The Rare Pyrex Bowl That Collectors Dream Of Finding At Thrift Stores

Pyrex dishes have fans the world over, but some prints are more sought after than others. The company produced more than 170 patterns, many with the cheery pastel colors they are associated with today. Among the holy grail Pyrex prints worth hunting for is the Butterprint, often adorning a mixing bowl. While the pattern saw several releases, certain versions of the design are more coveted than others due to their rarity.

First released in 1957, Butterprint is sometimes nicknamed "Amish," thanks to its depiction of an Amish farmer and wife. The couple appear in an agricultural vignette complete with stalks of grain, rooster, and crops repeating around the diameter of the bowl. The bowl in question is part of the beloved "Cinderella" bowls, which consisted of a set of nesting mixing bowls of various sizes. It was one of the first entries in the opalware Pyrex line, made of glass with a milky white tone. 

Pyrex opalware was the result of famed glassmaker Corning Glass Works developing it after World War II, having worked on contracts for thousands of pieces of "messware" for U.S. and Navy military eateries. Light yet durable, it held up in the busy mess halls, and soon found a spot on American dinner tables. Soon Pyrex began producing their opalware in bright shades and charming prints, including Butterprint. Although released in a standard turquoise blue with white combination, there are other rare Pyrex Butterprint bowls that are a thrift store gem if you can find them.

You can sometimes find a Pyrex turquoise Butterprint bowl out in the world while thrifting. It seems every household had one in the '60s, but it's the promotional prints with the pattern that have collectors searching far and wide. Pyrex capitalized on the success of Butterprint by releasing promotional, limited-edition versions featuring a white background decorated with the same print in orange or pink. This is a prized Pyrex set you should never skip if you see it at the thrift store, because these versions were not sold on store shelves, but instead offered as part of a Blue Chip trading stamp offer. Historical records are scarce, but some clever collectors at the Pyrex Passion Blog discovered the orange version first appeared in a 1965 S&H Green Stamp catalog.

In today's market, these pieces can regularly fetch $200-$300 for a single bowl, or up to $900 for the complete set of three.  Because these versions of the Butterprint design weren't available in standard Pyrex catalogs, no one knows exactly how many were manufactured by the company. Eventually Pyrex retired the design in 1968, but you can still find them on the secondary market, such as eBay and Etsy, though again, you should be prepared to pay a hefty sum, especially if they're in great condition.