It Was Hot In The '50s — The Rare Pyrex Bowl Worth Hunting For At Thrift Stores

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There are plenty of kitchen items that were popular in past decades and that are coming back around. You probably know that chip and dip platters were all the rage in the '50s and beyond. To that end, the atomic eyes chip and dip set manufactured by Pyrex is quite rare and one of the most valuable vintage Pyrex pieces you can find.

Back in the '50s, there were no such things as charcuterie boards, and snacks were kept much simpler at gatherings. It was common to use dried French onion soup mixe to make a dip that was served with potato chips, which were North America's favorite snack food back then. Of course, it was also a time when you couldn't just go to the grocery store and pick up a couple of dips in their own neat little containers — that convenience hadn't arrived yet. Hence the need for a chip and dip set. As you would expect, Corning Glass Works jumped onto the trend and produced a few different Pyrex chip and dip sets, usually as limited-time offers or seasonal promotional items. Mostly these consisted of two bowls, a 4-quart and a 1 ½ pint, and these were connected with a metal bracket that clipped onto the larger bowl to support the small one.

In the later part of the '50s, Corning produced the first chip and dip sets, with one known by collectors as Turquoise Eyes or just "Eyes", but now more commonly referred to as Atomic Eyes. This was due to the pattern on the bowls, which consisted of a turquoise diamond shape with a white circle and a turquoise cross in the center. The bowls used to make this set were the 401 small bowl for the dip and the 403 mixing bowl for the chips. This set was officially part of the Hot 'N' Cold Chip and Dip collection. It's interesting to note that Corning didn't officially name many of the patterns used on its products, and these were given by collectors of the different items.

Just like the rare vintage Pyrex dish featuring the white-on-brown Early American pattern, this set had limited manufacturing dates, so finding one at the thrift store is probably going to be quite rare, but you want to keep your eyes out for it anyway. This set and even just parts of the set are fetching some eye-watering prices on marketplaces like eBay and Etsy. For example, one set without the metal bracket is currently listed for $625 on eBay, while a complete set was previously listed for $1,150 and sold for a slightly lower price negotiated by the buyer and seller. And while you're browsing, don't forget to look out for the most valuable '70s vintage Pyrex, too.