It Was Popular In The '60s — The Rare Pyrex Bowl That's A Thrift Store Gem

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Pyrex is a cookware brand with a long history. The bespoke glass used to make Pyrex dishes was developed in 1908 by Corning, and the brand officially launched its now-iconic products — starting with a line of baking dishes — to the world in 1915. Most people recognize and trust Pyrex, and as such, the dishes have found their way into kitchens around the world ever since their earliest days. Today, vintage Pyrex is passed down within families or sold in thrift stores and on online marketplaces. While it's not hard to find broadly, it's worth keeping a lookout for valuable vintage Pyrex patterns, styles, and colorways. Some, like the Gooseberry pattern, are particularly rare and, therefore, coveted by collectors.

This popular pattern was released in the late 1950s and continued to be produced into the late 1960s. It was one of the first patterns to be released on Pyrex's Cinderella mixing bowls, which feature two spout-like handles. The Gooseberry pattern features leaves with fruit — gooseberries, of course — and small, star-shaped flowers. It comes in multiple colorways: pink on white, white on pink, black on yellow, black on white, and gold on beige. Unsurprisingly, this is a collectible that ranks high among the types of vintage glassware to look for at the thrift store if you love the color pink! While this pattern is hard to find in the wild, it's far from impossible to get your hands on. You can, for example, find the dishes on eBay, where prices range from around $30 for a single small refrigerator dish to well into the hundreds of dollars for complete pink Cinderella mixing bowl sets.

While the pink Gooseberry-adorned Cinderella mixing bowls were popular in the '60s, this Pyrex dish remains a super valuable thrift store find. That means the dishes are worth picking up even if they're chipped, marked, the color is fading, or you only see a single piece. Check the piece carefully for authenticity. There should be a brand name in capital letters and a model number on the bottom of the dish, and the handles should look like jug spouts — they make it easy to pour pancake batter out of the bowl. If you see a microwave safe symbol, it's not vintage. Of course, if you spot a Gooseberry Cinderella bowl with its original glass lid or, lucky you, a whole stackable set, head to the thrift store sale counter right away.

Although you could resell these pieces and potentially make a bit of money, the pretty pattern and salmon-pink hue of Cinderella Gooseberry Pyrex dishes are lovely as home decor. It's not advisable to use vintage Pyrex for cooking due to possible heavy metal contamination. Instead, display a set of nested mixing bowls on open shelving in your kitchen for a whimsical, mid-century modern vibe. Or place a single bowl on your entryway console — it's the ideal catch-all for small dump-and-go items like keys and pocket change. You could even use the bowls as part of your seasonal or holiday decorating. Place a bowl on your mantel and fill it with similarly hued ornaments at Christmastime or decorative hearts for Valentine's Day.