage dresses. 

Hope your weekend is a great one and stay cool! 

~Katie

DWD Friendship

What a boring week here. I swear someone needs to clean out their cabinets for me and donate a bunch of pretty Pyrex. 

I did however find some friendship this week. A sad sight to see. 

They were cheap and they sorta look pretty still. I felt bad for them. So they came home with me. They actually look really pretty with my set of Eyes.

I also found some Irish coffee pedestal mugs. You can see them here. Maybe you have some information on them. 

I hope you all the best this weekend searching for Pyrex and other awesome goodies. We all need a little help by the looks of it. 

~Katie