How it all got started...

You might think I'm crazy, but I didn't start collecting vintage Pyrex because of all of the gorgeous patterned bowls and casseroles. That came later and when it did, it hit me like a fever! I started out wanting to change my kitchen colors from mainly red to bright cheery colors like teal blue, orange and yellow. I thought to myself, I need new dishes to get the inspiration started. I wanted sturdy, vintage, restaurant quality dishes not the fragile ceramic stuff you get at department stores these days that chips first time you accidentally hit it on your counter or another dish. So my quest began to find vintage dishes. The ones on Ebay were expensive and no one was selling a complete set. I looked at all sorts of brands, Pyrex, Fire King, etc. and finally decided I LOVED PYREX! Now I just needed to find some.

A few weeks later, I found a post on Craig's List for some Pyrex restaurant dishes. I was so excited! And the best part about it -- they had a LOT of them to sell!

I got a ton of large and small plates for only $40. I love having extras for those weeks when I neglect doing dishes. :) The large plates are not as big as normal dinner plates. They must have been used in a diner for serving lunch.

I could not believe my luck! A week or so later, I was at a yard sale and nothing seemed special about it until I looked down on the ground next to a table and there was a box full of white dishes with the same blue stripe. I bought the whole box for $5. The box held the large, somewhat flattened bowls, great for spaghetti, the smaller version that I love to use for desserts and two cereal type bowls (all pictured above) and the cups with saucers pictured below. Jackpot! Upon further inspection, I discovered that all of the bowls, cups and saucers are actually Fire King or Anchor Hocking but they match almost perfectly to the Pyrex plates.

The kitchen makeover took off from there and so did my Pyrex fever! How did you begin collecting Pyrex?

Happy Pyrex hunting!

--Erin {erinink.etsy.com}