The Vintage Dishware Set From Pyrex That's Worth Hunting For At Thrift Stores

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For more than a century, brightly colored Pyrex bowls, casserole dishes, and other dishware have brightened the kitchens and dining rooms of homes across the U.S. Once considered everyday kitchenware, vintage Pyrex products have now become valuable collector's items, with the rarest Pyrex patterns selling for thousands of dollars. While every Pyrex collector has their favorite pattern, some designs are more popular than others. One design that's been a hit since it debuted in the late 1960s is "Dots," which was available in a mixing bowl set.

Featuring a milk white background with round dots in a single color on the foreground, the pattern was initially available in three colors: blue, yellow, and orange, and released in 1968. Each color came in a single size and the bowls were sold separately, rather than as a set. The Dots collection was popular enough that the company added a fourth color, and fourth size, a year after the launch. A green, four-quart bowl came out in 1969.

While the original retail price of the Dots bowls ranged from 87 cents to $1.77, depending on size, these days the bowls are worth considerably more. A single, 1.5 quart bowl with orange dots can go for $55 on Etsy, while a three-bowl set of yellow, orange, and blue commands nearly $300. Throw in the fourth, green bowl, and the price rises to almost $600. Their value and style means the Dots collection is yet another Pyrex item not to overlook at the thrift store.

Think primary colors when hunting for bowls in the Dots collection at your local thrift store. The original three colors are yellow, reddish-orange, and blue, with a dark green joining the mix later. Also, each color was only available in a single size. The orange dots appeared on the smallest bowl, 1.5 pints, the yellow dots on the next size up, 1.5 quarts, the blue dots on a 2.5 quart-size bowl, and the green dots on the largest size, 4-quarts.

Another thing to pay attention to is the bowl's shape. Pyrex bowls come in two shapes, either the basic round mixing bowl or the "Cinderella" bowl, which has pouring spouts on the sides. The company didn't make every pattern in every shape. For example, Forest Fancies, another valuable Pyrex pattern to look for at the thrift store, was only made in certain pieces. The same is true for the Dots pattern. You'll only find it on the round mixing bowls, rather than the spouted Cinderella bowls.

Whether you plan on displaying your Pyrex Dots bowls or putting them to use in your kitchen, perform a close inspection of the bowls' condition before you buy, as that does affect their value and attractiveness. Since the bowls were produced from 1968 until 1973, they're more than 50 years old, and may look like it. Look out for faded dots (most likely a result of being put in a dishwasher) or scratches, on either the inside or outside of the bowl.