Hi PC3, SusieQT here from Practice in Time! Usually the late winter/early spring season is the best for thrifting around here. People are de-cluttering for their New Years resolutions plus getting started with their Spring cleaning. I have been going out to my favorite stores regularly with high hopes for vintage goodies in general (mostly to stock my Etsy Store) and Pyrex in particular. And I have to say that I am less than impressed.
I went to two stores last week, both of which have been good to me recently in the Pyrex department. And I found some, but not what I have been hoping for. At the first store, I found a mismatched casserole, (bottom was plain Horizon blue and top appeared to be a very faded gold scroll design) but didn't buy it for $6. I also saw a ton of Glassbake and FireKing divided dishes and casseroles- maybe we all need to start collecting those since Pyrex is getting scarce, LOL.
I did come away with what I thought were two Pyrex restaurant ware dishes and a Fire King mug for 50 cents each. I love Fire King mugs, and this one is such a beautiful buttery yellow. It almost matches the Pyrex primary yellow, but is a shade lighter, and in perfect condition. It makes me so happy to use these for my morning coffee. I wonder why Pyrex didn't make more of their patterns in mugs; I mean, wouldn't it be great to have a Butterprint mug or maybe a New Dots?
The restaurantware dishes I thought were the Bluegrass pattern (see it at the upper right on this blog header), and I bet most of you would think the same thing. Unfortunately, the thrift store had a huge price sticker all across the bottom and it wasn't until I got home that I realized it was very slightly different and made by Anchor Hocking. I imagine a lot of designs were virtually copied by all the major glass firms so they would be almost interchangeable when a restaurant needed to order more. It's OK, though, I'm not a label whore and have already used the dishes a couple times.
At the second thrift I usually find good Pyrex, albeit expensive Pyrex. This time was no exception. I saw quite a bit of FireKing and Glassbake again- that dang green flower pattern is everywhere!!- and a few pieces of the good stuff. I left a Spring Blossom casserole on the shelf (don't collect that pattern) and it hurt, but I had to walk away from a Snowflake Garland loaf pan. At $9.00 I don't need it that bad. If it was a casserole or a fridgie, I probably would have sucked it up and bought it.
The only other pieces of (not clear) Pyrex on the shelf did come home with me, though. Two yellow hostess dishes for $2 each are more in line with what I'm looking for. They weren't in the best of shape, but aren't too bad and are a size I use a lot.
So, small potatoes in the Pyrex department. But it's better than nothing, and I will keep hoping that next time I go I'll find the Pyrex score of my dreams...
