Do these dishes look familiar to you?
They're Pyrex bowls and of course, you remember it. How can anyone forget what is arguably the most recognizable cookware in the world?
Pyrex was first introduced in 1908 as low-thermal-expansion borosilicate glass for laboratory and kitchen glassware by Corning Glass Works. It wasn't until 1915 that Pyrex bakeware such as casserole dishes and pie plates were made available to the public. Today, over a century since the invention of the American classic glassware, sales are still soaring.
Everyone who owns a Pyrex dish can tell you that unlike anything else, it is able to withstand extremely hot and cold temperatures without breaking, changing color or affecting the taste of the food.
In the early 50s, the brand started to release dishes with patterns on them and there are now more than 150 different designs in a variety of shapes and sizes. In 1998, Pyrex was bought by World Kitchen and ever since then soda-lime glass is used to create the bakeware in the U.S.
The good news is that if you have Pyrex dishes manufactured prior to 1998, then you could be sitting on a fortune, but the bad news is that if you don't own any then you'll have a tough time getting your hands on the original dishes.
Click on the next page to find out how much your Pyrex dishes are worth today.
The colors and patterns on Pyrex dishes indicate which decade they were manufactured in and if you can correctly match yours to the corresponding year you might be able to get a lot of money for it.
According to NPR, an original Pyrex dish could sell for up to $3,000! Many collectors, who like to refer to themselves as Pyrex Junkies, are willing to pay the right price to complete their coveted collections.
So if your mom or Grandma has a collection of these durable dishes, make sure they pass it on to you because it looks like no matter how old they are, their value keeps on going up. If you're looking to start your own collection, you might be able to find some on Etsy or eBay. Right now a 1950s set is selling for $1,850 on Etsy and $700 on eBay so you'll need to do some digging to score a good deal.
"I think it will always remain collectible, just because of the durability of it," Michael Barber, author of the Pyrex Passion blog, told NPR. "These bowls can be carried on through five generations and still look as good and be as useful as they were 100 years ago."
Do you have vintage Pyrex dishes in your home? Let us know in the comments!