Afleveringen
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Bex Scott welcomes guest Kim, owner of The Red Rooster Shoppe on Instagram and Whatnot, to the show to discuss everything to do with Whatnot. Kim, who has accumulated quite a following on Whatnot and is practiced at live shows, shares tips and advice on how to make Whatnot both fun and valuable. She also talks about all the vintage delights she collects and the many thrift stores she visits in Ontario.
Whatnot, according to Kim, is a social selling platform that combines entertainment and thrifting. It’s a buyers and seller social marketplace where live auction shows are commonplace. Kim and Bex talk about exactly why Whatnot has become so valuable to their vintage resale endeavours, not just as a sales platform but as a place to make like-minded friendships and support circles. Kim dishes about her childhood growing up with collector and reseller parents, her time as an auctioneer, the extensive vintage collection she has amassed, and exactly how to get started on Whatnot and in vintage collecting in general. The conversation is fun, full of laughter and tips, and a great way to get a feel for Whatnot as a platform.
Resources discussed in this episode:
WhatnotValue VillageReStore: Habitat for HumanityOwl Always Love VintageBlue Mountain Pottery Goebel Friar TucksHibid.comMaxsold—
Contact Kim | The Red Rooster Shoppe:
Instagram: The Red Rooster ShoppeRed Rooster Shoppe at Twindmills Antique MarketLinktr.eeContact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I'm going to be chatting with my reseller friend Kim, also known as the Red Rooster, all about Whatnot, what we love about the app, and how to get started on it as a new reseller.
Bex Scott: [00:00:49] Thanks for tuning into another episode of the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Kim from the Red Rooster Shoppe. Welcome, Kim.
Kim: [00:01:00] Hello. How are you?
Bex Scott: [00:01:02] Good, thanks. How are you?
Kim: [00:01:03] I'm good. I'm good, very good.
Bex Scott: [00:01:06] So I met Kim through a fun little platform called Whatnot, and we'll get into Whatnot a bit later. But I wanted to start off with you telling us a little bit about you.
Kim: [00:01:17] So my name's Kim. I live in Hastings, Ontario, Canada, or just outside of Hastings, technically. I'm a full time dementia caregiver, but I used to be an auctioneer and my parents were big collectors and resellers. So when I was a kid, that's all we did as vacations was go to flea markets and meets, and weekends were spent in some gym, in some school somewhere in Ontario selling things. So it's just kind of what I'm used to, and I enjoy doing it now as kind of like a fun activity.
Bex Scott: [00:01:56] That is very cool. I didn't know that about you. Did you love doing that as a kid when you were growing up? Was that something that you really enjoyed doing or what were your feelings around that?
Kim: [00:02:07] I was an only child. I am an only child. So I don't think I knew anything different. Right? Just this was my normal. It was a little boring sometimes. But then mum would get me making crafts in the background, which of course we'd sell. You know, we had these pencils you could rub between your hands and they were your frustration releasers and they would go all funny hair. So I would sit there and--.
Bex Scott: [00:02:31] -- oh I remember those.
Kim: [00:02:32] Yeah, yeah, I forget what they were called, but, or the anger busters, I think we used to put labels on them sometimes is that. The only problem with them was because I used to take them to school with me, they were my fidget toy, but the eraser gets covered up by the hair and it's really hard to correct your mistakes. So you can't make any mistakes when you have that as your pencil. Yeah, but it was so normal that in grade seven I did speech arts, which I don't know if you did, but where everybody has to write a speech and then everybody goes in front of the classroom. It's probably too anxiety driven to be done anymore for kids.
Bex Scott: [00:03:12] Yeah. That was my worst. Fear.
Kim: [00:03:14] Yeah, it's it probably ended in like the late 80s, early 90s. But in the 70s and 80s, it was the thing you, every single kid had to do it. And I was good at it. I was, I was good. I could memorize and I could perform a little bit, but then I would get up on stage, and usually I would do a five minute speech in 2.5 minutes, because I would get really nervous and I would just go through it really, really fast, which took away from points. So I never went to like regionals or anything. Anyways, in grade seven, I wrote a speech. The first line of it is, have you ever gone to Pennsylvania for a screw? And it was so normal to me and I, and I was, I was like 13. I had no idea what a screw like that, what the connotation of that was until I was up on stage in front of the entire school. And the moment it came out of my mouth, like a millisecond later, I'm like, oh, I know what I just said, but I have to carry on. I have to carry on. But we would go like, we went every year to this swap meet for classic cars because my dad, who never finished building it, but he was building a 1928 model A coupe, which is kind of like a truck.
Bex Scott: [00:04:32] Very cool.
Kim: [00:04:33] But he never finished it because he wanted it to be 100% original, which meant every single part down to screws. Which is why we would go all the way to Pennsylvania, because that's every October at Hershey, Pennsylvania there's a meet for classic cars, antique car enthusiasts. And it's just, it's mud. It's an entire field of mud that you trudge through because it always rains, it always rains and there's so many people and everyone's pulling their wagon with their car parts in it, and I would have to trudge along in the mud holding on to a precious screw or something. But I just thought it was normal. So I wrote, in grade seven I asked the entire school if they'd ever gone to Pennsylvania for a screw.
Bex Scott: [00:05:25] I love it. That's very cute.
Kim: [00:05:27] It's a little embarrassing now.
Bex Scott: [00:05:30] Oh, so you had the childhood of flea markets and auctions and being an auctioneer. So how did the reselling side of what you do now begin?
Kim: [00:05:41] I had to close my business as an auctioneer. Auctioneering was actually like the last career I had before I got sick. I have what's called central sensitization syndrome. And so it's like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue put together into one. So I was pretty much laid up in bed for a few years. And then the pandemic hit. And then my mother started to have the signs of moderate dementia. And so it got to the point where I had to move her in with me. So we moved here to near Hastings on the Trent River. And it's beautiful here and there's lots of activities for her to do. But I was looking for another outlet and mom and I always loved thrifting. It was our thing to do was to go thrifting. And I love that treasure hunt. But then you get the stuff home and it's like, oh, I don't really need this. And I had a huge, I had when I was sick and laid up at home, I had started trying to, like, ADHD really, because I never really completed anything, but I would get into a whole bunch of different crafts. So I had a whole like room full of craft supplies, and I was on Instagram and it wasn't even related to reselling, the woman that I was following.
Kim: [00:07:06] But she posted that her son and daughter-in-law were doing some, you know, Funko Pop sale on Whatnot. And I went, what's Whatnot? Like, I need to Google this. So I didn't use the referral code or anything, so I didn't get my little your bonus of using a referral code from a seller or another Whatnot or... But I looked into it and I was like, this sounds cool. This is fun. I think I want to do this. So first it was just to kind of get rid of my craft section, and then it was like, nah, you know what? I like these vintage decor people. The people who do vintage decor are fun. And I love these sellers and I love that community. So that's where I want to start, I started buying from there and then I was like, you know what? I think I want to, I want to sell in this category too. And next thing you know, I've got an entire basement full of stuff.
Bex Scott: [00:08:04] I understand that fully. Yeah, that's what my basement looks like as well.
Kim: [00:08:09] It's bad. It's really bad. But it's all inventory as far as I'm concerned. It's all inventory. So it's just a matter of when I manage to get time to sell it.
Bex Scott: [00:08:22] That's what I say every time I bring a new box home. Like this will be sold one day and it's going to make me a lot of money. So that's why I bought it. And then it's the slippery slope of the next box is the same thing.
Kim: [00:08:34] Yes. My husband just, he just shakes his head because he likes everything new, so he doesn't understand it. But he likes me being thrifty. He likes that. He likes that I can always find a way to save money somewhere. I will figure out a way.
Bex Scott: [00:08:52] That's perfect.
Kim: [00:08:52] He doesn't think that way. So he's always like, oh, good, like we don't have to buy a brand new fridge. We can go to the restore and get a fridge that's pretty much brand new because it came out of some remodeled house, you know, those sort of things. He likes that. But he doesn't like all the boxes right now. We call it the Great Wall of Hastings, because they're all lined up and built up into basically a wall that divides part of the basement. So.
Bex Scott: [00:09:24] That's awesome. I'd like to come and shop in your basement.
Kim: [00:09:27] Yeah. You'd have to unbox everything. I always say if someone was to come here and rob the place to try and get my treasures, first of all, it's all stuff that's going to take you a while to resell, so good luck with that. Second of all, there's a dog that will bite you. But third of all, you're going to have to go and like clean up first to find all the stuff and go through about 150 boxes. So guaranteed, I'll be home before you get through a third of it.
Bex Scott: [00:09:56] So really, it's a security system. That's a whole new way of looking at it.
Kim: [00:10:01] Yeah, it's it's a way of, you know, hiding your valuables in about 150 boxes. It's a little treasure hunt. It's like an Easter egg hunt for robbers. To figure out which box it is that's got the best stuff. Might be at the bottom. Might not be, I don't know. I don't know, actually, because I can't remember what's in everything. I never label the boxes, which I should probably do, but then it's always usually just whatever comes from the latest auction. And, you know, I accidentally fall into a thrift store on the way home from an auction pick up. That's not my fault. That the car just--
Bex Scott: [00:10:42] -- it just happened to be there.
Kim: [00:10:43] The car has a self-driving system that drives itself to different thrift stores on the way to the grocery store. Or like when I do my blood work, I make sure I do it in Trenton because the parking lot for the blood work place is the same parking lot as for the Missions Bible Thrift store. You know, so it's not my fault that after I get blood taken, I have to go into a thrift store to recover. That's the only way to recover from a loss of blood, really. Is to buy somebody.
Bex Scott: [00:11:20] It definitely helps.
Kim: [00:11:21] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:11:22] That's how I feel about Costco. I send my husband to Costco because Value Village is on the way to Costco, and he can drop me there and then go do the grocery shopping and then come and get me after he's done.
Kim: [00:11:35] I think what I'm going to start doing is bringing, once my husband's semi-retired, I'm going to get him to come with me thrifting, because then he'll get the 55 plus discount because I don't qualify yet. And I was thinking of becoming a student just so I could get the student discount because I buy so much, especially from the one place, Vinnies. I love them. But every time they always ask, they just automatically ask everybody do you qualify for a discount? Every time I'm like, no, not old enough yet. I wish I was old enough. It would save tons of money. I spend way too much there.
Bex Scott: [00:12:15] So from your perspective, I've tried to explain Whatnot to people before, and I'm not very good at it. So how would you explain Whatnot to somebody who's never heard of it?
Kim: [00:12:26] They call themselves a social selling platform, but basically it is entertainment plus thrifting put together. It's a way to get social and meet new people. There's friendships there, but it is... Whatnot is Whatnot. It's just, it's everything under the sun. They're even looking at the possibility of doing, in the next year or so, doing like vehicles and stuff, like.
Bex Scott: [00:12:56] Wow.
Kim: [00:12:57] Yeah. Which would obviously be local pickup not shipping. But they were talking about that in a product development show. So Whatnot is, it's like eBay but it's live. It's entertaining. There's still the auction part. But you can go in and you can just search for things at any time. But there's always a show on somewhere with something that you're probably going to like and want.
Bex Scott: [00:13:22] Mhm.
Kim: [00:13:23] And it's just fun. You can just come in and watch because there's, you know, there's goofs like me doing trivia and like I was just on the wigging-out train where we all were, there was 22 sellers, so that was like 11 hours solid of sellers who were wearing silly wigs and being silly for 11 solid hours. Yeah. It was pretty amazing. It's I mean, whatnot is just, it's entertainment, but it's also value because you can get some really good deals on Whatnot. And as a seller, it's just, it's a fun way to sell your stuff. I find it quick and easy and it's on my schedule, right? Like, I don't have to, if I can't do it because with mom having dementia, she's my priority, so if she's not having a good day or because she's not having a good day, I'm too tired to do a show because I don't want to be blah on a show. I want to be fun. I want to be myself. So I need to feel rested, so I can move it. I can move my shows when I need to.
Kim: [00:14:33] Consistency is important, but it's do as I say, not as I do. If you have the time, and, you know, one day when mum's not with us anymore, then I hope that Whatnot will be something that I do like, you know, 3, 4, or 5 times a week. That I'm doing short Whatnot shows or long Whatnot shows. And that's the other thing, you don't have to do one hour or, you know, three hours. You can do as much as you want or as little as you want, which I really like. So, it's so flexible for sellers and they are asking us to do more detailed listings. But if you do an unboxing. You can just lift it up and show it and turn it around and give some descriptions and mention any issues with it, and hit the button and start the auction and sell it like right there and then. So, which is great because I got a lot of boxes to unbox. So I love that part. But yeah, it's, I mean I think it's more, it's like it's entertainment and shopping all in one for just about anything you could think of.
Bex Scott: [00:15:40] Yeah, I think that's the perfect way to describe it. And I'm a very introverted person. I kind of keep to myself, and I've always been shy and starting off on Whatnot, having to - you don't necessarily have to show your face, you can flip it around and just show your product - but having to talk to yourself the whole time at the beginning was very challenging for me, but you kind of get into it and you start to have fun, and you have your regular followers and shoppers that come in to your shows all the time, and you start to build friendships and community. And I think four of the Canadian sellers, you've been a huge part of building that community and those friendships. And when I found all of you guys, it was kind of like a little built-in friend pod that you go along your daily life, but you guys are always there and you can ask questions and shop from each other's lives, and it's perfect.
Kim: [00:16:38] Yeah, I love the fact that there's like this group and it's, you know, mostly women in our category. So it's this really awesome, supportive group of women that are all Canadians who all love to buy and sell. And yeah, we're just so supportive of each other and just going into each other's stores. And there's been major things that have happened. Friday was my one year of selling on Whatnot anniversary, so--
Bex Scott: [00:17:07] Congratulations.
Kim: [00:17:08] It's only been one year and like three days. So, and it's not easy at first. You got to kind of get your own rhythm and groove and find the vibe that works for you. And that took some time for me to figure out because I didn't, I didn't really know, like I'm like an introverted extrovert, I guess. So like, I start off really shy and then I get stupid, or else I'm like extremely extroverted and I talk to every single person in the store, and then I just say, I don't get out much. That's my excuse. I don't get out much. But there's that Canadian group of women and we chat with each other offline, off of Whatnot, about our lives, and we're supportive of each other in our own lives and what's going on because, you know, as resellers there's so much else that goes on in our lives other than just listing product and selling it. And, you know, we've had we've had some pretty big tragedies that we've helped each other through and day-to-day sometimes if I just, if I have to rant, I have some place I can go and just put out a rant about how something that's not so great in my life that's happening.
Kim: [00:18:26] And it's just like, you're not alone. You realize you're just so not alone. But as resellers too, it's great because we can help each other. Like, do you know what this is? Have you seen it before? What is it someone sold it for, because Whatnot is one of many platforms that are available for resellers. It's the one that I'm using exclusively personally, but others aren't. And, so it's nice to be able to say, you know what? Maybe that should go somewhere else. Maybe that doesn't go on Whatnot. Maybe you want to put that on another platform and see if it sells there first, because you do get bargains on Whatnot. Whatnot's not always high end unless you're crazy lamp lady.
Bex Scott: [00:19:11] Yeah.
Kim: [00:19:12] That's a whole discussion. I have bought from her, I have to admit. I did go.
Bex Scott: [00:19:16] Her stuff is great.
Kim: [00:19:17] Her stuff is awesome. But at the same time there's stuff that she sells that it's like, yeah, I got that.
Bex Scott: [00:19:25] Yeah, yeah.
Kim: [00:19:26] I'm not going to get those prices. But that's okay, she can. She's built a following. She's worked hard to get that following.
Bex Scott: [00:19:32] Yeah. Especially when you have 530 people in a show. And sometimes I have like three.
Kim: [00:19:39] But you know what? All it takes is like one person who starts buying.
Bex Scott: [00:19:43] Yeah.
Kim: [00:19:44] Right? And especially if you do a loaded show, but someone says, hey, do you have any green glass and it's like, well, I don't have anything loaded, but here, walk over with me. You got, you can literally pick up your phone and just walk right over to wherever in your house or in your storage area you have whatever they're asking for. And you can just start loading it and selling it right on the spot to that person who wants it. It's great when there's competition, but you can also set your minimum price too, right? It's not like you have to do a low starting price. And that's what a lot of people do, is they set the minimum amount that they're willing to let the item go for, which I think is totally fair.
Bex Scott: [00:20:26] Yeah. I agree. It's an awesome platform if you're just starting out or if you have years of experience behind you as a reseller. So I'd highly recommend it. Everybody listening, go and find the Red Rooster Shoppe on Whatnot. And then I'm Pyrex with Bex as well. And check out some of our shows. Shameless plug for both of us. So how would you describe thrifting and sourcing in your area? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it..?
Kim: [00:20:59] It's way too good. It's way too good. I'm in a, like in a semi-rural area. Like there's, Belleville's not that far, but I haven't gone there yet, to be honest. Because there's enough. I've got one, two, three local auction companies that I don't even have to give my name. They've already pulled my items. Everything's ready.
Bex Scott: [00:21:24] So fun.
Kim: [00:21:24] I'm on a first name basis. Just hey, Kim, how's it going? Here's your stuff. So, I mean, there's never a lack of items and at decent prices. Plus we have, Peterborough has like multiple thrift stores and so I have my circuit that I do when I go into Peterborough. I sort of plan because I only have a few hours before I've got to be back home to take care of mom. So those during those hours, I make sure I hit all the key places that I need to because there's a value, what I call a valoo vilage, Value Village.
Bex Scott: [00:22:01] That's what I call it too.
Kim: [00:22:03] It sounds so much better when you buy, when you buy a dress and everyone's like, oh my God, I love your dress. Where'd you get it? Value Village. Oh, I haven't gone there yet. I really need to.
Bex Scott: [00:22:13] Very high end.
Kim: [00:22:14] Everyone needs to go to Value Village. So there's the Value Village. There's the Talize, which is nice because when I lived in Oshawa, there was one in Whitby. So now there's one in Peterborough. There's two Restores. So that's Habitat for Humanity. So that's awesome. And they have really expanded their vintage. They used to refuse vintage decor and now they've like really expanded their vintage decor. And they have great sticker sales. So.
Bex Scott: [00:22:42] I was going to say that I didn't know that they did vintage until I walked in maybe two months ago, and they had an awesome section.
Kim: [00:22:49] Yeah. So folks, if you haven't, like if it's been a long time since you've been in a Restore because you walked in and you're like, I do not need the building materials, thank you very much.
Bex Scott: [00:22:59] I don't need a toilet today.
Kim: [00:23:00] It is changed. And they do, they do sticker sales every month. So there's going to be stickers that are like 75% off what they say and their prices are already fair. So, like, I picked up a couple of end tables for my booth and I paid like $12.50 for each one and, you know, put the price tag on it is now $45. So, yeah, it's not bad at all. I just needed to, you know, polish it up a little bit and make it look a little bit prettier than it was, but yeah, Restores are great. Then we have the community care, which is an organization that does community care. Go figure. Like Meals on Wheels and drivers and home health brokerage and that kind of thing. They have one store in Bridgenorth. So that's like after one of my auctions, I can head north to the Bridgenorth one, and then there's one in Havelock where my mum goes to the senior center. So there's another. There's little thrift stores everywhere. There's like a really great thrift store in Madoc that is closed on Wednesdays, so don't go on Wednesdays. I forgot to check before I drove there because it's like a half hour drive, so it's not usually, I don't usually go that way. But then I've got like Trenton, Brighten, oh my gosh, Brighten is amazing. And I haven't even gotten into, I haven't gone into Cobourg or Port Hope yet. Like I haven't, there's so many spots to hit. Campbellford has like three thrift stores that are run by church organizations. There's a Baptist, Catholic, and the Anglican. We got it all covered. We got all the bases.
Bex Scott: [00:24:54] All the bases, yeah.
Kim: [00:24:55] I haven't been to the Baptist one yet because it's never open when I'm available. They have great stuff. And then there's antiquing. So there's like auctions everywhere. There's tons of thrift stores, and it's never, I'm never one of those people who's like, I don't have, I didn't buy anything this week.
Bex Scott: [00:25:12] Yeah. Oh I'm jealous.
Kim: [00:25:15] I'm the one who's like, I have to empty my van so I can go and fill up my van again. That's my problem is I don't have enough space in the van to put more stuff in the van and have my mom and her wheelchair also in the van, you know?
Bex Scott: [00:25:31] Yeah.
