Some Recent Great Acquisitions

I've been a bit remiss lately and not blogging as much, both here and on my personal blog. Life has taken over somewhat and on the vintage hunt front, truth be told things have been s.l.o.w. in the thrifting department. I'm trying to stick to thrifting and yard/estate sales only but am having a hard time, because all I have seen lately at the thrift have been damaged pieces and duplicates that I don't want to haul home. I will get duplicates, but only of some pieces. I don't need six Butterfly Gold 401s but I will happily take six Friendship 401s. I'm sure you can guess which pattern I run into all the time.

Here is a picture of a recent epic (for me, anyway) yard sale/estate sale haul.

Sorry for the bad picture, it's the only one I took and I used my phone. The Snowflake Garland 401-3 and Butterprint 404 came from an estate sale. My wonderful husband got up at 5:30 to get me a number, then I went to the actual sale at 8. He and my daughter went to a yard sale while I was at the estate sale and got the 501s: an unmarked Opal, Horizon Blue, and Daisy. As I was driving home from the estate sale I stopped by a yard sale where I got the Cosco cart. I was so excited! I am going to take it apart and clean it up and repaint it, likely turquoise. I also got the Autumn Harvest 442 and have already passed that on to another collector. For me, where I live, this is a very good day.

Friendship Penn Dutch. Hello! The lid is the Penn Dutch lid as well. Until I figure out where this dish will reside it's up on a high shelf. I acquired this from another collector; she knew I wanted it and told me she was selling hers. We came to terms and I couldn't be happier.

My stack of fridgies (501s and 503s) separate from my full sets continues to grow. Since I last shared my stack picture I've added some 503s, most notably the black one, and a second column of 501s, all of which were found in the wild.

I'm also working on offloading some of my vintage stuff. As much as I love the hunt I just can't keep it all. I've opened up an Etsy store, feel free to check it out if you get a chance.

Oh, and you can see my recent Fire King acquisitions here.

Happy hunting!

Jacquelyn

Recent Finds

Earlier this week my husband and little miss made me go camping. I am not a camper but I agreed provided I could hit some thrifts along the way. I seriously had the iPad out and was googling places to stop as we drove. My husband was very amenable. I did pretty well in some of the small towns we passed through. I would have liked to have gone to more but snow, yes snow, was in the forecast and after one night in below freezing temperatures we all decided to go home. Here's what I did get, photographed at the campsite before I carefully packed it away for the trip home. I was thinking ahead and brought along some boxes and bubble wrap to keep them safe (and warm) in the back of the truck.

That's an unmarked Opal 401 (mold stamp number says 2, so it's an early one), Blue Stripes 403, and Pink 503 with the older lid. I was pretty happy! It's my second Pink 503 but I'm keeping it. The other one is for display, this is for my 503 stack, the size I use most for leftovers. I couldn't resist the Fire King Colonial Bands grease jar, even without the lid. It took what seemed like a metric ton of stops to get these four items, but they are all pretty minty so it was worth stumbling through the maps app. Not pictured is a JAJ Harvest casserole I found; I;m not yet sure what I am doing with it.

A couple days after our ill fated camping trip little miss and I did a thrift run. She spotted the below, which is wonderful since she collects the Pink Gooseberry in this house.

A trunk shot, I was that happy. This set is pretty minty which made me even happier. I cam home from purchasing these and traded away the set little miss already had for some new goodies for me.

This is the second week in a row I have stumbled on a Sunday yard sale and come away with some Pyrex. Recall Sunday is not a typical yard sale day here, so I am wondering if a new trend is starting.  I guess we'll see what happens next Sunday before I get too excited. Last Sunday yielded up some Butterprint fridges, this Sunday I came away with the below.

Yes dear readers, another car shot. I snapped this one while husband and little miss were checking out yet another yard sale we found, sadly one without Pyrex. Anyway, this find was a total fluke. In fact, there was more I left behind. I wasn't carrying more than a few dollars since I wasn't on the yard sale prowl, just out running errands. I had to use my emergency $20 to get this, and I got to keep my few dollars I already had. I bundled as much as I could into that $20!

So as you can see I did get some good stuff. Of course, since my mantra is "No fridgie left behind" I could not leave the 501s. I've already traded those. The two 403s I will keep. I had thought I would offload my Butterprint but I really like the size of the 403 when I am cooking. The Friendship is a no brainer and I needed it to start in on the mixing bowl set. The Snowflake Garland 475 is a double for me, I will try and trade or sell it when the holidays get closer and everyone wants snowflakes.

