The Vintage Pyrex Dish That Could Be A Rare Thrift Find (Hint: It's A Winter Favorite)

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Amid its sizable catalog of patterns and dishware, vintage Pyrex has a few greatest hits. Among those chart toppers is the Snowflake pattern, introduced in 1956. Snowflake is notable for several reasons. One, it was one of the first two patterns, along with the rare and valuable Pink Daisy, that Pyrex offered. Previously, the brand's opalware bowls and dishes came in solid colors only. Two, it's available in several colorways, a few of which are harder to track down than others. Three, several misprints exist, and these are the pieces that can fetch the highest prices. That's right, if you spot a Pyrex Snowflake casserole that seems to be missing a flake or two, it could be much more valuable than one in pristine, perfectly printed condition.

The Snowflake pattern is notable for yet another reason — it's international. Corning, Pyrex's parent company, licensed its glass and patterns to several companies globally, including James A. Jobling (or JAJ), in England, Agee, in Australia, and Rigopal, in Argentina. Those companies took the Snowflake pattern and ran with it, producing dishes in more colorways than their US counterpart. Additional international colors included pink, red, and pale yellow.

Plenty of Pyrex collectors get started with Snowflake, because the basic white-on-turquoise pattern is easy to find and not as budget-busting as the rarest Pyrex pieces. But as you get deeper into Pyrex collecting, be sure to keep an eye out for the rarer and possibly more valuable variations.

Like the tiny flakes that fall from the sky, it seems there are almost limitless variations on the Snowflake pattern, so it's important to know how to identify authentic Pyrex. Starting with the pattern itself — two forms exist: one with two staggered rows of six smaller snowflakes and one with a single row of larger snowflakes. Dishes with the larger snowflakes can be harder to find, and the price usually reflects that. On eBay, a divided casserole with large snowflakes is listed for $900. Meanwhile, divided casseroles, complete with lid, with the smaller pattern often sell in the range of $25 to $50.

As for the colorways, the white-on-turquoise variation had the longest production run in the US, from 1956 until 1967. The other two US-produced colorways, turquoise-on-white and white-on-charcoal, had much shorter runs, until 1963 and 1960, respectively. They're harder to find and usually priced higher than the turquoise versions. And international colorways, like yellow from JAJ in England, or turquoise-on-white from Rigopal, will cost more and be harder to find than any US-made version.

And finally, the misprints — mistakes apparently happened in the Pyrex printing factory, and not that infrequently. Collectors value some misprints, as they make a piece more unique. A Snowflake casserole dish with half of a snowflake missing is on eBay for nearly $900. Of course, if you're considering buying a misprinted Pyrex, verify that it's actually a misprint and not damage, such as a scratched-off design or fading from being put in the dishwasher, which would make it much less valuable.