Kim: [00:25:32] Leave mom at home, and then I've got plenty more room. Can't always do that. I always have to leave space for that. So sometimes it's like, do I buy groceries? No, because I don't have space. So I have to go home first and then I'll go buy groceries locally, which I guess is good for my local grocery store. They get the benefit of the fact that my van is full of pickups from auctions and thrift stores.
Bex Scott: [00:25:57] I'm very jealous. I wish it was like that here. I thought it was pretty decent here, but... We have some online auctions that I go to weekly. They're in Calgary though, so I have to get my parents to pick up all my items, and then I have to drive them back here. And then most of it's just Value Village and the Salvation Army. But yeah, I wish I had an awesome circuit like you have, because I'd be in a lot better shape with what you're selling.
Kim: [00:26:27] Or you'd be trying to find a bigger house, building another storage shed.
Bex Scott: [00:26:35] Yeah. My husband wouldn't be very happy because we already moved from one house to this one, and he redid the whole basement storage room for me. And I've exploded it recently because of Whatnot, because I keep pulling things out of the inventory system and not putting them back. So I'm not a very organized seller.
Kim: [00:26:55] Yeah. I'm not. I just, things are on shelves and now that I have to put tags on for my, because I got a booth at the local antique market, so now I have to put tags on things. So I'm trying to like tag them as I go so that if I need to, I can just grab them off my shelf of my Whatnot room and take them to the booth without having to think, how much is this? What am I going to charge? All that kind of stuff. I can just do that quickly when when I start, because I don't tend to, like, I tend to just kind of have stuff out and I know general prices, but I don't put prices on things. So when someone asks what's the starting bid? I usually start really low because I'm like, yeah, I don't know. Yeah, I don't feel like Google lensing it. You figure it out, I'll hold it up to the light.
Bex Scott: [00:27:39] It's a moment of panic I have when people ask, I'm like ahh $3 start.
Kim: [00:27:44] Yeah, yeah. I've done it a couple of times where I've said like $2 dollars and I've literally, it's come out of my mouth and I'm like, well, I said it. So that's what it is. That was stupid. But that's what it is. Oh well, and usually people like, there's a lot of buyers who will bid it up a little because you can on, Whatnot you can actually bid against yourself if you keep swiping right, it will bid you up, which is, I actually think it's a it's a nice feature because I like doing it sometimes when a seller makes a mistake or I just feel like, you know what, I should pay a little bit more. I mean, it doesn't, you know, $2 more isn't going to kill me every once in a while. So I like that feature of Whatnot is that the buyer can actually outbid themselves. When I first started at Whatnot, I accidentally did it all the time because I was so used to bidding online. Right? Like you would just up your bid. So that, and I didn't realize the custom, there's a custom bid button, folks. That's what you're supposed to--
Bex Scott: [00:28:49] -- there is?
Kim: [00:28:51] Yes.
Bex Scott: [00:28:51] On Whatnot there is?
Kim: [00:28:52] Right beside swipe right, beside the swipe there's custom bids. So you click on that and then you can type in your max bid. And then the system will do it for you instead of you having to swipe constantly. Especially if it's--
Bex Scott: [00:29:05] -- I learned something new today.
Kim: [00:29:07] I don't do sudden death auctions. I did sudden death during the wigging-out train, but sudden death is basically, sounds horrible, especially if you're in vintage or 'sudden death, you're about to have an estate sale'. There's only 15 seconds, period. So there's no, the timer doesn't reset every time somebody bids, which it does and can take forever, right? If you do like a, even if you do a 15 second auction and people wait until, some people wait to like, they think they're sniping, but you're not sniping if it's going to reset the timer so that people wait and then they bid at the last second, and then there we go, we got another nine seconds. So here we go again. Now we wait another nine seconds. And you got to fill that space with entertainment. Right? So you got to keep talking about the thing. Here it is. Oh and sometimes I'll get distracted because the chat will be about something, right? And I'll start talking to the chat and I'll be like, oh, thanks so much so and so. And then everyone's like, no, someone else bid while you weren't paying attention. This person won. Oh, sorry. I just assumed you were the only one bidding. That's what makes Whatnot fun, is that we're kind of friendly and joking and we just have fun with it. There's no strict rules or anything on how you're supposed to run your shows.
Bex Scott: [00:30:26] You can kind of show your personality and have fun with it. And, yeah, it's different than just throwing up a listing on Facebook Marketplace and that's it.
Kim: [00:30:37] And answering 20 million questions.
Bex Scott: [00:30:39] Yes.
Kim: [00:30:40] Is this still available?
Bex Scott: [00:30:40] And you get the weirdos on there and yeah.
Kim: [00:30:43] Is this item still available? Or I'm interested.
Bex Scott: [00:30:50] Yeah. And then you reply and nothing happens.
Kim: [00:30:52] Can I give you five? I'm coming in five minutes to pick it up.
Bex Scott: [00:30:59] Yeah. I'm outside of your house. I'm here now.
Kim: [00:31:03] I'm here now. Give me your address and your blood group. And the birth dates of all your children and your mother's maiden name. And then I'll pay for it.
Bex Scott: [00:31:15] Yeah.
Kim: [00:31:16] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:31:18] So you mentioned that you have a booth coming up, or have you already? You've moved in already. And is it ready for business?
Kim: [00:31:27] I mean, it's open for business. So a new antique market opened up four minutes from my house so I can roll down the hill to it. So it's really convenient. They're only open right now Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. But I'm upstairs, and I grabbed two spots. I keep telling her I need more, and she doesn't believe me. Well, she will see. She will see that I need more. I need to bring her to my house.
Bex Scott: [00:31:58] Send her a picture of the Great Wall in your basement.
Kim: [00:32:01] This is Great Wall. And here's the selling room. And, like, I could fill up, I said to her yesterday, 20 booths. Give me 20 booths. But I got two, and I haven't totally, like, jam packed it full yet. Like, I'm, every weekend we bring more stuff in. So yeah, it just opened early March, the upstairs part. So I've been moving in since then. It's fairly full now. I think you would walk in and think it was full. It looks full. But I know I can cram more stuff in there, so, and I will, because I still have to bring all my toys. I haven't even done a toy section yet. My collectibles, all the pop culture stuff. But then I'm like, oh, but I also want to sell that on Whatnot. Oh, so I have to--
Bex Scott: [00:32:51] -- that's the tricky part--
Kim: [00:32:52] -- I have to balance that. So I've got like now every box I unbox is like: booth, donate, Whatnot. Booth, donate, Whatnot.
Bex Scott: [00:33:01] Yeah. And do you keep most of the larger items for your booth and then do you--.
Kim: [00:33:07] Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. Because shipping is expensive no matter what platform you're on. I actually find that Whatnot's shipping costs are not that bad when you look at like eBay and some of the Etsy shipping costs that I've seen. For clothing, yeah, we're not competing with Poshmark for sure because Poshmark has made some sort of deal, but because they were doing mostly clothing so it was small, lightweight items. Now that Poshmark is doing vintage decor and stuff, like they're going to have to change their shipping rules because there must be, they must be losing a lot of money on that. Or Canada Post is. Somebody losing money on that. I don't know who it is, but someone's losing money. But yeah, I think Whatnot shipping prices are not too bad. The minimum is what, $11 for Canadians? $11 US. So I have to math that. So $14, $15 bucks, somewhere around there.
Bex Scott: [00:34:07] Which is really good because when I do shipping off of something like Facebook Marketplace, it always ends up being $20, $25 at the cheapest. So it's definitely worth it to shop on Whatnot and get that shipping.
Kim: [00:34:23] Yeah, and a lot of us Canadian sellers have started doing little coupons and that sort of thing that you can use during the show to help with shipping too. So we're doing whatever we can to convince you to buy because our stuff is great and you can see it, you can see it live, you can see all the angles. You can ask to see a close up. You can't do that on an eBay listing, right? It's like you can zoom in all you want, but if the seller doesn't show you the bottom in a way that you want to see it, you're out of luck. Like you buy it and then be disappointed. Or you could just--
Bex Scott: [00:35:00] -- hope for the best.
Kim: [00:35:01] On Whatnot, you be like, can I see it closer? And it's so much easier because you interact with the seller. As a seller, you interact with the buyer right away. So all the questions that a buyer is going to have, you can answer right then and there before they purchase. You don't have to do the back and forth on the messaging of the app. Right? Like eBay. This question, answer, wait two days. Another question, answer. Now ain't nobody got time for that.
Bex Scott: [00:35:34] No, no. It makes it so that you almost instantly have a repeat customer and a faster sale, which is, yeah, it's awesome.
Kim: [00:35:45] And people tend to buy more than one thing in a show, right? Because once you've got that first item paid for with the shipping, the shipping costs go like way down like $0.50. I think if you added another pound worth of stuff, it's only like $4.50. This is all in American dollars, mind you, but still, not too bad. Not too bad. So it means people tend to buy, once they've bought that first item, if your show is continuing on, you're going to get more sales from that person just because they're like, well, I've broken my shipping now, I might as well buy something else. Might not be something they want, or I should say that it would be something they want, they just don't need.
Bex Scott: [00:36:28] Yeah, that's mostly what I buy. I get sucked in because my shipping has been busted and my shopping addiction, it kicks in, and then it's so easy to just swipe and it doesn't even feel like you're spending any money. And then you're like $100 US. No big deal.
Kim: [00:36:45] I mean, you just have to sell some stuff the next day. You just go online and you sell stuff, and then you buy other people's stuff, and then you sell your stuff, and rinse, lather, repeat. But it's fun. It's so much fun. It's fun. I love it, and I love the community. Just because you don't, and you don't have to go on and buy something to be part of the friendships that we have on Whatnot.
Bex Scott: [00:37:11] Exactly.
Kim: [00:37:11] There's a lot of people who are my friends on Whatnot that have never bought anything from me. Yet. But that's okay because they come, they interact, we have fun. We laugh. I can't hear you guys laugh, but I can see it. I can see the emojis. And then I know you're all laughing with me. Or Whatnot also has that fun feature where you can tap twice and it sends hearts up.
Bex Scott: [00:37:36] Yes.
Kim: [00:37:37] Which is very cute. I love just sitting there and like tapping nonstop. I'll just tap. So if there's a show, if anyone's ever in a show and you see that I'm in and all of a sudden the hearts just keep going, it's just me. Like, I'm not bidding on anything, but I love you.
Bex Scott: [00:37:52] Yeah, you'll know Kim's in your show if you see all of the hearts all the time.
Kim: [00:37:56] Yeah. That's me. Sorry. Not bidding, but I'm hearting. It's the same thing. It's considered an, I think it's considered an interaction by the algorithm. So, you know, that's why I'm doing it. I'm trying to, like, pump up that algorithm so that there's more visibility for the show so more people can watch me tap hearts. Although they can't see it. I'm tapping right now and you can see it, but no one else can.
Bex Scott: [00:38:21] Yeah. No, she's tapping the screen right now giving everyone hearts.
Kim: [00:38:24] I'm tapping hearts with my finger nonstop.
Bex Scott: [00:38:28] So do you collect anything vintage yourself?
Kim: [00:38:32] I've collected a lot of things over the years. Right now, I'm very much into Blue Mountain Pottery.
Bex Scott: [00:38:39] Mhm.
Kim: [00:38:39] Too much. And I started and it's, Owl Always Love Vintage Ali. It's her fault because she had this cute little Goebel monk, the Friar Tucks, and she had one piece and I was like that is so cute. And then I got it. And then I saw a set in an auction. And so I bought it. And then I saw another bunch of stuff in someone else's Whatnot show. And now I have, like, a whole windowsill full of these little Friar Tucks. But it turns out there's also a cardinal line, like it's red instead of brown. I got outbid on an online auction that was a full set of it.
Bex Scott: [00:39:24] Wow.
Kim: [00:39:25] I got outbid because I realized thou shalt not spend too much money. So it's like, now I got to stop, I gotta stop, I really want it. But what am I going to do with it? It's just going to go and collect dust. And then I got to dust it. What happens is, is I get really into something and then, okay, I've got enough of it. I feel like I've collected it. Thank you, next. Now Blue Mountain is going to take forever to collect all the different pieces, because they were around from 1953 to 2004, and they did over a thousand molds.
Kim: [00:39:59] So I'm not going to be over that anytime soon. But yeah. And then glass, I love gorgeous glass now that I never appreciated before Whatnot. But then, you know, now I'm like glowy glass, i've got a whole collection of uranium glass, cadmium, anything that like is UV reactive I'm on it like nobody's business, like a dog on a bone. I am on it. And I go around with my, I have a 365 flashlight now because the different wavelengths will show you different amounts. So the 365 is the one that like CSI Las Vegas uses.
Bex Scott: [00:40:42] Yeah.
Kim: [00:40:43] So it shows a lot more UV reactivity with low amounts of like uranium. So there's a lot of old crystal and glass that they added uranium to to make it clear instead of make it green, to make it look clear. So like you can go to the Restore and just be like scanning and there's no noise actually but I'm making the noise. I got to make the noise so you could understand.
Bex Scott: [00:41:11] It should have noise.
Kim: [00:41:12] Scanning the shelves like like an idjit. Because I'm like literally like up there with my flashlight. Nobody has a clue what I'm doing. And then every once in a while, someone will go up and go, oh, are you looking for glowy glass? And I'll be like, yes, yes I am. Let's have a long discussion about it in the middle of the store.
Bex Scott: [00:41:31] Yeah, but if I find any, it's mine. You're not taking it while we're having this discussion.
Kim: [00:41:36] Oh, well, I'll be like, oh, I already have some of that. I have like, I have a whole box of that. Here, let me show you some. So usually I end up being like, you should get this. It's really cute. Look at this. This is also cute. I have a lot of clear glowy glass now, so I have to stop because it is easy to find it. It's out there. There's quite a lot of old glass and crystal that gets donated. Not a lot to Value Village though, interestingly enough in our area.
Bex Scott: [00:42:04] Not here either.
Kim: [00:42:05] Different demographic, Restore versus Value Village.
Bex Scott: [00:42:09] So I just discovered that vintage jewelry has glowy glass in it sometimes.
Kim: [00:42:15] Yes.
Bex Scott: [00:42:16] And that blew my mind. Now I'm going to be shining lights on everybody's earlobes everywhere I go.
Kim: [00:42:22] Well, I'm even diamonds. Different diamonds with different inside them. So like, I have three diamonds on my wedding ring, my engagement ring, and the middle one glows like crazy.
Bex Scott: [00:42:35] Oh, cool.
Kim: [00:42:36] Like, it's like, so cool when you put a 365 against it, it's like wow, I'm like, ooh, that makes it fancier to me. But it means there's something in there that's reflecting. But it's kind of cool. Like, there's so many things that fluoresce and UV react that you can find out there, and it's kind of fun just to like turn off the lights and start scanning around at all the collectibles, go to grandma's house, start scanning and it like, okay, so it's when I like, when people hear uranium glass, they think, oh my God, it's radioactive.
Bex Scott: [00:43:10] Yeah, yeah.
Kim: [00:43:11] The raindrops that are coming down from the sky are more radioactive than this stuff. Yeah, a high amount of it, like I bought from a seller in the States on Whatnot, I bought, like, a lot of uranium glass plates and cups. It was a teacup set with plates and everything. It was a big box. And so, yes, it did get delayed at customs, and it did get opened up because it probably did set off some sort of--
Bex Scott: [00:43:38] -- the uranium detector--
Kim: [00:43:39] -- detector that they have at the border, which I hope, I hope that's why it got, because I hope that they have a good sniffer system. And I have noticed that if I do buy glowy glass from the States, it usually ends up spending a couple of days in customs. Probably they don't usually open it up because it's smaller and you know, they can scan it and see it without having to open it up. But I'm sure they scanned the teacups and the the plates and were like, this doesn't make any... Why? Why are these teacups and plates like giving off a reaction? Something's wrong here. But then they saw what it was, i'm sure. I'm sure they've seen a lot of green glass over the years because of it. Because the the green uranium glass, you can see it from a mile once you know what it is, you know, and you can like, you go into a thrift store and you're just like, yeah, straight to it. I know what that is. And I started also collecting, but then I started selling them. So I kind of like, it's a buy to sell collection, I guess, of like the swung glasses, but the five-fingered ones that look like this, the Sesame Street characters, your favorite. I love when I see those in stores. I'm just like, I'm on an auction platform. I'm just like, got to get those ones because they're so cute. They just have personalities. I have two right now, and one of them leans slightly to the side. So it's kind of like when a character like, hello, I'm falling over.
Kim: [00:45:09] It's really kind of cute. It's super cute. So I like, I don't know, if you look around, I just have every, like I like everything, which is a problem. And so I appreciate the history and the story and what somebody did with that and, you know, what was going on in that era. What's the reason, like, what's the reasoning societal-wise why, you know, women were wearing certain types of brooches, you know.
Bex Scott: [00:45:37] Yeah. Yeah.
Kim: [00:45:38] Why did we start going into this whole like, you know, avocado green and mustard yellow? Like, what was the trends and why the trends and how the trends changed. And it's kind of fun when you can like, I love grabbing something and saying to myself, I think this is like - and I'll try and date it - and I play the like, did I get this, the dating game but it's different. It's like, did I get the date of this right? I pick it up and sometimes you'll see me unboxing, in unboxing shows, and I'll pull something up and I'll go, okay, I think this is 1985-ish. And then I'll flip it over and read what it says and be like, oh no, I was completely wrong on that one. Or yes, I was right, I was right. It was only off by a year. I think that's kind of fun. I just, I really like that. So I'm a generalist. I collect anything that I like, which may not even be pretty. It might be super ugly or super weird.
Bex Scott: [00:46:39] As long as it's vintage.
Kim: [00:46:42] Well, as long as it's, well, I like newer things, but I like sustainability. I like the fact that what we do helps the planet at the same time, because we are encouraging people to take something that otherwise would have gotten thrown away. A lot of the stuff that gets donated, a lot of people don't realize that the things that get donated to places like Value Village end up either in the trash or they get sent down to South America. And they have like huge, especially clothing's the worst, but like, they have these huge markets in South America where you can go. They're usually called gringos markets because it's stuff from us North Americans. Wasteful. And you can buy like you would have a field day because there's tons of Pyrex down there.
Bex Scott: [00:47:38] Yeah.
Kim: [00:47:38] You could just, you just like, just go in and because there's just too much that gets donated and they don't have enough space on the floor. So they just, they put it into household bales. So like bales of clothing, but they put them in big pallet boxes and they may or may not make it all the way to South America without getting broken. But there's just tons of stuff that just ends up getting sold down there. People buy it for super cheap and then they resell it in their community in these big open space markets. Part of that is also wasteful because the shipping, the carbon footprint of the shipping of all that stuff to go down south so that it can be resold, why don't we just stop that cycle? So when someone says to me, oh, you're a reseller in this disappointed way, when I'm in a thrift store, I'm like, yeah, yeah, I take this stuff and I resell it, but I clean it up first.
Kim: [00:48:35] I am the one who has to run around and source it. I have to look it up and find out information about it. I've got to present it somehow, which right now is Whatnot. I got to take the time to then pack it and ship it like, I don't see you doing any of that. So yeah, my time is valuable and so I'm going to charge more than I paid for this. But the whole point of thrift stores is to keep whatever organization that they're supporting, to keep it, to keep the doors open. Right? So like when I go into Habitat for Humanity store or Restore, I know that when I buy stuff from there, if I walk out with a box load, they're thrilled. Like, they know that I'm a reseller and they're absolutely thrilled because that's the money that they need in order to build that next house for someone, right?
Bex Scott: [00:49:22] Yeah.
Kim: [00:49:22] And with community care, it's the money that they need to be able to provide that Meals on Wheels service. So I don't, when people try to guilt me I'm like, no, sorry. I don't do a lot of shopping at Value Village. I talk a lot about it because I like saying it. I like going to the small charity shops. I have so many in the area. I'm very blessed that there's so many. There's, like a cute one in Omemee that's run by this little Baptist church. We did get into a little bit of a conversation about trans rights, but, you know, I think we came to an understanding about that, and it was a little bit uncomfortable at first, but then it was okay. But yeah I wasn't going to back down on that.
Bex Scott: [00:50:11] Yeah.
Kim: [00:50:12] My kids are important. So I'm gonna defend their right to be. But you know what? There's so many cute little places that I'm lucky enough to be able to go into. And then I know I'm supporting. It's the money is going back into the community to help people. So I'm always happy with that. That's also a great excuse to buy more.
Bex Scott: [00:50:28] Yeah, I think so.
Kim: [00:50:30] It's for a good cause, honey, I couldn't help it. They really need the money. They're building a new house. I had to get it. It's not my fault. Totally not my fault.
