Not Pyrex, Not Le Creuset: The Overlooked Kitchenware Brand To Look For At Thrift Stores

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Pyrex and Le Creuset are some of the most valuable vintage kitchen items at estate sales and thrift stores. The reasons why are simple. Both are heritage brands with a long history of quality and memorable designs. However, it's neither Pyrex or Le Creuset that you should be looking for when you go to thrift stores. Instead, seek out an overlooked kitchenware brand that is both stylish and surprisingly valuable: CorningWare.

Developed in the 1950s by Corning Glass Works of Corning, New York, CorningWare was made using a revolutionary ceramic glass known as Pyroceram. This material could withstand a temperature change of up to 840 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the material would not shatter at higher temperatures, it became perfect for use as cookware. CorningWare would produce a whole line of cake tins, casserole dishes, Dutch ovens, mixing bowls, and pie plates.

Though still produced today by Corelle, vintage CorningWare items are as iconic a kitchen product as you can find. They also hold an incredible amount of value depending on the type of dish you're looking for. A good quality CorningWare Blue Cornflower casserole dish from 1959 can go for as much as $23,000. As such, knowing what kinds of CorningWare to look for is vital if you want to nab one of these awesome — and potentially highly valuable — vintage cookware pieces at a thrift store.

Despite being among the more valuable pieces of dinnerware you can find in a thrift store, CorningWare can be easily overlooked if you don't know what signs to keep an eye out for. Generally, vintage CorningWare from the 1950s through the 1970s are going to be identified by two distinct things: pattern and backstamp.

The patterns of the CorningWare are especially noticeable, and offer a fun, cozy, and retro appeal to shoppers. Perhaps the most popular and sought after pattern is Blue Cornflower, which was the first pattern CorningWare used and was in production from 1958 to 1988. The blue floral design set against a white background is highly appealing for its simple beauty. Other popular patterns include the more decorative Country Festival series from the 1970s and the space age Atomic Starburst from the late 1950s to the 1960s.

In order to make sure your CorningWare find is authentic, you need to look for the backstamp printed on the underside of the dish. It needs to contain the "CorningWare" label, the liter size of the dish, and a numerical product number. A "Made in the USA" stamp will also indicate that the dish is pre-1998, when the business was sold to Borden Inc. (later World Kitchen, Inc.). These earlier pieces are going to be far more valuable. So, if you find one, make sure to take it home with you.