Saying Goodbye and Hello

I haven't been hitting the thrifts, estate and yard sales, and other Pyrex sources much the past couple weeks. I took a break to volunteer multiple days at my daughter's school and sell Girl Scout cookies with her. In my Pyrex time I spent the last couple weeks inventorying my collection and culling my hoard. I had lots of pieces I picked up when I first started to collect. Now I have narrowed my focus and no longer pick up Pyrex I'm not overly interested in. The only exception is if I think I can trade the piece with someone else that will get me a piece to grow my collection of must-haves. Offloading is kind of cleansing and is definitely helping with our space and storage issues.

Last week started off with me releasing three boxes back into the wild. I am sure everything will find good homes. 

Then the week passed with the postal carrier dropping off several trades and picking up some more trades and sales to go out, one as far as Hawaii. I also did a local sale and met a new fellow collector this week which is always fun; I was happy to pass on a piece she had really wanted plus I got to talk Pyrex with someone in person that isn't my husband.

Sunday we went to a antique/flea market which was a complete and total bust Pyrex-wise. I did pick up some vintage Valentine postcards and a light up gnome. Yes, a light up gnome (see it here). 

On the way home we stopped off at Goodwill where I was thrilled to find this Snowflake Garland 501, which completes my refrigerator set! I had an extra lid at home though it is the last one in my stash. I am resolving myself to buying any cheap 501 with lid so I can stockpile lids once again (interestingly I have amazing luck at finding 502 and 503 lids at the thrift, but never a 501 all by itself). I also found this 043 lid, my second extra. I hoard lids, sometimes I think I collect lids and not Pyrex. 

Anyway, there were two other collectors at the store so I was lucky to get the 501 and the lid. They showed up after me and scooped up some Town & Country, a 471 and 472, that I passed by. They were oohing and aahing over the pattern as they had never seen it before and were asking each other what it was but neither knew. Standing in the same aisle I overheard them and nicely told them the pattern name and approximate manufacture date and was told in return they are Pyrex experts and major collectors and dealers. Um, okay. Next time I will just keep my mouth shut :).

And here is the 501 with its brethren, another complete set! I finished New Dots this past week as well with the arrival of Orange Dots as part of a trade. 

With a few spare days this week I will be out again on the hunt, hoping for some fun finds. Have a great week!

Jacquelyn

Dotty

I was out and about the other day. My intent was not to thrift but to pick up some library books, run by the post office, and do some banking for our business. On the final leg home I thought about going by a couple thrifts and junk shops but turned a different way instead to go home. Well, on this particular way there is a thrift so I pulled in at the last minute. I am so glad I did.

On my third sweep of some very overfilled shelves I found the green and blue New Dots bowls, tucked way on a bottom shelf behind some clear bakeware. My heart sped up and I think I giggled. This was a very, very exciting find. I already had the yellow dots and another blue dots but the one I found on this trip is in much better condition. The other blue dots has a trade pending for other things on my wish list. All I need is the orange dots and I am all done! 

Jacquelyn

Flea Market Scores

Hi PC3, SusieQT here from Practice in Time!

I haven't been blogging much because of a camera issue, but I've still been shopping for Pyrex. Unfortunately, the thrift stores and yard sales aren't yielding much, so I stopped at my local flea market today.

And look what I found! These 401 bowls are the best patterned Pyrex I've found in a while. I saw more Pyrex there than I have at any thrift store or yard sale, which is great because the prices are low and there doesn't seem to be the competition for Pyrex like I see in the thrifts. (That's another whole issue which has been bugging me lately, but I don't want to get into that.)

The top is Horizon Blue and is my first piece of that pattern. I'm still kicking myself for passing up a complete set of casseroles in this pattern two years ago- it's so pretty. The bottom one is New Dots (of course you knew that) and is so minty! I am now halfway to finishing that set- you may remember my post about finding the yellow New Dots. And the best part of the flea market is I got both of them for $5! Which is a good thing, because finishing these sets is probably going to cost me- especially the New Dots 404.

Dots!

I finally finished off my favorite set - New Dots!

It's literally taken me a year to complete...I kept hoping to find them for cheaaap!

Last summer I found my first dots - blue! $2 at a garage sale.

I kept looking and looking - finally spotted the yellow beauty in a random flea market. $7! Miiine!

Months later, one late night Etsy listing for 2 orange dots for $15. Score! ($9 shipping, but now I have an extra orange!)

It's the green one that took forever. (I literally checked eBay & Etsy DAILY. Like a crazy lady. My husband was kind of worried.) But, FINALLY. Found the green on Etsy - $25. ($10 shipping)

New Dots total - $68. Not too shabby!

The blue & green have a few light scratches, but.. eh. I'm still in love! 

What about you all, my fellow Pyrexians? Have you found patience pays off? 

Hyperventilating in the Thrift Store

Hi all, SusieQT here from Practice in Time. Normally I am not the type to get outwardly excited about anything, especially shopping. Calm, cool, and collected, that's me. But today I had one of those experiences in the thrift store that got me all sweaty, weak and shaky.

What could have done that to me?

Oh yeah.....a yellow New Dot on the thrift store shelf.

Good thing I was already down on my knees digging through the lowest shelf, because I got so shaky I might have fallen over. It seemed like slow motion as I reached over and grabbed it. And of course from that moment on I never let it go. I think I had a hand cramp from holding on to it.

As I carried it up to the register and I passed a lady carrying the Old Towne butter dish I had debated buying and put down (too expensive at $9.50). I imagined her jealous looks as I paid my $4 for my new prize. (Don't ask me about the crazy thrift store pricing; I'm not arguing one bit!)

So it made it home safe and sound, just needed a little BKF and magic eraser to clean up the scratches. It came out beautifully and now I just have to find a place of honor for it!

New Dots Disaster

An unfortunate event happened to my New Dots Pyrex this past weekend. Sandy came through and this is the aftermath left in my kitchen.

Check out my blog at paperwaterdrops.blogspot.com and find out how this happened.