Bex Scott: [00:50:41] I love all of the reasoning behind buying things. I have so many different reasons that I give people to that I just have to keep adding new ones to the bottom of my list and recirculating them.
Kim: [00:50:53] Yeah, it's like reseller math if you buy something for $2 and you sell it for $10, that's good reseller math. But sometimes you buy something for $2, but you also buy like ten other things. So you know, you have a cart full, but one of those things is worth ten bucks. You're going to sell that one for ten bucks. So you've covered most of it. So yeah, maybe there's extra in there, but eventually you'll sell that stuff. So it's all okay. It's all just an investment. It's all fine. But there was one really good piece in there.
Bex Scott: [00:51:30] Yeah. What's the worst thing you've ever ended up buying? And worst in terms of you thought it was going to make good money or that it was something special and it ended up being just the opposite.
Kim: [00:51:44] Oh, gosh. I don't think there's a lot of worst. I don't, because I don't spend a lot. I'm, I am super cheap. I've had some things where I get them home and I break them while I'm washing them or cleaning them. There's a lot of Blue Mountain pottery that's the big long egret neck, like swan necks, and they are so easy to break. And that's just like, that's one of those sad moments. I have, I have like a little burial ground for pottery in the garden. So when there's a really nice piece, I put it in the garden and it becomes like, you know, a little, I just think of it as a new house for a bug. So there's a lot of vases and stuff that, you know, now they're a house for a bug or spider or something.
Bex Scott: [00:52:37] It's the bug amusement park.
Kim: [00:52:39] So there's, yeah. So I have to plan my garden now around my vintage cemetery that I have, but I don't want to get rid of the stuff because it was like, you know, the glaze was super pretty or there was just something about it that I really liked. So it goes in the garden where I know eventually it's going to break apart. And, you know, winter takes its toll on it. But I don't know, there's just something about the circle of life, of just bringing it back and making my garden pretty somehow. But yeah, I think the most disappointing for me is when I buy something, whether I spend a lot or I spend a little on it, and I break it before I even have a chance to buy it. Sell it, I mean. Buy it, I already bought it to sell it.
Bex Scott: [00:53:21] That's been my issue lately, but it's because my daughter takes it off the floor and she drops it because she thinks it's fun to break things. Right now she's in that awkward, breaking age, and I had a Blue Mountain Pottery candy dish that I just got, and she picked up this old butter dish and she threw it on top of the candy dish. And that was the end of that.
Kim: [00:53:43] Yeah, yeah. Well, eventually they they grow up and they go to kindergarten. So you've got some time eventually, eventually they start.
Bex Scott: [00:53:52] Four more years, four and a half more years of breaking my things.
Kim: [00:53:56] Yeah. My mom likes to grab stuff. And because of her dementia. And she uses the wheelchair for mobility, so she tends to stick things down her top or down her pants. And because, so if she goes through one of my boxes, there's usually a few things that go missing that I don't get to sell. And then the other day, there was this gorgeous Nippon candy dish that was really, it had a beautiful, beautiful hand-painted scene on it. Like, it was just gorgeous. It was going to be a keeper. And yeah. Mum actually put it underneath her boob.
Bex Scott: [00:54:39] Oh no.
Kim: [00:54:40] That was her storage spot, was up her top and and let her boob hold on to it because you know, they, as you get older ladies, they sag. So, but then she forgot that it was there. And then she stood up to go to the bathroom and it just smashed all in the bathroom floor. I heard the crash and I went, another beautiful thing has bit the dust.
Bex Scott: [00:55:03] Yeah.
Kim: [00:55:04] But mum loves, still loves going through all the boxes and seeing what I got and looking at the things and I've done a couple of live shows with her. I don't do it as much now because she is much worse. But when I first started on Whatnot, I would do shows with mum and sometimes I'd say, you know, oh, this is starting bid is $10 and she would be in the background going, it's not worth that much, two bucks. I'm like, please ignore my mother. Thank you for bidding.
Bex Scott: [00:55:34] And then you'd find it in her shirt later on. Because she secretly really loved it.
Kim: [00:55:38] I was really careful that if I sold something, it went up where she couldn't reach. That is a benefit of having her in a wheelchair. She can only reach so high. And she can't get down the stairs into the basement, so if it makes it to the basement it's safe. Safe from her, not necessarily safe from me dropping it or something, but yeah, every once in a while when I break vintage, I cry a little.
Bex Scott: [00:56:05] Yeah.
Kim: [00:56:06] An angel in heaven cries too. It's a sad moment.
Bex Scott: [00:56:14] So do you have any advice for resellers who are just starting out? Or if they want to get on Whatnot or find a booth close to them, or just start out in general?
Kim: [00:56:28] Well, you need inventory and you need to spend money to make money. That's reality, is you have to buy stuff. I would be careful about when you first start out about buying things at high prices. Go, I would say start with your local auctions. Like online auctions where you can pick up if possible. There's HighBid.com has a lot of Canadian and US auctions. There's Max Sold does a lot all over Canada. Maxsold.com. And then of course you can just Google to find out where there's your local auction house. And usually they'll have a website. And if they do online auctions or if they do in-person auctions. If you can go to in-person auctions, oh my gosh, there are deals to be had because people have gotten away from going to live auctions.
Bex Scott: [00:57:26] I've never been to one.
Kim: [00:57:27] Oh, they're fun. They're, you just need to behave yourself. You need to say, you know, I have a maximum and I'm going to stick to it because it starts to get personal. Like you don't want the other person to win kind of thing.
Bex Scott: [00:57:39] Yeah, I could see that.
Kim: [00:57:41] So you have to be careful with that. But if you're if measured at the beginning, look for deals. Pick what you like. Don't try and follow any trends. Don't try to follow what you think is going to sell. If you like it, if you see it on the shelf or you see it online, a picture of it online on an online auction, and it speaks, like if you're like, if you get excited about it, then that's the stuff you should sell. Don't try and just sell anything to turn a profit, because it won't be successful, because you won't have that enthusiasm for it. It'll start to become more of a chore and less enjoyment. That's my first recommendation. When it comes to being on Whatnot and selling, I would suggest, first of all, that you get on Whatnot and watch shows for a while, watch a lot of shows, different shows in different categories. Get to know people, start following people, start interacting in other sellers shows, just, you know, even just saying, oh, that's really pretty, I really like that. You don't have to buy, just come in and chat. We love chatting with everybody. We love hearing, you know, don't come in and be negative, nobody wants that anywhere. But just come in and say hi. And you know, when we say, how's your day? You can answer or not answer, it's up to you. I'd say 80% of the people who are in shows are quiet in any show, big sellers or small sellers, 80% of the people are quiet and that's okay too. But if you're going to be a seller, you need to be interactive because it's a social, it really is a social network platform. It's all about collaborate.
Kim: [00:59:32] Collaboration is the key. So once you get started, you need to let people know, I'm, you know, I'm going to have my first show. Book your show as soon as you're approved to be a seller. I would recommend going through and getting a referral from somebody who's already selling on Whatnot. Not only does that seller get a bonus if you do start selling on Whatnot, they get some, they get some money for it, but you are more likely you'll be put up higher on the list to be looked at, because there is a wait list for certain categories, but they want to see inventory. So you need to build your inventory. Because if you just say, I really, really like cards or I really, really like glass, they're going to be like, that's great, but show us what you got. And they want to see a lot of inventory because they want sellers who are going to sell volume, right? The more you sell, the more they make because they take 8% of the cut, which is not bad. It's not bad at all. And then there's the payment processing fees. But they have to pay that to somebody else. They're just passing that cost along to us. But they're taking 8%. So they want you to make as much money as possible. They want you to be successful. So they're not going to pick people that don't have inventory. So you need to take lots of pictures and do a collage of, like, use your little Google Photos to make a collage because I think you're only allowed, like, when I applied, I think you were only allowed like eight pictures to attach.
Bex Scott: [01:01:10] I think when I did it was two.
Kim: [01:01:13] Oh gosh. So like I did collages. I went around and like took pictures of everything. And at that time I did not have a 10th of what I have now. I have an issue, but I think I applied for handmade category because that's what I had the most of at the time in inventory, but then once you're approved as a seller, you can go just about anywhere. And I've been approved to sell at luxury bags. Not that I have any to sell, but I made sure that I got approved for that. There's a quiz.
Bex Scott: [01:01:45] Oh boy, I would fail that quiz.
Kim: [01:01:47] You would not fail the quiz. It's a pretty obvious quiz. Like, should you sell something fake?
Bex Scott: [01:01:55] Okay. Yeah, I thought it was gonna be on luxury bags.
Kim: [01:02:00] That's, you know, that's a really hard one.
Bex Scott: [01:02:03] Yeah.
Kim: [01:02:04] I think I should say yes. Yes, you should sell fake stuff. Like most of the questions are pretty, pretty easy. It's pretty easy. But they want to make sure that they don't approve you until you've already been a regular seller, that they can see a track record for because they don't want people getting scammed. They don't want scam artists. So they want to see that you got a decent inventory and that you've got some experience selling. So if you don't, even if you tell them about how you sold the most Girl Guide cookies when you were ten, right? Like, whatever it is, Boy Scout, whatever Boy Scouts sell, I don't know, apples, one of apples in our neighborhoods, but like they want to see that. And then once you get approved, just have fun. Like just make it fun. Forget about trying to sell. The selling will happen as you get more experience and you build your following. Like, I'm getting close to 2000 followers now after a year.
Bex Scott: [01:03:04] That's amazing.
Kim: [01:03:05] But that's also because of the collaborations that I've done, like organizing Raid Trains and the people that I've met and through them meeting other people. So, you know, always trying to go into other people's shows as much as possible, even if it's just say hi. Hi, love you, I hope you have a great show. Isn't that a cute item? Oh, that's so pretty. And then I may not be able to stick around, but I try to at least say hi whenever I can. But it's the collaborations that make it happen. It's going on, getting to know people, and getting on the Raid Trains or make up your own Raid Train. That's what I did. I wanted to do a Raid Train, so I just started openly inviting the world to it. And now it's like, it's totally full. I think April, we're almost full. So March is already full. April's almost full. And it's fun, just monthly for anybody who's a seller to sell anything they want, as long as it's sustainable. Because it's all about sustainability, right, my Raid Trains. I'm big on that.
Bex Scott: [01:04:13] Mm. I'm gonna have to join one of those.
Kim: [01:04:15] Yes. You should. How you sign up.
Bex Scott: [01:04:20] Sounds good.
Kim: [01:04:21] It's fun, it's fun. It's sellers from all over the world. Most of them are US sellers. So it's great for Canadian sellers to get introduced to their buyers because with a Raid Train, for those who don't know, basically one person starts their show and then when they're finished at a certain period of time, so they have usually it's an hour, they then raid, which sounds like a pirate thing, when I first started, I was like, what are we doing? We're raiding? I don't like, what, I don't want to raid somebody. I, what, I don't want to steal someone. Like, because I thought stealing, that's what I thought. I though raid/stealing. But it's basically you just take all of your viewership and bring it to someone else's show. And when they're done, they bring it into someone else's show, etc., etc. And a train is where you organize it so everything's on a schedule and everybody goes, basically, it's like you start at the engine and you move everybody back to the caboose at the end of the day, that's how I like to think of it, is everyone moves along the cars in an orderly fashion, buying all day long. And having fun.
Bex Scott: [01:05:33] Mhm. Yeah. In our next one, by the time this episode comes out we will already have had the Linens Raid Train coming up on Friday.
Kim: [01:05:42] Very excited about, I have so much to go.
Bex Scott: [01:05:46] You're kicking that one off, right? And then I go right after you.
Kim: [01:05:49] Yes. Yeah. I'm starting at 9 a.m., so I don't mind kicking it off. It's probably the toughest spot in any Raid Train.
Bex Scott: [01:05:59] Yeah, I was going to say.
Kim: [01:06:00] Like because it's just, there's no expectations of me selling too much. So like, oh, you were the first on the train, it's fine. It's okay, she was first, that's why. No, I'm just kidding. People buy all day long on Whatnot. That's the great thing, right? You never know who's going to come in. And linens is so hot right now. People are really interested in it. And ephemera is getting hot again. The thing is, there are trends on Whatnot that are fascinating to watch because you can see, you can actually see this, like it flow from the sellers through the buyers. And then a lot of buyers are also sellers. So then they start building a collection. And then all of a sudden they're selling and I've just watched it like, a lot of like ephemera especially, has moved through so many categories now because people are starting to realize how cool it is, how exciting it is. And linens. I love linens, I love little linens and big linens and pretty linens.
Bex Scott: [01:07:06] I like the sheet sets. That's my favorite. Anything with like a nice floral pattern. Love it.
Kim: [01:07:12] Yes, I have a lot of that, but it's on beds. I tend to use it, not store it.
Bex Scott: [01:07:18] That's good. You should.
Kim: [01:07:20] Yes, but it's so pretty that sometimes I feel guilty. You know, every time I put it in the laundry, I think it's shortening its life just a little more. But it's made it this far. I've got sheets from the 70s, from my like, from my bed, from my parents bed, from the 70s. So yeah, that's one of the benefits of living with your mother is all her linens came with her.
Bex Scott: [01:07:45] Mhm. Awesome. Well those were some perfect tips if you're starting out as a reseller on any platform, especially Whatnot. But thank you so much, Kim, for joining me today. And everybody go and find Kim on Instagram at the Red Rooster Shoppe and on Whatnot as well. And check out some of her shows. They are super fun. So thanks so much, Kim.
Kim: [01:08:07] Thanks for having me. Love you.
Bex Scott: [01:08:09] Love you. Have a great day.
Kim: [01:08:12] You too. Bye.
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In today’s episode, Bex Scott uses her confessed addiction to thrifting to share the top six items that she always seeks out at thrift stores. Bex lives in Canada so the availability of items, and store names, may vary from country to country, but the general categories of vintage items Bex looks for are a great guide. She walks us through what to look for, why, and how to value an item if you do find one.
Bex’s list of items she frequents Value Village, Goodwill, and Salvation Army to find wouldn’t, of course, be complete without Pyrex occupying the number one spot. She tells stories of lining up before the store would open to be one of the first inside and she divulges some of the greatest Pyrex finds she’s experienced. Her six top sought-after items after Pyrex are brass, Blue Mountain pottery, cross stitch and crewel patterns, vintage linens, and kids' books. Why does she search for these specific items? Bex tells all in this episode: the why, their collectible value, and some of the pieces and brands to be on the lookout for. Tune in and then share your own top ten list with Bex on Instagram @PyrexWithBex.
Resources discussed in this episode:
JAJ Cherry Blossom PyrexWhatnotBlue Mountain Pottery blue glaze bowlBrass lounging frogs“Blue Mountain Pottery Angelfish - A Star is Reborn” by C. Biernacki & T. Milks for Antique67.comCrewel curtain c 1696, English leaf detail—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Today. I wanted to go through the top six items that I always pick up at the thrift store if the price is right. That is the most important part of this. If the price is right for you to resell, if you're a reseller, or if it's right to you as a collector. So for those of you who know me, I am addicted to thrifting. And I realized that I had an actual addiction this year when I took all of January off of thrifting and buying anything vintage, and it was so difficult for me, I had no idea it would be that hard. But it really brought to light the fact that I love going to Value Village. I love going to Goodwill. And it is a huge part of my life. It's become a hobby, something that I like to do when I'm feeling stressed, and it's really helped me to connect with an amazing group of people on Instagram and whatnot, and it's just something that's really fun to do.
Bex Scott: [00:01:41] So when I go to the thrift store, I usually have a few things in mind that I'm always on the lookout for. And for those of you who are new to thrifting or new to reselling, I thought I would bring up these six things so that maybe you could start taking a look when you go to Value Village, Goodwill, Salvation Army. And I'm located in Canada so what I'm finding might be a bit different than what you're finding in the States or different parts of the world, and I would love to know what your top ten items are as well. So feel free to find me on Instagram @PyrexWithBex to let me know your opinion of what I'm going to go through in this podcast episode, and what you would add or maybe take out from what I'm going to mention, because price has a huge impact on what you pick up when you go out thrifting. If you're a collector, that price may have a lot higher of a ceiling, because you'll pay a lot more to have that piece in your collection. I know I'm like that with Pyrex. If there's a piece that I absolutely need to have and I find it at the thrift store and it is a bit higher than I would usually pay, especially if I'm going to be reselling it. I don't hesitate to invest that money in it. But if I'm looking to make some profit off of it, then I'm looking for a lot lower of a cost.
Bex Scott: [00:03:15] So let's get into it. The first item that I have on my list is obviously Pyrex. I would be feeling pretty weird if I didn't have Pyrex on this list. Unfortunately, it's becoming harder and harder to find good Pyrex in the thrift stores, and I'm sure all of you know this. It's the same across the board with all of the collectors that I talk to, and those of you who have been collecting for quite a long time, not myself, you have mentioned to me how easy or how much easier it used to be, even 5 or 6 years ago, to find good pieces at the thrift store. So before we had our daughter, I would wake up early a couple of times a week to go to Value Village and Goodwill. Those are the ones in the city that I lived in that I like to hit up, and I would line up before it opened, so I'd be there super early. It was cold a lot of the time. I was still going in the winter. And this was the only way that I could find good Pyrex at the thrift stores, and it was definitely worth it for me. It was pretty funny because the same people lined up every single morning, there were about 15 or 20 of us, and I always try to be maybe 4th or 5th in the line. Any earlier than that and I was not awake enough to be out there. But you would start to recognize the people who were in line and start chatting with them, and you'd get to know them. And there was always a teacup lady. She was always ahead of me. There was always a video game and book guy. And then you had your handful of what I like to call vintage generalists like myself. And those ones were my main competition. You'd see the doors open and everybody would pile in all at the same time, and then kind of disperse into the store. And if you were fast enough, you could grab a cart. But sometimes there wasn't enough time because people were in it to win it, and you'd all rush towards the same shelf and kind of scan the shelves that you pass to see if there's anything good on your way back, and you would hope that you got there first. And some of the best finds that I've had at Value Village and the Salvation Army have been an almost full set of the Friendship Cinderella bowls. The 441 was dishwasher damaged, but it was, the rest of it was in amazing condition. I found a charcoal Snowflake divided dish, a Friendship divided dish, a full primary set. I found a few full primary sets at the thrift store. And a bunch of other just random, little less desirable pieces here and there.
Bex Scott: [00:06:01] Something that I see all the time is the JAJ Cherry Blossom, and those ones I always leave behind. When I first started reselling, I would pick them up, but they are so common now that they've kind of lost their appeal to me. Those are the ones that I would buy if I needed something to cook in, that I wasn't going to put into my collection or my display, or if I wanted to gift somebody something. I've heard that people, they make their friends and their family casseroles, and they gift them the dish that it comes in and I think that's a really great idea to do with some of these less desirable, more commonly found casserole and pieces of dishware.
Bex Scott: [00:06:46] Next up is brass, and I only pick up brass if the price is right. And depending on what it is, that price is usually $7 or under for me. And my favorite have always been the animals, especially deer. Our baby's nursery was full of deer. I even put some brass deer in there. And I know I always mention this on my podcast, but my husband despises brass and I try not to put it around the house. I love it at Christmas. I've purchased huge brass deer for Christmas decorations, and I've also found large seagull wall hangings, a massive brass easel, a set of lounging frogs. The frogs were probably top of my list for my favorite. I like to call them the sexy frogs because they're both lying on their side with their arms under their head, lounging like they're striking a pose on a beach. And I've been pretty lucky as well with brass at online auctions. Just this past week, I won a box of 11 pieces for $17, which I'm pretty excited about because the Whatnot Canadian group of resellers that I'm a part of, we're thinking of having a brass, glass and wood seller train coming up, and I'm hoping to join that one to sell a bunch of brass and glass goodies. So most antique brass items are solid brass, and something that I've learned, a way of identifying solid brass pieces is by using a magnet. And if you feel a pull when you put the magnet up to it, then the item is brass plated and not solid brass. And a lot of the vintage or antique brass pieces, they don't have the display stamps or maker's marks to depict the place and year of manufacturing, so that's not as common. So usually if they do, you'll know that they are more modern pieces and not the antique or vintage brass. So any brass that I pick up now I don't usually hold onto. It's listed for sale on Marketplace or in one of my Whatnot shows. So if you're a reseller or looking to get into reselling, brass is definitely a no-brainer if you're able to find it for a decent price. So always keep your eye on that price tag.
