Kitschy kitchenware: Vintage Pyrex, CorningWare is fab again
You wouldn’t think a 30-year-old has much to be nostalgic about, but Nicole Chynoweth gets that feeling from vintage Pyrex dishes.
The kitchen of her Kennedy Township apartment is decorated with favorite pieces from her ever-evolving collection.
Vintage kitchenware — from Pyrex to CorningWare and beyond — is having a moment, said Tony Bazzo, owner of the Lincoln Highway Hub, an antique mall in North Versailles.
“It’s really taken off in the last 10 years, and it keeps getting stronger,” Bazzo said. “It comes in and goes out of here every day.”
Chynoweth, content manager at Point Park University, credits her love of vintage items to having been raised by “hippie parents.” More specifically, her love of Pyrex comes from her grandmother.
“I remember it from my grandmother’s meals; I grew up seeing it,” she said. “I was charmed by the patterns and colors of Pyrex. It makes people nostalgic for a happy time in their life. The beautiful, colorful, happy displays bring me joy.”
Luckily, Chynoweth’s husband, Matt Steck, also is into thrifting and vintage.
“On our first date, we went to Goodwill and bought a ’70s floral couch for his apartment,” she said.
John and Mary Hargnett of Greensburg, also vintage enthusiasts, had their first date at the antiques and collectibles sale at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Now their home is a showcase of mid-century modern decor, including pieces of Pyrex and CorningWare, along with vintage Melmac, Texasware and Boontonware.
They also grew up seeing the cheerfully decorated dishes and cookware in their family homes. In fact, Mary’s late father had one of his first jobs at the CorningWare factory in Charleroi, Washington County.
Some pieces are for display only, some are for everyday use and others are brought out for special occasions, they said.
Striking a chord
You never know what will strike a chord with collectors, said Bess Dunlevy, co-founder of the Pittsburgh Vintage Mixer.
That might be especially true of Pyrex and CorningWare, due to their utilitarian origins.
The glass used in it was designed not to expand with changes in temperature and was originally intended for use in laboratory glassware, railroad lanterns and battery jars.
Pyrex, developed by Corning Glass Works in 1915, made everyday household baking chores easier. The temperature- resistant glass was durable, insured uniform baking, went straight from oven to table and then to the refrigerator or freezer, didn’t absorb stains or odors and was easy to clean — plus, it was affordable.
The same went for CorningWare, introduced by the company in 1958.
There’s a lot of it on the market now, thanks to its toughness and the push by Baby Boomert to downsize.
Like Chynoweth and the Hargnetts, many collectors like it for the memories it evokes, Dunlevy said.
“They remember that green bean casserole from Thanksgiving, and they want that same dish,” she said. “But there’s also a big push for sustainability and reuse, instead of buying new. Then there’s the durability. You can drop it on the floor, pick it up and go on.”
“What you find is not often so rare or valuable, but what makes the Pyrex so interesting to collectors is that there are so many beautiful pieces in so many patterns and colors,” said Michael Adametz, owner of Caring Transitions of Westmoreland County, a provider for relocation and downsizing services and estate sales.
“A lot of (collectors) do shelves or rooms or even color their whole houses after the colors in their Pyrex,” he said.
There are plenty of colors and patterns to choose from. Along with the solid-color and patterned pieces Corning has produced for sale over the decades, there are dozens of limited-edition pieces made as gifts for the company’s employees and for other businesses.
There also are test pieces that were never produced that have somehow “escaped into the wild,” in the collector vernacular. Those are particularly hard to find and pricey as a result.
Thrill of the hunt
“Since we’ve been open, the most expensive (Pyrex) piece we’ve sold was a shallow, matte black casserole dish. I think it was a test piece,” said Tony Bazzo, owner of the Lincoln Highway Hub antique mall in North Versailles. “I don’t even think it had a lid, and it sold for $500 or $550.”
Prior to opening his store, Bazzo sold kitchenware and other items on eBay. He said that one of his buyers found a pine tree-patterned Pyrex test piece that sold online for more than $6,000.
Bazzo said that a set of four nesting mixing bowls in a primary color would have sold for $10 about 20 years ago. Now the price is in the $60-$70 range.
“The most I’ve felt comfortable paying for a piece is $30,” Chynoweth said.
“The important thing to keep in mind, with collecting, is that you can’t always put a price tag on things,” she added. “It’s helped me create this bizarre ’60s-’70s, flower-child kitchen that I’ve always wanted.”
For others, the thrill of the hunt is the thing, Adametz said.
“Finding those one-of-a-kind, very rare pieces, that’s what makes it fun for collectors,” he said. “It becomes an obsession. They’re like Indiana Jones out there looking for those rare pieces.”
Niche area
“The rich manufacturing history in this area also makes it a niche area for collectors,” Dunlevy said.
Because so much glassware has been produced in Southwestern Pennsylvania, “there’s a connectivity to the communities that make those pieces especially meaningful. There’s something unique to it,” she said.
“You have these kitschy patterns and cool colors, and there’s a story behind it,” she said. “You have friends over and you pull it out and tell your friends the story.”
Still, Bazzo said, the value of these vintage items — like beauty — might very well be in the eye of the beholder.
“About 15 years ago, we went to an estate sale, and outside the house was a dumpster full of Pyrex,” he said. “We were stunned. They told us, ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet.’ The inside of the house was just as full of the stuff.”
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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