Not An Average Pyrex Bowl: The Valuable Container We'd Be Thrilled To Find At Thrift Stores

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Your new favorite container might surprise you. It's not a typical Pyrex storage bowl or anything else you might stumble upon frequently at your local thrift store. Instead, it's a set designed for refrigerator storage with endless possibilities for uses. The 500 Series Oven-refrigerator Dishes Set from Pyrex, first released in the 1940s, are affectionately called "fridgies." Their versatility could take them from the oven to the fridge without any issues. Fridgies are not particularly rare, with many complete sets selling for around $100, but these vintage storage containers are highly collectible. While not all the fridgies sets feature rare discontinued Pyrex patterns, most of them are quirky, fun, and totally usable in your kitchen.

The first foray the Pyrex brand made into creating dual oven and refrigerator-friendly sets was actually in the 1920s. These sets were completely clear, with different sizes from the glass fridgies collectors know and love today. Then in 1947, Pyrex released a set of fridgies in primary colors to match their nesting bowls. This set included a large 1 ½ quart capacity dish, a medium-sized 1 ½ pint capacity dish, and 2 1 ½ cup capacity dishes. Along with clear, see-through lids, the set contained 8 pieces in total. Following the release of the primary colors set, which remains a hot find, Pyrex came out with even more colors, like the avocado and lime-green Verde pattern. With multiple patterns to match other sets produced from the late 1940s until 1979, there are dozens of fridgies floating around thrift stores and garage sales to collect.

Certain Pyrex items, including fridgies, are unexpected collector's items you'll want to look out for at thrift stores. Some of the sets you can keep an eye out for, other than the primary colors set, include the Daisy orange-yellow set or the gooseberry pink set. Buying them secondhand sometimes may require hunting down pieces from different sources. Sometimes dishes are sold without lids, which can be frustrating for a set designed for stackable fridge storage. Lids also varied across different sets. The key is to be persistent and know what colorway you need to find to complete your set. A truly rare Pyrex find is a similar storage set, the Oven-Freezer-Server Set designed to be frozen safely. Sets with all the components, including the unique aluminum lids, is unlikely.

If you manage to get your hands on a set of Pyrex fridgies, be prepared for one of the best organizing hacks for a clean and tidy fridge. Their stackable nature allows you to instantly become better at keeping your fridge orderly. The benefit of stackable containers like fridgies is that everything remains together and visible in the refrigerator. If you have made a meal, all the components that make up the leftovers are in one spot. You can also use fridgies in new ways, such as grabbing sets to aid in meal planning for the week. If you have sets in multiple colors, you have a way to differentiate the different days of the week for your daily lunches or dinners.