Bex Scott: [00:09:08] Next up we have the Canadian favorite Blue Mountain pottery. So I have sold a large amount of Blue Mountain pottery over the years, especially animals; elephants, deer, dogs, and then other common objects like vases, ashtrays, candy dishes. And it's actually a pretty hot seller with Americans right now. A lot of my fellow Whatnot sellers, they sell Blue Mountain pottery online in their auctions and their live shows, and it does really well. So word to the wise, though, when you find it at a thrift store, check every single inch of it because it is so commonly chipped. I've gotten overly excited way too many times and haven't realized that there was a chip or 2 or 5 until I got home. I just was so excited to have found a piece. And then I get home and I'm super disappointed and there's not much you can do with it at that point except keep it in your collection or, I guess, say goodbye to it. So I wanted to give you guys a bit of information about Blue Mountain Pottery, because I've known about it for quite a while, but I've never really dug into the backstory or its beginnings.
Bex Scott: [00:10:22] So it was founded in Collingwood in Ontario, Canada in the early 1950s, and this is all information that I've found from my good old friend Worthpoint. The company initially bought ceramic blanks and decorated them with ski motifs, which I think is pretty cool. Soon the founders produced and sold their creations. Before long, the company was successful and exported globally, including to the United States, Europe and Australia. I'd love to know how many pieces or how prevalent it is in the United States, because I haven't heard of it much outside of Canada. So if you are a US or European or even Australian collector, let me know on my Instagram. So the pottery began in a barn at Blue Mountain Ski Resort. After they noticed the rich red clay being turned over to create new ski trails, they used it to make pottery to sell in the resort's gift shop. They decorated and glazed the products, primarily vases, ashtrays, bowls, and stylized animal figures. Moving to a factory allowed the business to manufacture tea and coffee sets, tableware, flower pots, decorative ware, and other sculpted animals and figurines. It became well known for its trademarked reflowing, or drip glazing technique that mimicked Blue Mountains colors during the summer. That's something that I also didn't know. I thought it was just a cool technique that they used with the kind of different glazes and flowy look, but it's really awesome to know that it was based off of the mountain's colors. After hand-applying one lighter and one darker glaze on a piece, the colors ran together during the firing process and resulted in mixed hue streaks. The company is best known for using this glaze to make deep green, almost emerald pieces. That's mostly what I've found when I go thrifting. Beginning in the 1960s, the company also produced other colors, including Harvest Gold, Cobalt Blue, Slate Red, Mocha, and Pewter. And I have to say that I think the red is my favorite. The color is so vibrant and it's just beautiful. So they designed many Blue Mountain pottery molds, including its frond vases, bookends, and jugs. They created the Angelfish figurine in the mid 1950s. If you haven't seen the Angelfish, look it up because it's also very beautiful and it's one of the potteries' most famous pieces, beloved by collectors. In the late 1980s, they made a more realistic version of the design called Tropical Fish. Studio potter Dominic Stazioni created hand-thrown vases, bowls, serving ware, and other free-form pieces for the company during the 1960s and 1970s. Designer David Bennett designed the Romar and Robert Wilson Collections, two animal figurine lines named after the company's later owner, Robert Wilson Blair. Rising production costs and increased overseas competition caused the factory to close in 2004.
Bex Scott: [00:13:27] Next up, I have cross stitch and crewel patterns. And crewel is something that I've recently gotten into. And I have to say, if you have the patience, it is a super rewarding hobby and also great for reselling. If you're able to find complete kits with a pattern and thread, you're definitely set. The kits they make now, they're pretty, but I find that the vintage ones, they have so much more character and color, depth, and just personality, so they're definitely worth finding if you can. A few of the brands to keep an eye out for are Dimensions, Sunset Stitchery, Paragon, and Jiffy Stitchery. And right now I'm doing a Paragon winter scene. It's massive so it's gonna take me probably like the whole year. But it is so fun and relaxing as long as you have that patience. Anything floral, mushroom, or with cute little animals is also a hit right now. And another thing that I do is I buy complete and framed pieces for resale, and I find that they sell really well because people love adding them to their collage walls in their house. Or a lot of people have a sentimental attachment to a certain pattern. I know that growing up my grandma had, I believe it was crewel because I came across the pattern for it actually on Facebook Marketplace the other day, and it was the Lord's Prayer, and it had flowers all around it like a frame, and that one really stood out in my mind. So I think for a lot of people, they remember their grandparents or their parents having them in their house, and it's nice to be able to recreate them or to have them in their home.
Bex Scott: [00:15:14] Number five on my list is sheets and bedding. So anything linens. Before collecting and reselling vintage, I'm not going to lie, buying used bedding and sheets did not seem that appealing to me. But now that I've kind of gotten over that fear, I know it's silly, I'm all over finding them. There are some pretty amazing floral print sheets and bedding sets you can snag in the linen section of the thrift store, and I typically look for flat sheets and pillowcases, as they're usually pretty reasonably priced, and I find it easier to look for damage or stains or rips on those pieces than some of the fitted sheets and larger items. Some of my favorite brands are Wabasso, Burlington, Elegance, and Picot. If I pronounced any of those wrong, which I probably did, I apologize to everybody. One of the vintage resellers that I met through Whatnot, she actually purchased a Wabasso flat sheet from me and used it as wallpaper in her new shop, which was a really cool idea. It looked amazing. It looked like it had been painted on the wall. So if anybody has old vintage sheets out there and you're looking to just spruce up a wall in your office or in your room, check out some old linens because it's such a great idea.
Bex Scott: [00:16:35] Okay. And last on my list I have vintage kids books. And I have always been a huge bookworm, especially when I was younger. I would go to the library and spend hours picking out books with my mom. Looking through all the kids books at the thrift store has brought back a ton of memories for me, especially when I find the same ones that I read when I was growing up and when I was little. And I usually find that the vintage books are easy to pick out. They tend to have hard covers, they have nicely textured covers, and they seem to use a different palette of colors in their illustrations and the covers of the books. So I tend to pick up anything with beautifully illustrated pages, because I've discovered that many collectors like to make craft projects out of the images. So this would fall under the ephemera category, which I'm still learning about. My latest addiction is actually a vintage greeting card, so I'll probably do an episode coming up about that, but I find that I have trouble cutting pages out of books unless they're already pretty damaged. But I have seen some awesome craft projects come out of books lately. And I obviously gravitate to the vintage Little Golden Books. But after doing some research on what to keep an eye out for, I discovered there are a bunch of other titles that are extremely hard to find, like needle in a haystack hard to find. They're first editions, they're special copies, and they're worth thousands and thousands of dollars. But I thought it was kind of fun to learn about them and to, you never know, keep an eye out for maybe some of these books.
Bex Scott: [00:18:20] So the first one is The Hobbit, the first 1500 first edition copies published by Allen and Unwin in the UK on September 21st of 1937, are the ones that you want to be looking for. Number two, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The current hot copy is Salvador Dali's illustrated limited edition. There are only 2500 copies from 1969. Three, Where the Wild Things Are. I loved this book growing up, and the movie was pretty good as well. The copy defined is the 1963 first edition published by Harper and Row. Number four, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This was another favorite when I was growing up, and the one that you're going to look for is the 1964 first edition published by Knopf. It has been signed by Dahl and has a pristine dust jacket. Good luck finding that one. And number five is The Velveteen Rabbit. And this one you want is the 1922 William Nicholson copy. And I just recently read The Velveteen Rabbit for the first time to my daughter, and it is a very cute story.
Bex Scott: [00:19:40] So I hope you enjoyed these six items that I always pick up at the thrift if the price is right. And I'd love to hear from you guys on my Instagram at Pyrex with Bex. Let me know what you always put into your cart at the thrift store. If you agree with what I've said, if you disagree, and what you would add to my list. Thanks so much everybody!
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Bex Scott announces a surprise in this episode. She found a Betty Crocker recipe cad library from 1971 in one of her Value Village thrifting trips, which is exciting enough in itself! But, inspired by her husband Rex, she is going to now cook something randomly chosen by Rex from the recipe card library every week. How can you join in the fun? That’s what this episode is all about.
Bex describes the 24 different sections of the Betty Crocker recipe card library and how she and Rex will go through the categories starting at the beginning with ‘Seasonal Favorites’. Rex chose a card at random and Bex reads through the two recipes the card reveals, choosing one to make. Her efforts in recreating the recipe will be documented in a new feature on her Instagram - @PyrexWithBex - and the actual result of her cooking will be judged by husband Rex and their two sons, ages 13 and 10. The recipe Bex is challenged to cook for this feature is revealed in this episode and you can join in and cook along with her, using your own Pyrex to do so. Just like Bex will be doing for all of you.
Resources discussed in this episode:
What is mace?1971 Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library: Seasonal Favorites “Ways With Squash” recipes“Betty Crocker’s How To Feed your Family To Keep Them Fit & Happy… No Matter What”—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I am going to announce a little bit of a surprise. I have a new segment that I am going to be adding to my podcast and my Instagram account. And this is all thanks to my wonderful husband. His name is Rob, but he likes to go by his stage name Rex for purposes of the podcast. And if you listen to one of my previous episodes where I spoke to the husband of a Pyrex collector, it was actually Rex, my husband, and he is my biggest supporter with my vintage collecting and reselling, and he has lovingly agreed to be the star of this next segment. So I came across, in Value Village, a Betty Crocker recipe card library from 1971, and I was talking to Rex about how I was going to be recording my next podcast episode and I was going to originally go through some of the 1950s Chatelaine magazines that I have. And he said to me, kind of in passing, I hope you don't bring up any of the jello salad seafood rings that you've been talking about. And we both agreed that these jello seafood ring recipes are so disgusting.
Bex Scott: [00:01:59] I've actually heard, though, that people think they're delicious, and this got us talking about doing this cooking idea together. And I don't do any of the cooking in our house - full disclosure, I love baking but I've never been one to cook - so Rob or Rex, he is an amazing cook, our kids love his food, so I thought I would turn the tables and every week choose one of these random 1970s recipes from the Betty Crocker recipe card library. And it'll be totally random. I'm going to have him choose the card on video, so you can follow along on my Instagram @PyrexWithBex and whatever he chooses, I will cook to the best of my abilities, and then he will test it out and our boys will as well. The 13 year old and a ten year old, as well as our 16 month old daughter. But she won't be having any of the food. Well, maybe she will. She might even like it. But they're going to be my test subjects and I will reveal what it looks like, the reaction, all on my Instagram feed.
Bex Scott: [00:03:14] So a little bit of backstory on the Betty Crocker recipe card library. It says, here is your handy comprehensive index to your complete Betty Crocker recipe card library. Spend a few minutes browsing through it to get an idea of the range of your recipe card library, particularly the many unexpected treats in store for you. Some of them are great. I've done a little bit of a browse through and I think my husband should be a bit worried, not just because of my cooking ability, but because of some of the recipes in here. This index has been designed to fit your recipe card file, and then it goes into, although the index cannot be completely useful until you have received all 24 decks of cards, we felt that it would be helpful for you to get the fullest enjoyment out of the categories you have already received, as well as give you a preview of many good things to come. So after I read that, I realized that this was actually part of a monthly subscription where I think that you purchased either the box or the cards, and they sent a new set of cards to you every month, something similar to that. So if anybody else has this or had it in the past when it was actually freshly coming out, let me know because I'm super interested. It has 24 different sections and they're all alphabetized, so you would receive one section at a time and they are Seasonal favorites, American classics, Budget casseroles, Salads for every occasion, Men's favorites - ooh, that's going to be my favorite section - Children's parties, Come for coffee, Entertaining on a shoestring, Dessert spectaculars, International favorites, Recipes for calorie counters, Gifts from your kitchen - oh no, I don't think anybody wants a gift from my kitchen if I'm cooking - Snacks around the clock, Favorite family desserts, Fondues, Crowd size entertaining, Convenient oven meals, Outdoor entertaining, Hurry up main dishes, Impromptu party fare, Family breakfast brighteners, Gala menus from the Betty Crocker dining room, Foods that go places - interesting - and Recipes children can make.
Bex Scott: [00:05:31] So those are the categories that we have to choose from. And I had Rex choose one of them randomly from - we're starting at the beginning, so letter A - Seasonal favorites. And what he chose is 'Ways with Squash'. And it looks like, I don't even know what it looks like. There's a picture on the front and it's some kind of glazed squash situation. Squash and apple bake. Okay, so there's two recipes on the back. One) 2 pound butter nut or butter cup squash. Half a cup of brown sugar, packed. A quarter cup butter or margarine, melted. One tablespoon of flour. One teaspoon of salt. Half a teaspoon of mace. Two baking apples, cored and cut into half inch slices. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each squash in half. Remove seeds and fibers. Pear squash, cut into half inch slices. Stir together remaining ingredients except apple slices. Arrange squash in ungreased baking dish. Top with apple slices. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top. Cover with foil. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until squash is tender. Six servings.
Bex Scott: [00:06:51] The next one is Squash Gourmet) 3 pounds of Hubbard squash. Two tablespoons of butter or margarine. One cup of dairy sour cream. Half a cup of finely chopped onion. One teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Cut squash into serving pieces. Remove seeds, fibers and rind. Cut into cubes. Heat one inch salted water, half a teaspoon salt to one cup water, to boiling. Add squash. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mash squash. Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn mixture into ungreased one quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes. 6 to 8 servings. So, based on the two recipes we have here, I think the first one is a little bit too tame and something that seems pretty familiar. So I think we're going to go with Squash Gourmet for my dear old Rex, and I can't wait to let you guys know how it goes.
Bex Scott: [00:07:53] So as I was digging around in the recipe index, I also came across a card that says how to plan the meals your family needs for glowing health, not just regular health, this is glowing health. It says 'the right kind of meals in good living habits can bring a glow to complexions, sheen to hair, health and good cheer to your whole family's outlook. Serving foods from the basic four food groups helps you with this important job. Basic four food groups: Start by planning every day's meals to include the amounts given below in every group for every member of your family. Meat: two or more servings, poultry, fish, eggs, peanut butter, dried beans or peas. Vegetables and fruits: four or more servings, one dark green or yellow vegetable every other day and one citrus fruit every day. Milk: 2 or more cups for adults, 3 or 4 cups for children and teenagers, including cheese and ice cream'. Ooh, ice cream. That's good. It's in the food groups. 'Breads and cereals: 4 or more servings. Make sure they are whole grain enriched, restored or fortified. Fat, sweets, and extra servings from the four groups provide additional food energy and other food values'. I really like how they justify the fat, sweets, and extra servings. 'To help you keep your family healthy, we've written a new book, How to Feed Your Family for Health and Happiness, No Matter What, look for it, won't you?' That's a cute little card. It really inspires me to keep going on this journey. And also, I'd like to mention that I will be using my Pyrex when I cook. So we usually use the Homestead and the Black Snowflake dishes on a daily basis for serving and cooking and baking. So those will be showing up in my videos, and I'm also going to try and incorporate a few of the other pieces that I have that are mostly either on display or might be in boxes right now, just to add that extra Pyrex element to it.
Bex Scott: [00:09:58] And if any of you would like to make the recipes with me, feel free to find the full recipe in written format in the show notes, and please let me know if you do decide to cook them and if you enjoy or don't enjoy any of them, because you'll definitely be hearing the feedback from Rex and my family. But I'd love to hear feedback from you as well. And as a side note, this wasn't my idea that I came up with. I have seen multiple other people on Instagram and on the internet do this with their partners or spouses or family, and it looked like so much fun that I thought I would give it a try with my family. So let me know if you have any recipe suggestions in between these as well. If you have a family member that had a beloved recipe, I know that when I went to family dinners with my grandparents, ambrosia salad was always on the table, especially at family reunions. There's also a Best of Bridge potato recipe that my mom makes every now and then that has cream of mushroom soup and little hash browns in it. I can't remember the exact name of it, but that one has always been a favorite of my kids and myself. And I hope you enjoy following along on this new segment, and I hope to see you on my Instagram @PyrexWithBex.
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In today’s episode, Bex Scott talks about something a little different in vintage collectibles: vintage books. Recently reminded about Nancy Drew, Bex explores the origins of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series: how they came to be, what editions were printed, and what collectors can look for when assessing value. This is a trip down memory lane for avid readers.
Bex discusses the Edward Stratemeyer literary legacy which is where all the juvenile books of memory originated. Stratemeyer created everything from the Rover Boys to Tom Swift and the ever-popular Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. Published through Grosset and Dunlap, Bex explores how each story idea was passed to a team of ghostwriters writing under a pseudonym - Carolyn Keene for Nancy Drew and Franklin W. Dixon for the Hardy Boys - and details the many volumes, dust covers, and endpapers that each incarnation of Nancy Drew hardcover went through. There is a devoted collectors base for many of the series so to assess the many incarnations, Bex offers tips about what’s rare and what’s sought-after. Book lovers, this is your episode!
Resources discussed in this episode:
Nancy Drew dust coversNancy Drew yellow spine picture covers“Farah’s Guide” by David Farah—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott, and thank you for joining me for another episode of the podcast. And today's episode is going to be a little bit different. Still vintage, but it's going to be on the vintage book side of things. I know a lot of my friends and family members are avid readers, and some of them are even collectors of vintage novels. So I thought today might be a little bit of a fun change in direction from what I usually talk about. So growing up I was addicted to reading. I still am, although I don't have as much time anymore to read, but I would stay up all night in my room reading mystery novels, fantasy novels, and waiting to go to the library every week to take home dozens of books. And this is kind of what, I believe, started my love of mystery shows, mystery books, and it was Nancy Drew. And somebody recently reminded me of Nancy Drew, and I hadn't thought of these novels in quite a long time. So I started going back and doing a little bit of research to find out more about the author, the books, the huge community of collectors that are interested in Nancy Drew, and other novels that are like that.
Bex Scott: [00:01:55] So I found out a ton of really cool information that I wanted to share with you guys. And it kind of starts off with the literary legacy of Edward Stratemeyer, and he's the one that kind of brought to life these juvenile books. So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about him and give you an introduction to the man behind the magic, as they might say. So Edward Stratemeyer was born in 1862, he died in 1930, and he was the mastermind behind a literary syndicate that shaped the entire early 20th century. So picture the early 1900s, where this visionary created a literary empire responsible for thousands of juvenile series books. And that's from the Rover Boys to Tom Swift and the ever-popular Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. His imagination really knew no bounds at all. So here's the twist, though, Stratemeyer wasn't just a storyteller, he was the architect of ideas and characters. He crafted each storyline and then enlisted a team of ghostwriters. These unsung heroes wrote under various pseudonyms, giving life to the words that Stratemeyer envisioned. And all this creativity wasn't just in his mind. It hit the shelves thanks to dozens of publishers, with Grosset and Dunlap being the most common. So fast forward to 1979, and the syndicate's reins were handed over to new hands, Simon and Schuster. They took control, bringing with them significant changes to the style and format of the beloved series. But before we explore that era, let's focus on the golden age of Nancy Drew.
Bex Scott: [00:03:45] Nancy Drew spanned from 1930 to 1979, and during this nearly five decade period, the Nancy Drew series saw a constant evolution in physical formats. Early editions, the first six books, they were thick volumes with blue or bluish-gray split covers. The end papers were blank, and the title lettering was a subtle light orange. Dust jacket sported illustrations only on the front, leaving pristine white spines on the shelves. The evolution didn't stop there, though. In 1932, with volume number seven, a garish orange silhouette of Nancy adorned the book cover, and the endpapers transformed into vivid orange silhouettes. I haven't seen this version, but I would love to. This sounds like something you definitely have to see in person. Production costs led to changes, so three glossy internals were trimmed in 1937, leaving only a glossy frontispiece. The saga continued with a blue silhouette of Nancy joining the party in 1941. To fast forward to 1946, volume number 23 marked a dramatic shift. This is when white spine dust jackets adopted the wraparound style and the orange silhouette end papers turned into a deep, mysterious blue. And I don't know about you guys, but dust jackets drive me nuts.
Bex Scott: [00:05:14] I always take them off when I read hard covers, and they're beautiful if they're designed nicely, but they just get in the way. I'd love to know, you guys, how you feel about that as well. So the silhouette on the book cover followed suit. This is where we say goodbye to the orange hue and the silhouette spine symbol on the dust jacket, it lasted for just four more volumes before transitioning into a circular color portrait. So the journey gets even more exciting. In 1947 and 1948, some volumes surprised collectors with marvelous maroon Dana Girls end papers. This was a rare treat for the keen-eyed collectors. These volumes are both hard to find and highly collectible. And for those of you who have never heard of the Dana Girls, this was a series of mystery stories by Carolyn Keene, who was the author of Nancy Drew, and they were published non-continuously from 1934 to 79, and after the publication of volume 13, they were discontinued. So during the mid 1940s, Grosset and Dunlap terminated many series that weren't selling very well, and the Dana Girls was one of them. The sudden termination of the series is probably the reason why some scattered copies of Nancy Drew books from the late 1940s contain the Dana Girls end papers rather than waste the end papers, which had already been printed, the bindery put them to good use.