Husband and little miss waited in the car while I hit the sale and when I told him there was more and I didn't have enough money to get it all he tried to give me some cash. What a guy. I was okay leaving though, as what I left behind was nothing I really wanted/needed/wanted to hang on to for trade or sale. Hopefully another Pyrex lover found the sale. The funny thing about this yard sale is I was talking to the proprietor and she told me she used to have a lot of Pyrex. She kept some for herself, her kids took some, and now she was selling the remainder. I can only imagine what she kept and gave to her kids prior to the sale.

So, a pretty good week for me. Hopefully you all had some luck as well.

Jacquelyn

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

Snowflake Garland - Snow in CA!

I scored big time on craigslist. Well big time for me. As it has been dry here at out thrift stores. Unless you call $24 for 1 - 444 and $39.99 for a 441, 443 and a random fire king scores. I sure do not. 

Salvation Army is on meth. 

 I did get this complete set of Snowflake Garland 480 series from craigslist. The lady said goodbye to them. Saying she always forgot to display them and wanted someone who would love them to have them. I was happy to come home and wash/dry them and proudly display them with my other Snowflakes. I gave them a happy home. 

I got some other stuff too from her. 

You can head over to Treasures My Husband Hates to check them out. 

Happy Hunting!

~Katie

Treasure Hunter

Recent Finds…I've Had a Stroke of Luck

I've been busy thrifting and hitting yard/estate/garage sales. It's just starting to cool down here (as in, it was 86 the other day) so the sales are plentiful, people are cleaning out their stuff and heading to the donation centers, and oh yes, I went to my first flea market (who knew there is one way out in the country the first Sunday of each month? I sure didn't). After my last post in which I marveled at the recent inflated thrift store prices I have found I was relieved to enter back into the realm of reality.

If I had one Pyrex superpower I would say it is finding lids. Here's proof…I have five, yes five, extra 502 lids, most of which are the older version. One I even got for free. That was a good day. I actually ended up finding bottoms for the two 470 lids a few days later. I amassed these lids over two weeks. I have taken to calling myself the Lid Whisperer.

I'd had a drought at the thrifts and sales until last Saturday. First up was an estate sale where I picked up the Spring Blossom, Butterprint, and Daisy. It's not the best picture but clearly I was excited. Then, that afternoon we stopped into a Goodwill en route to my in-laws' house. Finding this Butterfly Gold 501 for $1 was pretty exciting, given how much Goodwill has been charging these days in my neck of the woods.

How about some embroidered tea towels for $1 each? Or the old school sifter (circa 1950s I think) for $3? Then there's the lime 221 and 22, for $7 each. Steep, but they jumped in my cart and came home with me. I was also thrilled to find this Golden Pine space saver, it's the first one I have ever seen. The leaf is still in good shape, especially on the lid.

Feeling lucky yesterday little miss and I hit the thrifts while my husband stayed home to knock out some projects. I'm not a huge fan of Autumn Harvest but he likes it so I brought them home. Yes, that's another lid, the free one I got from random empty-lot-turned-swap-meet; I asked how much, the proprietor asked what it was, I told him a Pyrex lid, he said take it. The pixies were a fun find as well. The lamp, well, I have a weakness for lamps, I got it at a yard sale that morning. But the apron, that was my favorite of this bunch. It was a whole $2.

And here's what I found at the flea market today. The little shakers are actually mini Ball mason jars and were used by salesmen back in the day to store product samples. The cutlery is a Girl Scout camping kit my daughter got for free from a very nice vendor who found out she is a Girl Scout when talking with her.  

Now, I still left a lot of Pyrex behind at the thrifts. Some was DWD, some too scratched, chipped, or abused. Some were patterns I don't collect and really don't need to haul into my house, so I thought I'd leave them for someone who really wants them. I feel like I've grown up as I used to just grab anything and now I have definitely exercised some restraint. I guess that is progress. 

Jacquelyn

Pyrex Karma

Hi PC3, SusieQT here from Practice in Time.

Now that the kiddos are back in school, mom gets to do a little shopping once in a while. And for some reason, the thrifting right now is great! After a few months of the doldrums, I have been finding goodies by the armful whenever I go out. I'm ashamed to admit it, but my basement is starting to look like a hoarder's. Must...get...listing...aargh...

I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I guess I have the magic touch or good karma or whatever right now. Check out my Pyrex haul from just the last week:

Yes, you're seeing all that Friendship correctly! I went to two different stores on Saturday (not usually the best day to thrift, either) and all I found was Friendship everywhere! The divided dish ($5), as well as the Snowflake Garland lid came from one Goodwill. Then I went down the road to another thrift and found all the 470 casseroles. The 471 (without lid) was $2.50, and the 472 and 473 with opal lids were $3.50 each. I thought I was going to pass out trying to get all those in my cart! I now have quite the collection of Friendship, all this plus the 444, 443 and 442 Cinderella bowls, and it was all thrifted. Which is great because I can't afford to buy it online, LOL.

