Finding This Vintage Pyrex Pattern Is Like Winning The Lottery (It Was Never Even On The Market)

If you've been bitten by the Pyrex collecting bug, you're probably already marvelling at the plethora of patterns and models available. Whether you cook in Pyrex, use the dishes to serve food, or simply display your finds in your kitchen, it's hard not to get wooed by the decorations and nostalgia of this iconic crockery. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most valuable Pyrex dishes are rare. Some patterns are so hard to find that coming across one in the wild is like winning the lottery. Among the most valuable vintage Pyrex pieces to look out for at thrift shops is New Mexico — a quintessential mid-century modern pattern printed onto brightly hued or classic black or white glass casserole dishes.

The New Mexico pattern hails from the 1950s and features an atomic starburst motif. It was printed on 043 oval casserole dishes that hold 1½ quarts of liquid and came with knobless transparent glass lids. This highly sought-after Pyrex cookware comes in three colorways: white glass with a blue pattern, yellow glass with a red pattern, and black glass with a blue pattern. Be careful not to confuse the black and blue New Mexico dish with the Black Snowflake divided casserole dish. While the latter is valuable, it's unlikely to fetch as high of a price as the former. New Mexico dishware was never released to the retail market, so there's no brand name on the bottom. Like Butterprint — another prized Pyrex set you should never skip if you see it at the thrift store — if you find a New Mexico casserole dish at a bargain price, you've hit a jackpot potentially worth several thousand dollars.

Those getting into Pyrex collecting today probably already know it's the vintage dishware brand you should always snag from thrift stores and estate sales. Even if the pattern you come across was produced in abundance, getting Pyrex at thrift store prices is always a bargain. In the past, genuine vintage New Mexico Pyrex has sold for prices ranging between $2,800 and $6,000 on antique auction sites, which is far from shabby.

If you're a serious Pyrex collector or you're browsing secondhand retailers or online resale sites in search of diamonds in the rough to resell and make a profit on, you need a keen eye. Familiarize yourself with coveted patterns worth a pretty penny — like the New Mexico pattern — through online research (we love The Corning Museum of Glass' website Pyrex Potluck) and books like Pyrex Passion by Michael D. Barber. Learn where the collectors hang out, too — eBay, Mercari, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace are just some spots.

While these valuable vintage dishes will hold up well to regular oven use and aren't likely to shatter due to thermal shock, you'll probably prefer to put it on display rather than use it to cook up a batch of lasagna. After all, it probably doesn't pay to get tomato sauce stains on cookware worth thousands of dollars. Plus, old Pyrex can contain dangerous levels of lead. Instead, stack them with dishes of similar hues in an open-shelved hutch or pair them with a pretty print and some faux flowers.