Bex Scott: [00:06:56] Okay, so back to Nancy Drew. The dust jacket took a turn in 1950, with the older volumes embracing the wraparound style and a new illustration by a fresh talent. Volume number 30, in 1953, introduced a shift from slick blue covers to a blue cloth tweed, a style that would eventually become the most common. And who can forget the mysterious digger ends from volumes 30 to 35, depicting Nancy observing a clandestine figure digging in the night. These sought-after end papers added an extra layer of intrigue to the collector's hunt. Now we're going to fast forward to 1959, and the iconic multi-scene end papers took center stage, gracing various styles until volume number 56 in 1979. The oval cameo end papers made a fashionable appearance as an offshoot of Simon and Schuster's reprints. So for those of you who love dust jackets and collect them, here's a little bit of a trivia nugget. The last volume featuring a dust jacket was volume number 38, 'The Mystery of the Fire Dragon', a rare gem produced only in 1961. Next up we have the 60s. In 1962, there was a shift to the yellow spine picture covers accompanied by revised text, updated content, and a drastic reduction in page count. The golden age of Nancy Drew books was undergoing a metamorphosis. As the 60s continued, Nancy Drew's popularity sparked continuous reprints. Each new format brought older editions out of retirement and it created a bunch of different styles in the book covers. From leather-bound Easton Press sets to yellow spine picture covers, the Nancy Drew collection became an amazing thing for collectors to attain.
Bex Scott: [00:09:06] So how do you identify the gems in this massive collection? It's all in the details, so check for intact and clean copies, undamaged spines, and the presence of dust jackets. Even though they're annoying when you read them, it is really necessary to have them for a complete collection and to increase the price you can get if you decide to sell them. Pay attention next to publication dates, publishers and page counts, and signed copies by the author, definitely a bonus, obviously. So first editions. It's always a thrill - I'm sure, I've never held a first edition of anything - to hold an original print of the original manuscript. That's what defines a first edition. But it's not just the number one in the number line. Scarcity plays a crucial role as well. Thousands of copies may dilute the value, so keep an eye out for those rare finds.
Bex Scott: [00:10:08] So next I wanted to talk a little bit about the mystery behind Nancy Drew's inception. For years, the question of who wrote the Nancy Drew books remained elusive. While Stratemeyer crafted the characters in synopsis, the actual writers remained silent, with Mildred A Wirt revealed as the ghostwriter behind Carolyn Keene. So Mildred was an independent and resourceful woman herself. She breathed life into Nancy Drew with her strong and vivid characterizations. The veil of secrecy persisted until the 1980 trial, where her identity as the original Carolyn Keene became widely known. And for those of you who are looking for a bit of a guide on collecting Nancy Drew, there is David Farah. Farah's Guide is the Nancy Drew Bible. It has a classification system to determine printing and value, and you can rely on this book to decode the intricacies of the 56 original volumes. And a little bit of information for you here, for collectors, a set of three first edition Nancy Drew books sold for $225 in 2019. And I'm not sure what they sell for now, but I feel like they must sell for a lot more than that. So that's the information that I have so far on Nancy Drew. And to give you an idea, going back to Stratemeyer, of how impactful he was, he churned out over 1600 young adult novels and amassed a staggering $500 million in sales. There's a quote that says, in 1926, a whopping 98% of American children considered a Stratemeyer Syndicate book as their favorite. So that included books like The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, and more. And that's a pretty large statistic there.
Bex Scott: [00:13:21] So next up, I wanted to go into the Hardy Boys a little bit. I've read a couple of Hardy Boys books. They're awesome, and this is a collection that my dad had when he was growing up. The Hardy Boys was all about amateur sleuthing, mysteries, and captivating plots, and it was created under the pseudonym Franklin W Dixon. The series started in 1927, and it captivated readers with the adventures of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy. The classic series was comprised of 58 books from 1927 to 1978. Leslie McFarlane, a renowned ghostwriter, left his mark on the series, making volume one 'The Tower Treasure', a milestone in 1927. The series continued to enthrall readers with thrilling titles like 'The House on the Cliff' and 'Mystery of the Whale Tattoo'. The early years of the Hardy Boys series from the 1920s to the 1960s, witnessed hardback editions with dust jackets. The rare red cloth covers and white dust jackets adorn the shelves, capturing the essence of the era. Changes in cover art and format kept collectors on their toes. The 60s brought a significant transformation, with matte picture covers taking the spotlight. In 62 the hardback with dust jacket format bid farewell, making way for the iconic yellow spine picture covers. The value of individual books varied, but collectors often sought complete sets. Fast forward to the 80s, and this was a turning point with a limited edition release. Easton Press unveiled a leather-bound set with gold embossing, and Applewood Books brought back the first 16 titles in a small run. These additions became sought-after gems for collectors. So fast forward to present day, and Penguin Random House actually holds the reins of the Hardy Boys legacy, so it'll be interesting to see kind of what happens with that collection of books.
Bex Scott: [00:15:30] So I hope you enjoyed today's episode. It was a little bit different than usual, but if you are a book lover, a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boys lover, let me know. I'd love to learn about the collection that you have, which books you are looking for, how many you have, and feel free to find me on Instagram at Pyrex with Bex. Thanks everybody!
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Host Bex Scott talks with another Pyrex collector in today’s episode, but this time it’s a conversation with her first Canadian guest! She welcomes Ruth from Periwinkle Collectibles to the show and they talk all about Pyrex, thrifting, and the life cycle of secondhand items. Ruth also shares her greatest Pyrex finds with Bex, finds from out in the wild.
Ruth has been an avid thrifter for years but her “gateway Pyrex” happened in 2012 or 2013 when she discovered a 404 Poinsettia bowl in a church thrift store for $10. That led her into what she calls “Pyrexia” and she became a knowledgeable avid collector. Ruth tells Bex what the local market is like in her part of Canada, how thrifting prices have changed, and how she enjoys bringing dishes to family potlucks in some of her treasured Pyrex pieces. Ruth collects a lot of vintage items aside from Pyrex and Bex learns what they are. She also identifies which ones she needs to research because Ruth’s many passions include names that aren’t known even to Bex. Ruth has words of advice for all collectors about passion and joy.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Ruth at Periwinkle CollectiblesChairishDelfiteJeannette GlassMcKee GlassFenton cake plateCathrineholmGeorges Briard balloons and more Georges Briard balloonsChalkware fish—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And I'm very excited because today I have my first Canadian guest on the show. We have Ruth with Periwinkle Collectibles. You can find Ruth on Instagram at Periwinkle Collectibles as well. Welcome, Ruth.
Ruth: [00:00:49] Hey, thanks for having me.
Bex Scott: [00:00:51] Thanks for joining me. It's awesome to have another fellow Canadian on the show.
Ruth: [00:00:56] Yay! Go go, Canada! Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:00:58] Yeah. The snowy Canadian weather we have now, it's cold.
Ruth: [00:01:05] And the place where when people complain about the cold, you just go, but I live in Canada.
Bex Scott: [00:01:12] Yeah. So I wanted to start off today with how you got into Pyrex and vintage collecting.
Ruth: [00:01:20] That's a great question. I've been thrifting for a very long time, and so I was buying vintage things before they were vintage. But I'd say that my real gateway piece of Pyrex was a 404 Poinsettia bowl with lid and cradle that I found at a local church thrift store. It was behind the glass. It had a $10 price tag on it, which at the time - I think it was about 2012, 2013, you know, somewhere in there - and I literally did not have $10 cash in my pocket because at that point, that thrift store was super cheap, and I would often go with a $5 bill and buy things on my lunch hour from the day job. So they had this $10 piece of Pyrex behind the glass. I thought it was really pretty and that I could use it for Christmas serving. And so I ran across the street to the ATM, paid a ridiculous fee to get $10 out - I think it was at the time, I think it was like $2 or something, and I thought it was crazy - and ran back and bought that piece of Pyrex, took it home and started researching it because I bought it because it was pretty, it was a nice shape. And I had been buying, you know, like I said, vintage and thrifted goods for several decades before that. But that was the piece that really led me down the rabbit hole of Pyrex, was that $10 purchase. Little did I know what that, you know, I'm complaining about the $2 ATM charge. Little did I know what it was really going to cost me.
Bex Scott: [00:03:02] That's amazing. I wish that would have been my first Pyrex find because I love the Poinsettia. It's so beautiful.
Ruth: [00:03:11] Something about the gold on the red is just so pretty. And since then I have found the large casserole, the 045 with the designed lid. You know, the Christmas one also, I think some people call it Poinsettia as well. I can't remember off the top of my head what the name for it is. And I actually have the box. That's one of the few pieces that I have a box for. I'm not as much of a cradle and box collector as some people are, but I have found that one with the box and the cradle, paid a little more than $10 for it, but I think I paid like, I don't know, $30 for it back in like 2014. And I thought that was a lot of money. That progression of what I think is a lot of money for Pyrex has slightly changed since those days.
Bex Scott: [00:04:02] Oh no kidding, I would have loved to find it for 10 or 30. Now that would be a steal.
Ruth: [00:04:08] That was back in the day when I could go on Kijiji, for the non-Canadian listeners is like what Craigslist used to be. But you would go on Kijiji and I would hunt for Pyrex. And of course, you know, you find a lot of things labeled Pyrex that weren't, but you know, there would be a lot of things listed for $10, $20 that wow, you know, if I had a crystal ball, there's a few more things I would have bought back then.
Bex Scott: [00:04:35] No kidding. I was looking through Facebook the other day in a city close to me, and there was a collector that was liquidating his whole collection of Pyrex. He had everything, and I messaged him and he said, oh, I have got probably 380 messages to get through. And there were a few pieces that I really wanted that he had, but it ended up that he was asking for like $450 for a set of pink bowls and turquoise bowls, and it's like, sorry, I can't pay that much for them.
Ruth: [00:05:08] Yeah, it's funny when people want online world market prices on a local marketplace.
Bex Scott: [00:05:18] Yeah, yeah.
Ruth: [00:05:20] People don't necessarily drive those things, you know. Or they go, oh, but I found that on Chairish it's worth yadda yadda yadda. But that's like the highest level of where designers go to buy things like don't ever base any price on Chairish. And so many people who don't even know how to look up an eBay sold or look and see what did it actually sell for on Etsy. Oh, but it's on Etsy for $682. Yes, it's listed for that.
Bex Scott: [00:05:51] Yeah. My favorite is when you go into some of the smaller thrift shops and they have the printout of the eBay listing and not the sold, and then they've priced their item based on that little printout that they have. I just want to go up to them and be like, no, this isn't the price.
Ruth: [00:06:08] Have you been to garage sales where they do that?
Bex Scott: [00:06:10] No.
Ruth: [00:06:11] Yeah, I've been to a few where they do that. And it's just, I'm just like, well, good luck. You're still going to have it all at the end of the day. Not necessarily a well received comment. That's usually when my garage saling partner pulls me by the hand and goes, Quiet, let's just leave.
Bex Scott: [00:06:31] Not today.
Ruth: [00:06:33] Not today, not today. I've been known to tell a thrift store manager or two what I thought about certain prices, and what the difference is between an online worldwide market and their little thrift store in the corner of Darkville, southern Manitoba. But anyhow.
Bex Scott: [00:06:53] Oh that's great. I wish we lived closer so I could take you with me. I need someone like that.
Ruth: [00:06:59] Oh, I've been known to embarrass people, but, I mean, in reality, if they don't get the appropriate customer feedback, if everybody just shakes their head and goes, no way and walks away, how do they know?
Bex Scott: [00:07:13] Yeah.
Ruth: [00:07:14] The sad part is there's almost always, in the end, somebody who will pay that price. I mean, not always. Sometimes you see it sitting on the shelf or in the cabinet for weeks or months on end. And then what happens? It goes in the trash.
Bex Scott: [00:07:27] Yeah.
Ruth: [00:07:28] When nobody buys it, I don't know.
Bex Scott: [00:07:30] That's sad.
Ruth: [00:07:32] Yeah. Really sad. Really, really sad.
Bex Scott: [00:07:36] Do you have any family members that collect as well?
Ruth: [00:07:40] Not that collect Pyrex. No. I am the one that they humor when it comes to Pyrex, I have other family members that collect other items, but I'm definitely the person with the Pyrexia. The person that loves the vintage bowls and the vintage casseroles more. And I joyfully like to bring dishes to family gatherings, you know, if appropriate. You know, I won't bring one of my treasured bowls to a cement picnic table lot in the middle of the park. But I love to, you know, use them to bring things to family potlucks or wherever when possible. When possible. Because it's nice to share when people go, oh, that's a pretty bowl. Oh yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:08:33] Yeah. Let me tell you about this bowl. Yeah.
Ruth: [00:08:40] Yeah, yeah. They're like don't comment or she'll tell you all about it.
Bex Scott: [00:08:43] Yeah. They whisper in the background of the family events, Don't bring up the Pyrex bowl.
Ruth: [00:08:49] Yeah. So no, no one else in the family collects it. Do I gift certain patterns and things to people where I'm like, oh, I don't like this pattern quite as much. It's not a super, you know, in the collecting world it has a different perspective than to someone that's going to use it. They're always like, well, if I take this, am I allowed to put it in the dishwasher? Like they all know that. It's like, yeah, there's things you put in the dishwasher and things you can't put in the dishwasher.
Bex Scott: [00:09:23] Absolutely. And what have been your best Pyrex finds to date that you've had?
Ruth: [00:09:32] Oh boy. I have been very fortunate and been gifted to find a lot of great Pyrex out in the wild. Especially, like I said, I've been really looking for it for a dozen years and you know, over ten years ago it was much, much an easier story. I have found Gooseberry, pink Gooseberry at the thrift. I have found the yellow and black Gooseberry at the thrift. I have found almost every refrigerator dish that is commonly found at the thrift. What was my best? I think the one I was most excited about was when I found the yellow and black Gooseberry set way back at the beginning. One of my kids was with me, they were a kid at the time, you know, a child at the time, and they spotted it like they were learning to spot Pyrex for me.
Bex Scott: [00:10:21] That's fun.
Ruth: [00:10:23] She spotted it and she was so excited. And I remember it was $14.99 for the full set of all four, yellow and black, in good shape on the thrift store sell. Like that one really sticks out in my mind. But there's lots of other pieces of primary. I found the Turquoise bowl set at the thrift. I have found Butterprint dozens of times. There's an awful lot of Butterprint where I live. I don't know if it's one of the old department stores used to carry it, but it used to show up almost, I wouldn't say weekly, but monthly for sure, I could find Butterprint. Yeah. I mean, not the pink or the orange, but the regular Butterprint. It was pretty common to find a piece of it. Now, generally all I find of that is the dishwasher pieces of Pyrex that in my family we have a tradition when you find a, my tradition, when you see a dishwasher piece of Pyrex on the shelf, you hum Taps. You thank it for its service.
Bex Scott: [00:11:33] Oh, I love that. I'm gonna have to start doing that. Yeah.
Ruth: [00:11:37] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:11:38] In memory of this Pyrex dish, what it used to be.
Ruth: [00:11:42] Yes, exactly. Oh, isn't there nothing sadder than finding, oh, my gosh, I have found a Pink Daisy at the thrift store. Like the casseroles, the space savers, not so much the space savers, but the 043s and the 045s, have found those a couple of times at the thrift. Actually found an 045 on the thrift store shelf two, three years ago? I think that's about as recent as I can remember finding that. The good old days. The good old days when nobody knew what it was.
Bex Scott: [00:12:18] Yeah. Now it's so hard to find anything that's not dishwasher damaged. Or I find Old Orchard all the time. It's always hanging around, lurking.
Ruth: [00:12:28] And Homestead. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:12:32] Yeah, Homestead. And the primaries that are always just destroyed. Yeah.
Ruth: [00:12:38] That have, yeah, yeah, that have given their shine in the service of many a batch cookies. Oh yeah. Yeah. There's lots of lots of that out there. Though, I mean,to be honest, I did find the 444 Friendship and the 443 Friendship at the thrift store just a couple of months ago.
Bex Scott: [00:13:04] Oh. Awesome.
Ruth: [00:13:06] It wasn't inexpensive but it was senior day. So, you know, in Canada, one of the big thrift chains on Tuesdays has 30% off for anyone over 60. So I just, I've just outed myself there. But yeah, but with the discount it was okay. And they were really nice and they were shiny. And I'm like, you know, yeah, I've never had these. And really in 12 years I've had the 442 a couple of times, but I'd never had the two larger ones. So I thought what the heck? And I bought them for myself and now I'm going, what am I going to, yeah, because sometimes when they're in really good shape and you're like, oh, I know this is, you know something I can enjoy for a while. And when I'm done enjoying it, I can pass it on at a decent enough price point to make someone else happy.
Bex Scott: [00:14:05] Exactly. Yeah. So what would you say thrifting and Facebook Marketplace are like where you live? Are prices high, is there a good selection?
Ruth: [00:14:16] I would say things are fairly moderate. I mean, some of the stores think they have gold every time grandma donates her Butterprint bowl, but then the items frequently don't get purchased. So there's a few of the chains are bad at high pricing things, the thrift stores, but overall it's moderate. Facebook marketplace is a, we don't have the time to discuss, pricing is all over the place because, you know, people can list things for whatever they feel is an appropriate price. And some people think Chairish is where you get your pricing, and other people just want to get rid of the old bowls that they're having to clean up. So it's, uh, it's a very mixed bag. If people ever post anything that's good at a reasonable price, though, you can bet it is snapped up faster than you can say, I'm in my car and on my way to go pick it up so it can be quite competitive. If you're trying to find some pieces for yourself that are reasonably priced, or if you're a full time reseller who's trying to pay the bills with what you're making on flipping the treasures that you find. So I would say moderate to ridiculous, depending upon the sort of store and/or the person listing the item. So there's still some treasures to be found out there, but it's quite, quite competitive. And as you know, over the pandemic, the amount of people that are resellers increased exponentially. For the people who have been doing it for a long time and making a living at it, it certainly made their lives, I have a lot of, I know there's a lot of people that have disparaging things to say about resellers. Sorry, that's the word we use now. Used to always be pickers, you know, antique dealers. There was different terms for it. I have a lot of sympathy for them, their lives are not, not that their lives are ever easy, but it's definitely a lot more challenging than it used to be.
Bex Scott: [00:16:23] Right. Yeah, I agree, and I kind of feel like I contributed to some of that unhappiness because I started in the pandemic and I started reselling. So I always feel guilty. I'm like, oh no, look what I've done, I've contributed to the people who are making people's lives harder.
Ruth: [00:16:41] But you're still doing it. There's a lot of people who started during the pandemic and have already bowed out, like the attrition rate, at least, you know, by the amount of local vintage seller Instagram accounts that I follow, there's been a fairly high attrition rate. I'd say 40, maybe 50% of them are still going. Maybe, that's likely closer to 40%. So it's like anything, it's becomes either a necessity because, you know, our options for making money during that time were more difficult. So I mean, people are having, doing what they have to do or, you know, learning things because they had time. And then as other opportunities opened up again, they moved on. And that's cool. You know, everybody has the right to earn a living in the way that they feel is appropriate, and of course, legal and ethical, legal, of course, you know, no question there. And then the ethics of reselling, I mean, obviously, as someone who resells to help fund my collecting habits, I find it ethical and a great way to keep things out of the landfill because there is such a abundance of items. I know you say like, how is the thrift store and how is Facebook Marketplace, and yes, there's competition over certain items, but as a whole, the amount of goods that are available to us within the recycling cycle of, you know, post-consumer items, it's so huge.
Ruth: [00:18:22] There is so much stuff that anyone that says that resellers are driving up the prices is looking at the big picture through a toilet paper tube, like they're looking at one little section, a few portions of items, you know, a few select, more what is in fad or what is popular right now for collecting. Are those prices up a little bit because more people are looking for it? Yeah, but that is 2% of what is out there. There is so much stuff that, you know, your number one choice, you know, of course, always is use what you have. Your number two choice is buy secondhand. And then of course number three is buy new. Unless you're talking about underwear, you know, I'm sorry but underwear, always buy new. Underwear, mattresses. But just about anything else, you know secondhand is the way to go if you have to buy it. But that's not the question that you asked. So I'll rein myself in once again.