Last week I went to a thrift store I haven't been to in a long time (why, I don't really know, because it is a great store) and bought the woodland 043 and Spring Blossom 473 for just a few bucks each. They are not my favorites, but are near mint, so I will be putting them in my booth.

Then last night I was on my way to work and had to stop in to a little thrift on the way- Bingo! The lime 232 was there waiting for me for $4.50. I am really loving the lime and flamingo bakewear right now. I will have to do some re-arranging of my shelves to display it better. But not today; I've got Mr. Limey in the oven baking up a peach cobbler right now!

And finally today, I just got a good Pyrex vibe after I dropped my daughter off at school and had to run into my closest local thrift. I found the Butterprint 503 with lid for $3.50 and the Golden Tulip for $3.99, as well as the Flamewear saucepan for $5. That's about as much Pyrex as I've ever gotten at this store in one shot, so my spidey sense was definitely working!

It is not the Pyrex it is the Readers!

So yesterday I ran into Salvation Army. Someone recognized me from my blog! 

You can read that story at Treasures my Husband Hates. 

How cool is that! I felt a little famous. 

There was only one piece of Pyrex to be had. 

And sharing with you makes me even happier! 

403 Snowflake garland

As a BIG thank you to all who read my blog I am doing a little giveaway. 

Not the dish above but another. Check out my blog for details!

Happy Hunting!

~Katie

Treasure Hunter

The Dry Spell is Over!

FINALLY, after weeks and weeks of unsuccessful Pyrex hunts, I broke my dry spell and adopted some new pieces!

To say I was getting desperate would be an understatement. My weekly Goodwill trips were starting to become depressing, and I always left with my pockets heavy (fibber!), arms empty, and head hung..until yesterday.

As I was checking out, sad that I had only found books, I peered into the display case by the register....and what did I see?

Ignore that crooked 443..I fixed it :)

An entire set of Snowflake Blue (or Snowflake Garland..what do you call it?) cinderella bowls! I was so happy I barely even looked at the price, I just told the lady "aaand I'm going to need that set of Pyrex too..."

I paid $24 for the set, which is a little higher than what I normally pay, but really not a bad price. This is my first complete set of Pyrex bowls, so I was pretty overjoyed. It seems whenever I find a set, it's always missing at least 1 bowl. It makes me wonder sometimes...what happened to the missing piece? Is he all alone in the world, his nesting days gone for good? Did he plummet to his death after slipping from a buttered hand? 

Le sigh. The joys of vintage.

Finally, my first Snowflake Garland

Hi PC3, SusieQT here from Practice in Time!

Pyrex thrifting has been picking up a bit of late, so that's the good news. I've been finding about 1-2 pieces a week (more good news) but am running out of room (that's the bad news!) So I have taken the plunge and started selling some of my collection in my booth at an antique mall. Please don't hate me, I am trying to be a good Pyrex mommy, but some of my children need better homes!

I've decided to keep my Primary sets and anything pink, turquoise and black, while the rest is going to the booth. OK, maybe not all, I'm still keeping my New Dots and my delphite for a while....

So this latest purchase is something of a dilemma:

This is my first Snowflake Garland and I love it! It is in mint condition, appears to have never been used. It also happens to be a divided dish, which is always problematic for me. I rarely use them, and they just don't stack well and don't display well, since the pattern is on the lid. *sigh*

At the moment I have five divided dishes and only two are out- my Pink Daisy and my Compass. The others usually get stored haphazardly on end in the cupboard. (Bad Pyrex mommy!) So I don't know yet if I can keep this one. Pyrex has also been selling really well for me in my booth, and I know this one would go quickly. What would you do?

Ah, the sacrifices we make for our children...

Oh, and the tea towel pictured? It was bundled up in a pack of 99 cent rags in the same thrift store. When I took it up to the register even the volunteer working there mentioned that it shouldn't have been in there! Whoops! ;)

things are picking up.

Things have finally been picking up at my local thrift stores... maybe it's some early spring cleaning?

My first purchases were two Snowflake Garland mixing bowls - #401 and #402 and a Pink Gooseberry casserole - #472. 

Next was a turquoise mixing bowl #403... this is actually my first solid colored mixing bowl, so that was pretty exciting.

My last find was my favorite - a Terra casserole #472, with lid!  Terra is one of my favorite patterns and a lidded casserole has been on the top of my want list for a while.  It was at the sketchiest consignment store ever.  They had just opened up in an old landscaping center and half the store was an old greenhouse.  The building had no heat and a skylight hole in the ceiling was covered with a thin sheet of plastic.  Oh and the cash register didn't work.  So glad my husband came along with me to that shop!

teela.

my so-called modern life

Pyrex in Drips and Drops

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...