Bex Scott: [00:19:31] No, that's good. And I've heard there's so much stuff out there that's being donated and I guess trying to be donated that they're just redirecting stuff to the landfills. So the secondhand stores, they can't keep up. So if we can help with that in any way, then I think it's worth it.
Ruth: [00:19:51] Absolutely, absolutely. And I think the whole collecting of vintage items from the past is one, it's earth friendly to continue to enjoy items that have already been made, but it's also a great way to appreciate the quality goods that used to be made on our continent. And this is, again, not disparaging to a lot, there's a lot of great quality made goods being made all across the world, and I 100% support that people have the right to buy anything from wherever they want, as long as it's legal. But, you know, the things that travel the least amount of miles is always the best thing to buy if you can afford it. You know, not saying because the 100 mile diet is not practical when you live in the climates that we live in. And that's a whole nother topic too, right? I'm just saying shop secondhand. It's good for the earth.
Bex Scott: [00:21:00] Yeah. I posted on my Instagram story a couple days ago, it was an old department store photo. And I got into a bit of a conversation with somebody in direct messages, and we were talking about how it would have been so cool to go back and shop in a department store with all of the awesome items that we now collect as vintage items. And she mentioned, I don't know if you guys have HomeSense in Winnipeg. It's like the home side of Winners, do you have Winners?
Ruth: [00:21:28] Oh yeah, yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:21:29] Where you can buy all the cheaper decor for your house. But she said, wouldn't it be weird down the road if our kids or their kids say, I want to go look at what was at HomeSense, like, that's considered vintage. And then you're looking for the Live Laugh Love posters that everybody has in their house and...
Ruth: [00:21:50] Really? You think those are... I mean, there was a lot of things that came out in the 50s and 60s and 70s that nobody is collecting now.
Bex Scott: [00:22:01] True.
Ruth: [00:22:01] You know, not everything stands the test of time.
Bex Scott: [00:22:04] Yeah.
Ruth: [00:22:04] And I really hope Live Laugh Love is one of those things.
Bex Scott: [00:22:08] Yeah. That one better die off because that... yeah.
Ruth: [00:22:14] You know, there's just things that, but all the dollar store stuff that is just made to self-destruct in such a short amount of time is sad, but is that what people will be collecting? There's a lot of toys for my childhood in the 60s and 70s that at the time were considered not super great quality because they were made in, you know, whatever offshore country. And at the time, they were just the toys that we enjoyed that now people are collecting and are gaga over it. So it's not always, it's not always the quality. I thought at first, is it the quality of the item or is it the nostalgia of the item? Like what will we be, what will people be pining for in 30, 40 years? What will your kids be looking back with great fondness in 30 years and will be the collector things? It won't be, it's just like, you know, the oil lamps and the things that my parents generation collected that no one has any interest in today.
Bex Scott: [00:23:22] Yeah.
Ruth: [00:23:23] Because no one remembers them. No one has memories of their grandparents using it. They didn't grow up with it. You know, it's the silent generation. They're almost all gone. And so that stuff is just, there's a lot of it, but people aren't collecting it. And that's how things kind of cycle. Cycle in and out, you know, your mom had it, she threw it out. You know, your grandma - what was it? Your grandma had it, she threw it out, now you want it?
Bex Scott: [00:23:55] Yeah. Exactly.
Ruth: [00:23:57] All of that. All of that.
Bex Scott: [00:24:00] And what else do you love collecting other than Pyrex?
Ruth: [00:24:07] Well, it's not a short list, but to summarize, of course, Pyrex was my gateway drug for really collecting vintage items, and a lot of that had to do with where I was in my life and not raising kids anymore and having the time and the resources to do it. But I also collect Delfite glass, which is like the blue milk glass as opposed to--
Bex Scott: [00:24:35] I love Delfite--
Ruth: [00:24:35] -- gray green, which is called Jadeite. So I have quite an extensive collection of it. I have some of the Made in Canada Pyrex. Some of you may know there was a Canadian Pyrex factory for a little under ten years outside of Toronto, and they made a couple of beautiful patterns in Delfite, and also in some other beautiful blue milk glass that I'm quite fond of. And the Jeanettes, and the McKee, you know, the slightly older than that late 40s to early 50s stuff that Pyrex made from the 30s and 40s. That's when most of that Delfite came out. I can't so much afford the blue milk glass that came out in the previous century, like before 1900 and the 19th century. I admire it, but a lot of it has become so pricey I can't collect it. But anyhow, okay, what I like. I have a fairly extensive Fenton Cake plate cake stand collection.
Bex Scott: [00:25:37] Ooh, I like those.
Ruth: [00:25:38] I have some yeah, they're, I love pink, I love pink and turquoise and ruffly and girly and I just like that kind of stuff, you know, which is kind of Pyrex is a real gateway to that with the pink and the turquoise. I have quite an extensive Federal glass collection. I think I have over, yeah, over 100 pieces of that, mostly because I really like the colored dots that they released a lot of them. A lot of the Federal glass was only, the patterns were only released in Canada, so it's a little bit easier to find here. So I'm quite drawn to those patterns, like the, okay, I won't start listing them all, but Federal glass and I have a bit of Hazel-Atlas and some Fire-King, some Cathrineholm, some George Briard enamel. You know, the Cathrineholm leads you down the enamel path, and then you start picking up some fennel, you know, and some George Briard and some, I really love the balloons, the George Briard balloons pattern. It's just blue and turquoise. It's just beautiful. I love it. That's dishes. I have a weakness for vintage handmade items, very particularly in all the different types of embroidery that are out there. My mother was a prolific creator of fiber items, from quilting to many different types of embroidery to crochet and that, well, she was also a product of her generation, right? Silent generation.
Ruth: [00:27:17] She was, she grew up and was taught how to sew and crochet and tat and can and pickle and butcher and, you know, all those kinds of things. And so I, you know, grew up with all of that, did not appreciate it when I was a child, did not appreciate it when I when I was a young adult. But as I grew older, I learned to appreciate it more as I tried to do things myself that appeared very easy because my mother so seamlessly in my mind, you know, because she had decades of practice, would whip off. Oh, you want a bag for your gym clothes? You know, sat down at her sewing machine, whip, whip, here it was. Oh, you didn't like that color blouse? You want it in this color instead? Okay. And she'd whip it up for me, you know, it seemed so seamless. And then I tried doing those things myself. Not quite as seamless, but, I mean, I did, yeah. Yeah, I, you know, I like sewing, but I love vintage embroidery, vintage cruels, needlepoint, petit point. Not a huge fan of cross-stitch because it's more of a math endeavor. You just have to count and keep all your x's the same size, whereas the other ones, wow, there's a hierarchy, there's a snobbery on the embroidery scale. But anyhow, in my mind, you know, no, there's just ones I like more than others.
Ruth: [00:28:42] What else? I have collection of chalkware fish in one of my rooms. I also have a collection of wood plates. I also have a collection of ceramic deer. Being retired has its privileges because it also means I collect things and sometimes they stay with me and other times the art of acquiring the collection, of finding it, of thrifting it, you know, I'm a very regular thrifter, is the part that I really enjoyed. And at the end I decide that the enjoyment of that collection needs to move on to someone else. And so I will part with, I will part with the collection because I have collected another couple of dozen other things that I collected until it wasn't enjoyable, or it got to the point where the things I wanted were no longer easy to acquire and I moved on. Which is interesting because Pyrex is one of those things that I got to the point where the things I kind of wanted were no longer easy to acquire, but I kept, I've probably kept about 20, 25% of all the Pyrex I've ever owned, and I have a couple of hundred pieces. So I've moved on and shared a lot of Pyrex in my life. My kids will say otherwise, but I have. I have!
Bex Scott: [00:30:09] I swear I have.
Ruth: [00:30:11] I swear I have, I swear I have, I swear I have. I no longer do the three things in and one thing out. Now I'm trying to change that ratio the other way. But it's hard when you've collected things and really enjoyed them. So yeah, wow. Simple question and I went on for a while. Sorry about that.
Bex Scott: [00:30:32] No, I feel like we could do another episode on just what you collect, and I would love to hear more about it because some of the names you said I don't even recognize, so I have lots of learning to do still.
Ruth: [00:30:46] Yeah. Oh, I've had the luxury of having had a little bit more time to learn about those things. And when they're interesting and you go down the rabbit hole of learning about them and now information is so readily available compared to... You know, I remember thrifting and finding things back in the, you know, a couple of decades ago and to figure out what things were meant going to the library, trying to figure out what it was so you could even look for the right book if the book existed. Or talking to the antique dealers at the time who were not always very willing to share information. You know, that was a different generation and a different time, where people were much more protectionist to the information that they had, because that was how they made a living, and that was how they fed their families better than the next person, because they had that information. Like it's not a wanting of the Boomer, the previous generations to withhold information because they're being mean or insightful, regardless of the memes that are out there. It's because that information was what enabled them to make a living. And okay, whatever. You know, again, another topic. What were we really talking about here? Circle me back. Circle me back.
Bex Scott: [00:32:27] No, that was a perfect reply. Perfect response. So in closing, what would you say to a new collector, or what's one piece of advice that you would give them? Could be for Pyrex, could be for vintage.
Ruth: [00:32:43] Collect what you love with a caveat of 'and that your budget can support'.
Bex Scott: [00:32:49] Yes.
Ruth: [00:32:50] Right. Because it's not a passion project or a project of love if you're spending money on it that keeps a roof over your head and food on the table. But you have to love it first. To collect something because you perceive it as valuable or other people perceive it of value is a very sad way to live your life. Life is about love and passion and sharing and joy and being kind to other people, and if you're a collector, it has to be what you love.
Bex Scott: [00:33:33] I agree, especially because so much of our lives now is determined by what we see other people have or what they're doing, and it shouldn't be that way. So collecting what you love is a perfect example of how we should be living our lives. So I think that's wonderful advice.
Ruth: [00:33:52] Thank you. It's been a real pleasure speaking with you, Bex.
Bex Scott: [00:33:56] Well, thank you so much for joining me today. You gave me a whole new perspective on Pyrex and collecting, and I learned so much from you. So everybody can find Ruth at Periwinkle Collectibles on Instagram. Thank you so much, Ruth.
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Bex Scott hosts one of her all-time favorite Pyrex and vintage collectors, Nate Smith of @MyVintageIs1976, on the show today. Bex and Nate talk about all things Pyrex from how they got started collecting and Nate’s favorite patterns to Pyrex swaps and overpriced pieces. Nate is a natural educator and happily shares his passion and Pyrex knowledge, which is vast, with all Bex’s listeners.
Nate, like Bex, started collecting in 2020 through the need to clear out family houses. Once started, he fell in love with Pyrex and dug into research and collecting on his own. While his husband doesn’t share his Pyrex collection love, he is incredibly supportive of Nate’s thrifting, reselling, and the revolving seasonal displays in their home. Nate lets Bex in on the best Pyrex finds he’s made, his most treasured complete collection, and the rare boxes he’s now searching out. They discuss their belief on why kindness and sharing knowledge with new collectors is the best way forward, investigate the differences between pieces named differently in America versus in Canada, and Nate shares his top tips for thrifting success. If you love Pyrex, and you must if you’re here, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss!
Resources discussed in this episode:
Nate Smith on Instagram: MyVintageIs1976Colonial MistHorizon Blue“Lady on the Left” Butterprint bowlWillow 473Penn Dutch Friendship boxMrs. Maisel“Pyrex Passion (2nd ed.)” by Michael D. Barber—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, thanks for tuning in to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Today I am super excited because I have one of my all-time favorite collectors of Pyrex and vintage on today chatting, and it's Nate Smith. You can find him on Instagram at MyVintageIs1976 and I was super excited when I came across your Instagram, Nate, because I love all the education you provide, all of the things that you sell. I wish I had enough money to buy all of them because they're adorable and I could see all of them in my house. But you were also the friendliest and most open to teaching people about what you know and helping new collectors, and I'm super grateful for that. So welcome to the show.
Nate Smith: [00:01:16] Thank you so much. It's my pleasure to be here.
Bex Scott: [00:01:19] Awesome. So I thought we'd start out with how you got into Pyrex and vintage collecting.
Nate Smith: [00:01:26] That's a great question. I had a lot of tragedy actually in 2020, and my sister and I were forced to clean out both my parents and my grandparents homes. My dad died in September and my grandmother died in October right after. And then my mother went into an assisted living at the time. So my sister and I were left with all this stuff and we were like, what are we going to do? So we just started digging in and having to clean out the houses. And that's in Kentucky and I'm in Texas now, so I would go as often as I could to go and help her out. But as we were cleaning out my parents home, we just kept coming across these beautiful bowls and casseroles in this huge variety of patterns, and my parents came by it, honestly. Me growing up too, if there was a wide spot in the road for a yard sale, if there was a thrift store, my mom would want to stop on the way to town. And just in case they put something out on the way back that she would want to stop on the way back. So she was a double stop thrift store kind of gal.
Nate Smith: [00:02:32] And a lot of these bowls still had the original $2 $4 dollar thrift store tags on them when she picked them up and my sister and I, we took a lot of stuff to the local thrift store just to donate back. But I couldn't take these bowls. I just kept circling back to them, and I just found them to be so beautiful. And so I asked my sister, can I take some of these back to Texas with me? I just want to research and find out a little bit more. And that deep rabbit hole kept going and going and going, and I started as to resell some of the things instead of just donating them. I saw value in them and I told my sister, like, I'm going to sell some of these. And then there were more and more patterns that I couldn't sell back because I didn't want to let go of them, because I started falling in love with them. And then a new collector was born.
Bex Scott: [00:03:31] That's awesome. And do you have family members that collect as well? Does your sister collect?
Nate Smith: [00:03:40] My sister has a pattern that she likes. She does the Colonial Mist, which is great because I don't care for it at all. Even though it's blue, I still don't care for it very much at all. But it was one of the last kind of opal ware patterns that Pyrex put out. And so it's pretty easy, still pretty common to find because it's one of the newer patterns. And so I've helped her complete her collections just in my own sourcing and thrifting and antiquing, I've been able to finish out her collection of Colonial Mist for her. But the next generation, like her kids and her kids' kids, no, I think we're pretty much it in the family. So, and none of my husband's side of the family really collects. So yeah, it's just me. I do enough for all of us.
Bex Scott: [00:04:30] That's like me as well. It's just me right now. We have two boys and a girl, and I'm trying to get our sons into it. I don't think I'm going to be successful, but maybe. Our daughter's only one so there's lots of years to get her into collecting and hopefully passing my collection on to her, because there's quite a bit of it.
Nate Smith: [00:04:50] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:04:53] And does your husband share your love of vintage as well?
Nate Smith: [00:04:57] No, not even a little bit. And like, he humors me sometimes and goes with me to the antique stores, but he will find himself bored pretty quick and will ask me for the keys to the car pretty quick because he can go up and down the aisles relatively quickly and just say, yeah, I'm done. But he humors me, like he never makes me feel bad about my collections. He never questions me about anything. So if anything, he is also like all-star drop stuff off at the post office. All-star I have a lot of boxes to box will you help me? Absolutely. So he's roll up his sleeves, all hands on deck when it comes to that stuff. But he's not himself a collector by nature.
Bex Scott: [00:05:51] Yeah, it's good to have that support on that side of things too, with the packing. And that can get to be a lot.
Nate Smith: [00:05:58] Yeah, I turn and burn it pretty quickly. Like I can't let it pile up because then my OCD and anxiety just kind of spirals out of control. So like if somebody buys something, I try my best to hurry up and get it out because if it piles up, then I can feel my anxiety increasing.
Bex Scott: [00:06:17] Yeah. I remember buying some little bluebirds from you and they arrived so quickly. I was very impressed. So you definitely do get things out the door quickly.
Nate Smith: [00:06:30] Thank you, thank you.
Bex Scott: [00:06:32] And what does your home look like for displaying your Pyrex and your other vintage items?
Nate Smith: [00:06:39] Yeah. Good question. So again, I'm very lucky to have a husband who gives me that kind of creative license, but under a watchful eye of control, which is also good. We live in Texas, so there is no basement. The land of basements is not in Texas, so there aren't a lot of basements here. So I just have to make do with what we've got. And so I have kind of a prized hutch collection of my Pyrex kind of in our sitting room. And then we have some display cabinets in the kitchen that I display pretty regularly. And then I have a rotating seasonal display as well. Other than that, it's usually put in a what I call my Pyrex closet that I use to rotate things in and out for display. And then I also have an inventory room, which is where all the things that I have in preparation for my upcoming Instagram sales or Pyrex swaps kind of lives. So no kids. So easy to just put that stuff in the extra bedroom.
Bex Scott: [00:07:49] Yeah, yeah, that sounds like a very organized way to do it. I might have to implement some of that, because I took over our extra bedroom in the basement of our old house, so my parents and my in-laws weren't able to stay over anymore. So that was the Pyrex room. That was an issue. And now we have more storage in this house, but it's quickly escaping the storage room and making its way into other places. So definitely need a new system.
Nate Smith: [00:08:19] I could easily fill every cabinet and every display shelf and every closet with my collections. And so then I just kind of realized, yes, I love to look at this, but I know not everyone else does. And so that's why I just make sure I rotate things out so that I can appreciate it not all year long, but for a significant amount of time. And then when I'm tired and I want to see something different, I can pull something else out of the closet.
Bex Scott: [00:08:48] Yeah, that makes it fun too, coming up with new displays and seasonal things. Mhm.
Nate Smith: [00:08:54] Yeah, absolutely. And my collection too has evolved, I will say. So a lot of the things that I used to collect, like I've kind of pared down. So I don't do a lot of like, when I started collecting I had every refrigerator set. And so then over time I've gotten rid of most of those. I collected a lot of the bowl sets. I don't do any Cinderella bowls in my collection, so I give myself rules in my collection so that it allows for easier storage and better and better collections.
Bex Scott: [00:09:27] So is that just a change in taste of what you were collecting?
Nate Smith: [00:09:31] Yeah, I think based on what I heard from some of your previous podcasts, we started out very similarly in that if I saw it, I bought it because like, I felt like it was finding gold in a thrift store or finding, you know, and when we first started collecting, because I was right around the same time, 2020, you know, beginning of the pandemic, it was hard to find even in antique stores, if the antique stores were even open, like you weren't finding it. I feel like everybody was just grabbing it when they saw it. And so when I did come across a piece or pieces, I grabbed it if it was affordable and it was in my budget. So that's kind of how I started. And then as you grow as a collector, you start realizing, what do you really love? What patterns do you really want to dive into and collect? I ended up collecting the entire Horizon Blue pattern. That's my favorite kind of standard pattern. So I have the entire line. And then from there you just kind of start realizing, like, okay, I use these seasonally, those I don't use at all, so they're just sitting there, I would rather either pass them on to someone who can appreciate them more than I am right now. And that's kind of how I started becoming a reseller on Instagram.
Bex Scott: [00:10:49] That's very similar to kind of how I started as well, because like you said, there were no antique stores. I bought most of it on Marketplace and not knowing what dishwasher damage and what a bowl should look like at the very beginning of my collecting, I think I bought a ton of dishes and bowls and pie plates that I really shouldn't have. They were luckily cheap. But yeah, looking back, there's a lot of things that I wouldn't get now, but it was fun. The process of it, learning about them and starting to resell the ones that I didn't use very often, and it's all part of the Pyrex fun, I think. So it's worth it.
Nate Smith: [00:11:28] Absolutely agree.
Bex Scott: [00:11:30] And what have been some of your best Pyrex finds that you've had?
Nate Smith: [00:11:34] Good question. And I don't know, have you ever been to a Pyrex swap?
Bex Scott: [00:11:39] I haven't. I don't think we have many in Canada. There's been 1 or 2 that I've heard of, but I feel like they're really common in the States, which is sad that we don't have them as much here.
Nate Smith: [00:11:50] Yeah, and they're growing. Like there are a couple near me that are starting up this next year. I know both Oklahoma and Arkansas are starting swaps and at least closer to you I know there's one in Wisconsin and one in Michigan. So depending on where in Canada you are, right. So there have been some amazing finds at Pyrex swaps just across the country. And for the listeners who aren't familiar, it's basically just kind of a focused flea market. You know, all vintage is up for grabs, like anybody can come and set up at these Pyrex swaps, but it's kind of a definite focus on Vintage Kitchen and Pyrex at these, kind of just I don't want to call it a convention, but depending on how many vendors there are, you know, like Michigan had like 60 plus vendors, Tennessee had over 60 vendors. So a lot of people come from all over the country. I went last year to Pyrex Fest in Maryland. And you do, you find treasures. And it's not just Pyrex. You also find vintage Christmas and other treasures all along at these swaps. And so you never know what you're going to find, because people are coming from all over the country to these swaps.
Nate Smith: [00:13:04] In addition, like great antique stores, great thrift stores, like you, I definitely turned online both and Marketplace and Facebook or even eBay to find some great finds that I feel like I was in the right place at the right time and was able to pounce and and grabbed it. And so that gives you that thrill. So obviously there have been just some wonderful things. Dallas where I live, it's pretty dog eat dog. So like I don't do estate sales because the lines are just mammoth around--
Bex Scott: [00:13:41] Oh, I bet.
Nate Smith: [00:13:41] I feel like there are a lot of antique stores and a lot of resellers here in such a large metropolis metropolitan area. And so I feel like the competition is high. And so I just say, you know, I'm not from here. I don't know anybody. I don't have any inside tracks here in Dallas. And so I just leave that to them. And so I turn mostly to either the people I know in the Pyrex community or online, mostly, for my finds.
Bex Scott: [00:14:10] Yeah, I'll have to start looking for Pyrex swaps, because that's something that I've watched on people's Instagrams that look so fun, and just seeing what they've found from going to them is a lot better than going to the antique stores. We have a ton of antique stores around here, and they're all super overpriced, so it's very rare to find something affordable that's on your list there. But I keep trying.
Nate Smith: [00:14:36] Yeah. And sometimes even at the swaps you think it's a gather of collectors, but also it's just people who are vendors. And a friend of mine found a Lady on the Left Butterprint 503, so the large refrigerator dish, priced as if it were a regular refrigerator dish. And so that was a huge score for her. And I was like, because even as collectors and it was like midway through the swap and how many people were there and had noticed and just like, oh, it's just another 503. And she took the time to really pay attention and realize that it was a Lady on the Left. And so big score for her. We were all just like cheering her on. It was so awesome.
Bex Scott: [00:15:22] That's awesome. I would be very excited if I found that. And it does make a difference if you take the time to look through things and you can find stuff like that if you're patient.
Nate Smith: [00:15:33] Dig a little bit. Absolutely. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:15:34] Yeah. Mhmm. So what would you say are the most prized pieces in your collection?
Nate Smith: [00:15:41] So I will say that as my collection evolved, I have definitely kind of refocused on two major categories. Like I'm never going to get rid of any of my Horizon Blue. That's part of my complete collection, but focused for me now as far as Pyrex goes, I collect the boxes. The boxes have been a wonderfully deep rabbit hole that I have just absolutely fallen in love with the original artwork on the boxes. And then the rares. So those pieces that were either test patterns or things that were maybe one-offs that people made in the factories, and I've even found some people from other people who found out from people who worked there at the factory. A friend of mine bought some pieces directly from someone who used to work there, and he told my friend that basically after hours they could go down into the basement, and if there was already a pattern and already colors and anything, they could just mix and match things in a way for their wives or for anybody that they wanted to. And so he was able to find a Snowflake Cinderella bowl set that somebody had made their wife. And like, obviously that doesn't exist. And so it was amazing. Absolutely. And so for me, obviously, I'm lucky enough to own the Lucky in Love and I own the Constellation, Oh My Stars as it's called sometimes. I own a one of a kind, which is the Tulips, it's usually a white on blue, the 043 Tulip pattern, and I have it as a gold on cream.
Bex Scott: [00:17:29] Oh that would be pretty.
Nate Smith: [00:17:30] It's just beautiful. I have the Clover Berry. I mean, I'm so lucky to have so many of the rare pieces. And that's actually another reason why I'm still buying and selling on Instagram. You know, My Vintage Is 1976 was kind of born because like, I want to buy and sell. And then that kind of goes into my little Pyrex fun money stockpile that I can afford some of these things that I want to treat myself with. So.
Bex Scott: [00:17:57] And the Lucky in Love, there's two different versions, right?
Nate Smith: [00:18:01] I don't know what you mean. There's the clear. You know, that's kind of the new version that they kind of reissued that's pretty common that you can find. I think it was done, you know, not so long ago. But then it's on the opal.
Bex Scott: [00:18:17] Is there one without hearts? Does it have hearts?
Nate Smith: [00:18:19] Oh okay. Now. Yes. So there is one I think in the Corning Museum before they added the hearts. And that's the reason that I also have heard why it never made it to the run. On mine you can see that this is 100% true, the way they layered the paint, so there's some overlap with the heart over the shamrock. And you can see the green shamrock through the light kind of bubblegum pink. And I think so then it didn't pass their standards that you could see one through the other. And so then that's kind of why they stopped production or it never made it to market.
Bex Scott: [00:19:01] Interesting.
Nate Smith: [00:19:03] Yeah. Yeah. And the reason my second guess is there's a one of a kind, I think that's on the 475, the large casserole. And my friend owns that one and so. It'd be pretty cool to stack a 473 on a 475 just to see it.
Bex Scott: [00:19:19] Yeah.
Nate Smith: [00:19:20] You know, but.
Bex Scott: [00:19:21] That would be very cool. That's awesome. With all of the information that's out there, what's something that people, it's kind of like how do you say it, that isn't accurate that people talk about Pyrex? That you'd say that's kind of like a misinformation about Pyrex, if there is any.
Nate Smith: [00:19:40] Sure. Well, I see a lot of times people will say Pyrex as the brand, you know, and Pyrex is a product within the Corning company, you know, so Corning that also made Corelle, that also made Corning Ware, also made Pyrex. So it's easy to talk about, you know, Pyrex as the manufacturer. But they're not, you know, it's just another brand in in the Corning company. A lot of people will call, it's kind of like, oh, you know, you call every adhesive bandage a Band-Aid, you call every facial tissue Kleenex, or every pill Tylenol. You know, I feel like a lot of people will call all kinds Pyrex. You know, whether it's Fire King, Hazel, Atlas, Federal, McKee, any of it. It's just all Pyrex. And I'm like, no, no, it's not. So, that's another one that I'm like, gosh, see that all the time, is that they'll just label it all Pyrex, you know, like it's a one stop shop, one name for all of that kind of cookware. But obviously it's not.
Bex Scott: [00:20:51] Right. Yeah, that's a good point. Lots of my family members do that. They'll bring home something for me and they'll say, I got you some Pyrex. Thank you very much. But it's glass, actually. And are there any pieces that you're still on the hunt for in terms of Pyrex?
Nate Smith: [00:21:15] Always, always. You know, and it's so easy when in any collection, I feel like, it's so easy to become jealous. And I hate that word, but jealous of other people's collections because, you know, like, oh my gosh, they just have such beautiful... Even if it's just the way they display it. And I hear that often like, oh, I'm so jealous of your collection, but you should be happy with the collection you have. And so, and I oftentimes say, if I never get another piece of Pyrex, the fact that I've been able to be a part of the pieces I currently have history, then I feel beyond lucky. There are several boxes that I would love to add to my collection. If you know the Willow casserole, the cute little 473, I would love to have that box. There are several others. The Penn Dutch promotional friendship pattern. I would love to have that box. The grapes with the little plastic hugger, I think it's a 473 as well. I would love to have that box. Some of the boxes are just really cute, and I would just love to checkmark and add that to my collection.
Nate Smith: [00:22:24] As far as just general rares go, I have the turquoise Hex pattern with the lid and it came with an under plate. So I have two pieces. I have the lid and the casserole, but I don't have the under plate, so I would love to add that to my collection. All kinds. There's all kinds. Yeah, it's so funny though that there are some that they're like, Nate, do you want this or whatever? Because once you get to a certain level, a lot of it is just passed amongst the collectors, right? Like once you hit a certain tier, people call and say, hey, I've got this and I'm going to sell. Or hey, if you ever want to sell this, let me know. And a lot of it is just passed and will never hit eBay and will never hit, you know, the market. So I'm lucky enough to be in a lot of those circles as well. And so there are definitely some pieces that my friends have that I was like, if you ever want to let that go.
Bex Scott: [00:23:17] Yeah, let me know. Have the boxes been pretty hard to find?
Nate Smith: [00:23:25] So I've run across a lot of boxes in person in antique malls. I'm trying to stay very specific. Like I'm trying not to, unless it's just a gorgeous box or Horizon Blue, I'm trying not to do standard line boxes because then that just opens the whole floodgates, right? That's like every pattern, every different casserole, every different everything that, I mean, that's just a lot of boxes. So I'm trying to stay close with just the promotional pieces or the Horizon Blue pieces as far as boxes go, but I'll see several from time to time just, you know, you can tell whether they're Spring Blossom or Butterfly Gold or Snowflake Garland or several others, the Forest Fancies I see a lot, a lot of the later ones, the Shenandoah or the Colonial Mist I'll see pretty often, and you'll see those pop up pretty often on eBay as well, the especially the later ones, because they only have had to be in a basement for, you know, 40 years instead of, uh, 60 years.
Bex Scott: [00:24:37] And my grandma has a storage room right now that nobody knows what's in it. I don't think she even knows. So my hope is that she'll let me clean it out someday soon, and I'll find something great in there.
Nate Smith: [00:24:53] That's every person's goal. And I feel like that's how, that's why so much is hitting the market and has hit the market so much in the last five years, is because I think the generations of people who received these pieces as wedding gifts, as housewarming presents, now are unfortunately of the age that either they've passed and their children are cleaning out their homes, or they're downsizing and going to live their best condo life in the beach somewhere, you know, and they're finally cleaning out that basement. And they've been in boxes for 60 years. And another reason I love boxes is because they can so easily stack in my closet. And so it's so much easier than having to find individual shelves or, you know, trying to pull a balancing act with how many bowls can I stack on top of each other.
Bex Scott: [00:25:52] Can maximize the use of space.
Nate Smith: [00:25:54] Just as if they were in a basement. So I love that.
Bex Scott: [00:25:57] That's my new reasoning for starting to collect boxes. That they stack well, yeah.
Nate Smith: [00:26:02] Absolutely.
Bex Scott: [00:26:02] I'm going to tell my husband right after this. And the number of garage sales I've been to where people have had all types of items and they've said, we got this for our wedding 60 years ago and it never came out of our cupboard. It's just mind blowing. And they're selling it for super cheap because they never wanted it, and they expect that nobody else will.
Nate Smith: [00:26:28] Absolutely. Or if when these were purchased, I've gotten the boxes that still have the original price on the cardboard or even cut slash prices, it was $3.98 now it's $1.99, you know, on super sale. And I'm like, it's easy to understand that they feel like they can sell this for $5 because it was only $2 back then, you know. So I feel like to them, if they're not checking the eBay comps and in the Facebook groups like we are, understandably so, they don't necessarily see or understand why they would be so valuable.
Bex Scott: [00:27:07] Yeah, yeah.
Nate Smith: [00:27:10] Because I've had lots of grandmas see my prices at a swap and just be like, you're crazy. I'm like, I'm really not.
Bex Scott: [00:27:19] Yeah. Oh that's funny. I've had a few of those when I had a garage sale in the summer, and they were all older women coming into my sale and looking through and seeing all these things from their past. And a bunch of them said, you can't sell it for this much, like it wasn't this when I bought it so that's ridiculous. I'm like, well, like, thanks for your opinion, but...
Nate Smith: [00:27:44] Stand over to the side and wait till a couple more customers come through and you'll see this stuff flying out the door. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:27:51] That's funny. You mentioned Facebook groups. So how do you feel about all of the Pyrex Facebook groups out there and the information that's being spread about, and yeah. What are your thoughts?
Nate Smith: [00:28:10] So I do have a lot of opinions about that. Now I will say I'm pretty loyal to my Instagram. Obviously I've mentioned it, My Vintage Is 1976. I feel like it's a wonderful place to come and get information. In 2022, I hosted a year-long series called Let's Chat About Pyrex. And so twice a month I did kind of an educational series, it's a great place all the way to start from here's how the numbers work, here's the different patterns, here's maybe pieces you've never seen before. And then I eventually invited guests on so that they could show pieces from their collection as well. So I feel like it's a great visual educational series that you can still go back and watch. The Facebook groups I feel like it became a lot for me, and if I'm being honest, because there's so many different groups and all of them you can sell in this one and you can't sell in that one, or you better not show a picture that doesn't have a rare in that one or it's going to get deleted. So there just became a lot of rules. And so I left a large percentage of the groups. There are a couple that I absolutely love. I'm a member of the one it's called Pyrex Snobs, so I love that one. It's really cute. It's run by my friend Annette. And then I also love the, it's fairly new group, called Homestead Relics, and that's run by my friends Lindsay and Nicole. And they are phenomenal and they have lots of sales, but they also are just open whether you're a new collector or a veteran collector, it's kind of like we all knew them from the swaps and all that stuff, and they were like, let's go do this right. And they have just been phenomenal. I'm so happy to see the success of their Facebook page. It's been great.
Bex Scott: [00:30:08] I'm going to have to go join those groups because I've been considering leaving a lot of the other ones that as a newer collector, I'm scared to ask questions in.
Nate Smith: [00:30:20] Yeah, and and there are some people, whether they're the people who run the page or not, there are people in the Pyrex community, and I don't want to just say Pyrex community because it's most collecting groups, who want to make new collectors feel bad about their lack of knowledge, when it's really not their fault and they're really just trying to learn. And as a former educator, like I was a teacher in the classroom for 15 years, and now I'm a counselor, so I've been in education this is my 25th year. And so it's really hard for me not to want to meet people where they're at because as a kid comes into my classroom, you never know where they're coming from, what their background is, what teachers they had last year, what they know, what they don't know. Maybe they're new to your school. And it's the same way with collecting. There's a whole wealth of reasons why people want to start collecting anything. Could be the passing of a loved one. It could be just they found something and they like it, and they want to know more about it, you know? And it's the people who just want to shut them out or make them feel less than because they don't know the answer that makes me just, it made me want to leave a lot of the Facebook groups originally, so I did.
Bex Scott: [00:31:35] Mhm. And how have you found the community overall? Do you find that it's mostly supportive and friendly?
Nate Smith: [00:31:44] Highs and lows. I'm going to be honest. Because it comes down with different people's personalities. You know, like I've made a lot of people mad in the community. I have people who've blocked me and don't want to talk to me anymore because of the pieces I have and how they think I got them, which it's so funny how it all just, it all spirals like that. But there are also wonderful people and and I feel like as in any group, you get to see these people. I am in the swap circuit. So like I see people a few times a year, you know, when I can and I have my like inner circle of really close friends and then they're just everyone else that you're just friendly with, you know? So I feel like, and just because you see some people a few times a year, sometimes you think people are going to be great people, and then maybe they turn out not to be great people, or you very quickly realize you have a piece that they want and so they're just being kind or nice to you because they, and then when you don't give them what they want then they're like ease on down the road. So yeah like just like in all communities I feel like it's The Breakfast Club. Right? You're going to have all the different kinds of personalities represented. So you just have to find your tribe within this much larger community that can build you up from where you are. And I think that's where you'll get your joy and find your joy.
Bex Scott: [00:33:14] I agree. That's a great way to put it. And I've met a lot of really awesome people who have ended up becoming friends just through Instagram, and those are the ones you want to focus on, the ones that support you with your collecting and learning, and just want to have fun with you throughout the whole process of it.
Nate Smith: [00:33:33] Absolutely agree.
Bex Scott: [00:33:36] And how have you found that collecting has changed from when you first started to now? If it has?
Nate Smith: [00:33:42] No, it definitely has. I feel like, well I find joy that there seems to be a steady stream of new collectors in my world on Instagram, like new customers. So there are new people who seem to be buying Pyrex. So that gives me joy to think that it's not a fad or a flash in the pan that's over. I think there are prices that are getting and becoming astronomical that I'm like, oh my gosh, like three years ago I could find that piece for this and now there's no way I'm touching it for that. You know? Like I see some of the pieces and just how they're escalating on eBay or in some of the groups, you know? So I think that has changed. But I do think the joy and love that people get from collecting Pyrex is continuing to spread. Just like I said, there are new Pyrex swaps in different parts of the countries that are popping up. That tells me that there are new people and new communities gathered together to celebrate this and to find joy in it. And I do think that as long as that continues to happen, then I'm super excited that our community is going to continue to grow. I think that people who did collect during the pandemic, it's kind of like all things, right? Like either now they're to the point of where they're over it and they're done and they're ready to move on. Or like we had said, they're to the point to where they want to fine tune their collection a little bit and make it not just a Pyrex collection, but their Pyrex collection, and have it be a reflection of what they enjoy most and what they find the most joy in. So.
Bex Scott: [00:35:24] What would you say are the most overpriced right now pieces that are out there?
Nate Smith: [00:35:31] So we just came off of Christmas and Christmas always escalates prices. Because we see, whether it be the husbands who are buying something for their wives on eBay or even in the antique stores, people trying to think like, I've saved this back for the customers for Christmas, to think that I'm going to get more out of it, etc. you just never know. So I think that has skewed what I am currently getting ready to say. Overpriced, I feel like everything has gone up, but some of the, well, I don't know, I don't know, no, I don't, I want to say like the Duchess box that went for like five grand a couple months ago on eBay, like that still blows me away. But it was pristine. It was pristine. And even the Duchess in general, which I know is the piece, your unicorn, right? Like it's a beautiful piece. I've had it and sold it. And I've had and sold Pink Stems twice. I just can't keep pink. I just, there's something about I just don't like, I just don't like their pink. So those to me seem the most, or even, oh, here's a good one, Mrs. Maisel. You know, the Mrs. Maisel casserole, the white daisy on pink 045 casserole. That was part of a standard line that was one of the first standard line so maybe a little harder to come by. But I mean, there were thousands out there, but what people were paying for it just because it was on a television show, I was like, well, this was on Murder She Wrote, could I ask more for it?
Bex Scott: [00:37:16] Oh, I love Murder, She Wrote. That's a great one.
Nate Smith: [00:37:19] Oh, girl, we need to be best friends. Jessica Fletcher and I are tight. We're tight.
Bex Scott: [00:37:26] Oh, that's a good point about TV shows and kind of what they do to Pyrex. And I was looking through on Pinterest the other day, which Pyrex pieces have been shown in which shows? And there's so many of them. And this one, yeah, Mrs. Maisel, just everybody gravitated to it and it exploded.
Nate Smith: [00:37:46] Well, and they still call it The Mrs. Maisel casserole. You know, I think it was in the first or second episode that she took something to the comedy club in that casserole. And I was like, there have been four seasons since then. Why are we still focused on that? Is that, did you guys only get to the second episode? But that just kind of came became known as The Mrs. Maisel Casserole. And then people were just paying ungodly amounts for it. You know, but yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:38:15] Yeah. That's the one that always surfaces.
Nate Smith: [00:38:16] A standard line piece. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:38:19] Yeah Facebook Marketplace, it's all over here, and it's always dishwasher damaged, and it's always like $300 for the worst condition piece of it.
Nate Smith: [00:38:29] So can I ask you a question? So you are obviously in the land of the North. So to me, like you always want what you can't have. Right? So I feel like in Canada, I hear about these dream Fire King mugs that never kind of made it down to our market, but they always seem so readily available in Canada. And Federal, you know, like you guys, like all the Federal patterns and bowls and they're so pretty. And I never see Federal.
Bex Scott: [00:39:05] Oh really?
Nate Smith: [00:39:06] Like yes. All my friends like in Wisconsin or Michigan said like, oh yeah, it all comes down from Canada. It all comes down from Canada. So I have to feel like you're just living in a Federal and Fire King dream up there.
Bex Scott: [00:39:20] There does seem to be a ton of it. It's always in the thrift stores and people are always selling it on Marketplace, especially the mugs. There's a few sellers in my area who seem to have every mug possible, and they just slowly leak them out on their Marketplace page, and I see them coming up and it's always 'rare, hard to find' like $1 million for this mug. So yeah, there's a lot of it up here. But yeah, if there's anything specific you're ever looking for, it's probably at Value Village.
Nate Smith: [00:39:53] I will, I'll let you know for sure. I was a mug guy for a long, long time. I'm trying to slowly break away from the mugs. We're breaking up. We're on a break. We're on a break. But then, do you know the two US Pyrex patterns that were named differently in Canada?
Bex Scott: [00:40:12] Was one Colonial Mist?
Nate Smith: [00:40:14] Oh, if it was Colonial Mist, I don't know. The two I know, and may have, so Early American was called Early Canadian, I think, because I think they found a box called Early Canadian. And then I think our Shenandoah pattern is called Wintergreen.
Bex Scott: [00:40:33] Oh, cool.
Nate Smith: [00:40:34] And was called Wintergreen in the Canada market.
Bex Scott: [00:40:37] I didn't know that.
Nate Smith: [00:40:39] I would love to have a Wintergreen box. That's the goal. It's the same as Shenandoah, but it just says Wintergreen and I think it's so cute. Like perfect for winter, you know.
Bex Scott: [00:40:51] Yeah. We, I very rarely find Early American here. I think I've found it one in British Columbia once, but it doesn't show up very often.
Nate Smith: [00:41:01] Yeah. I think it was called Early Canadian. I think.
Bex Scott: [00:41:05] That's really cool.
Nate Smith: [00:41:07] Because I mean, that makes sense for Canadian market. If it's called Early American, who's going to buy it in a Canadian market? But that's why the Colonial Mist makes pattern or makes sense too, you know, colonial is so oftentimes associated, just the word, with colonial America. So it would make sense that they would change that name for the Canadian market as well. That's being, that's interesting.
Bex Scott: [00:41:30] That's really cool. One thing I've been wondering for a long time is what is the difference between Delphite and Bluebell? Is there something different? Because I've posted about Delphite Pyrex and I've had people correct me before. So yeah, I was wondering.
Nate Smith: [00:41:49] So I feel like Delphite, so I feel like the bowls here, or the bowls that were created in the US market, are referred to as Bluebell, right? But I feel like you guys had plates and all that kind of dinnerware that I don't necessarily think of as part of that Bluebell pattern. So is that what's considered Delphite?
Bex Scott: [00:42:17] Yeah, I don't, I'm not sure.
Nate Smith: [00:42:18] In Pyrex world?
Bex Scott: [00:42:20] I have a ton of the plates and I never know because I look them up and I get different answers online, so that might be it.
Nate Smith: [00:42:29] Yeah. Like I know there's another Pyrex passion book. There's two different ones. There's one that is the promotionals and the lines, and that's kind of the Pyrex passion second edition. I love it. But then I feel like there's one that focuses on dinnerware and tableware and things like that. So I don't know if it's covered in that one or not, but I don't know the answer.
Bex Scott: [00:42:56] I'll have to take a look.
Nate Smith: [00:42:57] Like I do know in Fire King, which I found this interesting, that they called what we would normally call Delphitec Turquoise.
Bex Scott: [00:43:07] Oh.
Nate Smith: [00:43:09] Yeah. Like if you look in the old Fire King books, like the teardrop bowls, the Swedish modern mixing balls that they did, like those are referenced as Turquoise, not Delphite.
Bex Scott: [00:43:21] Interesting. Huh.
Nate Smith: [00:43:23] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:43:24] That makes things even more confusing.
Nate Smith: [00:43:27] Because, like, that's not really turquoise but whatever.
Speaker3: [00:43:30] No, that's definitely not.
Bex Scott: [00:43:35] So outside of Pyrex, you collect other things as well.
Nate Smith: [00:43:39] I do, so I do feel like I in general have an addictive personality, like I, by nature am a completist. So if I collect something, I want as much of it as I can have to say that I've completed the collection, and then I can put it to rest and then move on. So I do love collecting the Holt Howard pixie ware, the little condiment jars and oil and vinegar and dressing cruet, all the things like, I just, I've fallen in love with those wacky little faces.
Bex Scott: [00:44:14] They're very cute.
Nate Smith: [00:44:14] I think they're so cute. Yeah. I do a lot of vintage Christmas, but I'm very specific about what I collect in the world of vintage Christmas. I buy and sell a lot of vintage Christmas, but for me, I collect a very, very small, defined amount of that. And then, as given by my Instagram handle, my vintage is 1976. You can probably guess that I'm a child of the 80s, and so I love a good 80s toy as well. So whether if that's He-Man, ThunderCats, Monchichi, Smurfs, Pac-Man, if it brings back any sort of nostalgia for me, like I'll have a hard time walking away from that. So yeah, that too. Those three: Pyrex, the pixie ware, and the 80s toys are probably my three favorite things to collect.
Bex Scott: [00:45:08] Is it pretty easy to find toys in your area, or do you mostly find them online?
Nate Smith: [00:45:13] It's a mix, so I very rarely go looking for something specific in that world. So that's usually like if I find it and I love it, then I let myself have it. I found a boxed Monchichi in an antique store. And I was like, I can't walk away from this. Like, I want it real, real bad, like, instantly. So, like, stuff like that I have to do. I very rarely go searching for He-Man on eBay or anything like that. I tell myself eventually I'm going to recreate my entire ThunderCats collection that I had when I was a kid. So that's an eventual like, maybe I'll get there goal. But for here and now, like, if I find it and I pick it up, that's great. But like I said, I'm a completist. So if I just find a loose guy in an antique mall or a thrift store, I can't buy it because I know he had weapons or something with him, some little accessory. And if it's not there too, like, I can't because then I'll just drive myself crazy looking for that one little piece that I don't have.
Bex Scott: [00:46:24] That makes sense. Yeah. It has to be complete. Do you have any advice for new collectors that want to get into Pyrex collecting or kind of vintage as a whole?
Nate Smith: [00:46:39] Yeah. So as hard as this may be, I would try to find a Pyrex mentor if you can. You know, someone who's not going to judge you, but someone who's also going to hold your hand and help you through the process. Because while it is super exciting to buy it when you see it, if you see it you buy it, kind of thing, that can become overwhelming very quickly. And so just to have someone kind of put you on pause and say, do you really love this pattern or do you think you're going to eventually love it? Like why or do you just want to buy it because it's Pyrex? You know, something like that. I do think that there are an abundance of resources out there. The Pyrex Passion second edition that I mentioned earlier kind of was my Pyrex Bible when I started. I learned a lot, and I think it's organized very, very well, like the promotionals that you can kind of see with the brief little description in a history of when it came out, all the standard lines and all the pieces within the standard lines. It's organized in a way that I appreciated as a new collector. So I would say find a Pyrex mentor. I would say get a copy of the Pyrex Passion second edition. I would say listen to Pyrex with Bex, and I would say follow Nate, MyVintageIs1976.
Bex Scott: [00:48:09] That is all amazing advice.
Nate Smith: [00:48:10] That's all you need to do.
Bex Scott: [00:48:13] All you need for your Pyrex world domination.
Nate Smith: [00:48:19] That's it.
Bex Scott: [00:48:21] Love it. Well, do you have any other educational tidbits or anything you'd like to pass on to listeners in closing?
Nate Smith: [00:48:33] Absolutely. So I feel like if you are a thrifter, I think it's getting easier to find Pyrex at least than it was a year ago, a year and a half ago, in the thrift stores. I feel like it's showing up again, just like glass. I feel like you couldn't find mid-century glass in thrift stores a year and a half ago, and I'm starting to see it creep back in as well. So I would encourage anybody who is a thrifter to be consistent. If you're going to go, go on a regular basis is the only way you're really going to find something. Like, you might have that jackpot hit every once in a while, but it's the consistency that's really going to help you. I feel like always check the bottom shelf because boxes and other things kind of hide down there. And I would encourage you to do one pass in one direction in a thrift store. And then I would encourage you to turn around and go in the opposite direction. I would encourage you to look with the plates, and you might find some of the casserole lids or other lids that you're looking for. if they put the plates in one section, but a lot of times they'll put the pots and pans in the other section, and a lot of times for a long time, I skip the pots and pans aisle. But then I found like some of the things that they don't know what to do with, like the cradles, are living over there with the other metal pot and pans, and so it helps to look everywhere because you never know where you're going to find something if you're a thrifter.
Bex Scott: [00:50:01] Those are all great points, especially about looking in aisles that you don't expect things to be in. And the bottom. I've found so many things on the floor, like underneath the shelves too. So I've even gone on the floor flat on my stomach, looking underneath shelves. So I will do anything to find a good one.
Nate Smith: [00:50:21] Absolutely. I'm right there with you. I'm all about, you know, rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty. Absolutely. We have this great, it's about an hour east of Dallas, it's called Canton. Canton. And it's called First Monday Trade Days. And it's like this, it's, I mean, it goes on and on and on, and it's this massive flea market that they have this particular weekend of the first Monday each month. And I found so many treasures there. But it's all about, like I said, being consistent. My biggest advice is just be nice, because these vendors who you're talking to, striking up conversation with, you never know what else they have that they haven't put out. But because you are nice and you asked a question that they might dig out of their van for you, or that they have a whole barn at their house that they, you know, were only able to bring so much. And I've been able to do two house picks just because I struck up a conversation with the right people. And so, you know, people always say a smile doesn't cost a dime. And that's 100% true. So I think there's no harm in putting your best foot forward, striking up a conversation with people, being nice and it's not to get something out of it. But sometimes because you are kind, good things will come back to you. And that's my big piece of advice and takeaway for that.
Bex Scott: [00:51:47] Yeah. Kindness definitely goes a long way. And it's, yeah, I agree 100% with what you said. Well thank you so much for chatting with me today. Everybody head over to My Vintage Is 1976 on Instagram. Give Nate a follow. You'll have a ton of fun looking through his posts, looking through what he's selling and up to, and just a lot of great education. So make sure to give him a follow. And thank you so much, Nate.
Nate Smith: [00:52:19] Thank you. It was a pleasure.
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It’s all about rare, hard-to-find, and one-of-a-kind Pyrex pieces on the show today. Bex Scott dares to wade into often-times controversial waters to discuss some of the rarest Pyrex that collectors avidly pursue. Personal feelings on what is rare and what is hard to find may vary, but these pieces are all frequently difficult to find and coveted by Pyrex lovers.
Bex focuses in-depth on eight so-called Pyrex Unicorns based on an article from WorthPoint. The article says that scarcity of Pyrex depends on “condition, popularity, whether it’s a complete set, a pattern in unusual colors and shapes, a trading stamp exclusive, or a test piece or prototype” and by those laid-out guidelines Bex talks about everything from the beloved Lucky in Love pattern to the Blue Dianthus to the Starburst Cinderella serving casserole. She shares facts about how certain test pieces came by their names and what colors are most infrequently found. She also lists some rare pieces that real collectors have found in the wild. Collectors all have favorite patterns and pieces, and definitions on rarity may vary, but all can agree that the Pyrex gems in this episode are truly unique and worthy of hunting down.
Resources discussed in this episode:
WorthPoint - “Pyrex Unicorns: 8 Elusive Patterns Collectors Pursue” by Adina FrancisShiny Happy Pyrex PeoplePyrex PassionBlue Dianthus 440 Cinderella bowl setLucky in Love patternDuchess casserole with warmerGypsy Caravan patternHex 475 casserole in turquoise with underplateAtomic Eyes chip and dipPink Stems patternStarburst Cinderella serving casserole with warmer and lid—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, we are going to talk about a topic that is a little bit scary to me. I am by no means a Pyrex expert. I'm an avid collector. I love learning about it. And today I thought I would talk a little bit about rare and hard to find Pyrex pieces. Now, this is a topic that I know has gotten a lot of people in trouble on Facebook groups while talking to other collectors and kind of voicing their opinions on whether they think something is rare or hard to find. And I myself once asked in a popular Facebook group what the difference was between something that's rare, something that's hard to find, and something that's like a one of a kind. And the post caused so much trouble that the owner of the group had to take it down. And it just goes to show that there are true definitions of what is rare, hard to find, and one of a kind and what people believe it to be.
Bex Scott: [00:01:43] And what kind of sparked this podcast episode was an article that I found on Worthpoint. So most of the information that I'm going to be talking about is based on this article. So it may or may not be true. Take it with a grain of salt. But I did learn a ton from reading it and digging through the different parts of what they talked about in this article. And it's called Pyrex Unicorns: Eight Elusive Patterns Collectors Pursue. So factors that affect rarity, this is the first part of the article that they talk about. And it says "the scarcity of Pyrex pieces depends on several factors: condition, popularity, whether it's a complete set or if it's a pattern in unusual colors and shapes, a trading stamp program exclusive, or a test piece or prototype that wasn't produced. Some patterns that were promotional pieces or didn't appear on any standard production dishes weren't given an official name. So as these pieces have been discovered, collectors have made up names for them" and they give the example of the Golden Thistle. And this is something that's really cool to me because I actually didn't know this. I know that most of the Pyrex pieces out there have names, and that they were given these names at production, but it's really interesting to read that collectors have given other pieces names over the years.
Bex Scott: [00:03:16] Other patterns, like Angelfish, that was a name that was given by collectors. So it says, according to Shiny Happy Pyrex People, a site that I'm new to after reading this article, it's actually really cool. So head over to Shiny Happy Pyrex People, she has a book that you can buy, but she also has informational blogs that you can read, and she talks about her Pyrex friends and collectors that she knows who have found these rare, one of a kind pieces. They send her pictures and then she talks a little bit about them. So if you're interested in the really cool, kind of less known about pieces, check out her site. So it says "a site that documents rare finds, this 475 angel dish was found in New York in 2022, and it's only the second known dish of its kind". It says as well that there is an alternate color of gold on white that was discovered in 2021.
Bex Scott: [00:04:21] Next up in the article, they go into the eight patterns that collectors dream about, and the first one is Lucky in Love. This is one that I'm sure all avid Pyrex collectors know of, and it says that it's elusive because it was either a test or limited production piece. And according to the article, the price for it ranges between $1,800 to $9,000. And just a reminder, this is just what I'm reading from the article, what I've learned through my research, so it may or may not be accurate. So it says "nearly everyone in the Pyrex collecting community agrees that the most elusive piece ever created is the number 473 Lucky in Love casserole dish from 1959". It has little pastel pink hearts and green clovers and was a prototype. There's also a prototype of this dish without the pink hearts as well. And several of these have sold for four figures, including over $4,000 in 2015, $5,994 in a Goodwill auction in 2017, $9,000 in 2018, and $6,700 in 2019. And it was so loved by Pyrex enthusiasts that the company reissued it in 2018 as a modern pattern on clear glass in darker colors.
Bex Scott: [00:05:51] Next up we have the Blue Dianthus piece, and this one is pretty cool because I remember not too long ago in one of the Pyrex groups that I am a part of, somebody mentioned that they found one of the blue Dianthas Cinderella bowls at their local goodwill for something like $6.99, and if in fact it was true, which I'm sure it was, that would be a once in a lifetime find and super amazing for them to have that in their collection. So the Blue Dianthus remained a mystery until 2014, when a collector acquired a boxed set from the estate of a Corning employee. I went on to the Pyrex passion site and found an article from March 19th, 2014 talking a little bit about this Blue Dianthus, and it says that it in fact was produced as a sales test piece in 1963. And they discovered this because a collector acquired numerous vintage Pyrex items from the estate of a 50 year employee of Corning. And this is all information from the Pyrex Passion website, and one of the items they purchased was the three piece 480 casserole set in the original box. The box reveals the date of production as 1963. It shows that Blue Dianthus was a sales test pattern, so this was considered a Pyrex mystery that had been solved. And if you go to the Pyrex Passion website, you can see that there is a photo courtesy of a Flickr member, and it's the box with the stamp. It says 480 of one sales test. Kind of an awesome piece of history to see.
Bex Scott: [00:07:40] So for those of you who have never seen the Blue Dianthus, it came in the Cinderella bowls 441, 42, 43, 44 and the 483 piece casserole set 473, 74 and 75. Based on the backstamp, items dated before 1974, which we know it was now produced in 1963. So for those of you who haven't seen the Blue Dianthus before, it featured a blue floral design on opal that resembled the dianthas, which is why it was given its unofficial name by collectors. And the pattern is on pieces in blue on white and then there's a reversed white pattern on blue as well.
Bex Scott: [00:08:25] Next up is the Duchess casserole set, which is hands down my unicorn Holy Grail piece. And this was a promotional piece with prices ranging from $520 to $4,326. It was produced in small numbers and was made as a hostess party gift for Stanley Home Products. The set includes a Cinderella casserole with a matching lid and a warming stand. It featured gold flowers on a pink background, and it included a Perk King coffee pot with a warming stand, a sugar and creamer set with a holder, a juice carafe, and glasses in three sizes. And so far, the only thing I have of this set is four of the juice glasses. I found them when we were in Portland, Maine for my cousin's wedding in the summer and I was so excited to find them. It was hands down a no-brainer to purchase them, but one day I will definitely need to find this Duchess casserole. Next up we have the Eyes chip and dip set. It says price range $56 to $1,476. If I found this set for $56, I think I would, I wouldn't even know what to say. $56 is crazy. So it says Eyes circa 1950 to 1959, is another pattern name made up by collectors and is also known as Atomic Eyes. It's a turquoise and white design, and it was one of the first hot and cold chip and dip sets. Some of the bowls have a Pyrex stamp, while others are unmarked. The pattern was also printed on a coffee carafe in gold and a juice pitcher with a turquoise lid, which can sell for hundreds, as can individual bowls. And this is one that I've seen pop up in collectors groups quite often. Never in the wild. I've never seen it here. It is an amazing set though.
Bex Scott: [00:10:31] Next up we have Gypsy Caravan mixing bowls and it says here the Gypsy Caravan bowls are valuable and seldom seen. There's a picture of one that a collector has. "This large mixing bowl with the fanciful horses sold in 2023 for $4,750", and this one is believed to be a prototype or promotional item, ranging from $2,500 to $4,750. And this is another example of a pattern that was given its name by collectors. It didn't appear on any standard production bowls, and it's believed to have been made between 1968 and 1971. For those of you who have never seen one, it's red on a white background with a horse and a caravan, and it can be found as a one and a half quart bowl, a 442 and a four quart bowl, a 444. So the bigger bowl's design has a horse in fancy attire, and a complete set is a holy grail for sure. It says that there's record of only one selling in 2019 for $5,010.
Bex Scott: [00:11:48] Next we have the Hex Signs casseroles, and this was made as a promotional item and was also given its name by collectors. Says prices range from $10 to $4,050. It was manufactured between 1958 and 1960, and it has alternating snowflake-like symbols with leaf circle symbols, and it can be found on a tan 404 bowl with a rack and a clear lid, and the 473 and 475 Cinderella casserole dishes in gold on white and a white 475 Cinderella casserole with the design in turquoise. The 475 casseroles had clear lids with gold and turquoise patterns that matched their corresponding design colors. Lids alone can sell for $100 or more. Particularly scarce is the 475 Cinderella casserole in white and turquoise, with a matching under plate that collectors especially seek. Huh? They don't have a picture of the under plate here, but I bet that would be a really neat set to see together.
Bex Scott: [00:12:57] Next up we have the Pink Stems casserole. Little is known about Pink Stems, and it says that the one that they have pictured in this article sold in 2023 for $2,399. It's elusive because it was a promotional item, and according to the article, prices range from $300 to $2,399. It was released in 1962 and including whether it has an official name, collectors gave it this moniker. This pattern of white, leafy stems on a pink background has only ever been found on an oval 043 with a large, clear glass lid and cradle. Next up we have the Starburst Cinderella serving casserole. This is one that I've seen a lot of arguments break out over on Facebook as well, because there are collectors who have 6 or 7 of these, and there are the people who that seems to aggravate because they don't have any. But I think it's awesome if you can afford to buy 6 or 7 of them, and this is your jam, and you want to collect the Starburst Cinderella all day long, I say go for it. Because if I could, I definitely would as well. This one was a promotional item and it says prices range from $275 to $4,000. And you know where I am in Alberta these ones sell for around $1,200 Canadian. And that's without the stand. So better known by its unofficial name Starburst or Atomic Starburst, Pyrex released the Cinderella serving casserole in 1960 and produced it for only a year. It has become one of the most wanted Pyrex patterns. It's the iconic mid-century 575 two quart space saver casserole, and it originally came with a cradle, double candle holder and clear glass lid. And it came in three colors, black, cream and tan, and turquoise. And I can't decide which one I prefer. I think it's probably going to be the black. Each was decorated with an atomic gold starburst. The rarest color of the three is the cream, as only a few are known to exist, but collectors most prized the classic turquoise. That wraps up the Worthpoint portion of the article, where they went through the eight rare dishes that they thought were coveted by collectors.
Bex Scott: [00:15:41] Next, I thought I would go quickly through a fun section on the Shiny Happy Pyrex People site where they talk about the rare finds in the wild as of December 3rd, 2022. So it's a little bit outdated, but it's pretty fun to see what people have been finding. It says "the good news for all of us is that rares and hard to finds are still being found in unknowing thrift stores and antique stores for great prices, and there are still new Pyrex shapes, sizes and patterns being discovered". The first one is the Green Foulard, found in August 2022. Next up there is a Brittany Yellow quiche dish. I think I prefer this one over the Brittany Blue dish found in August 2022 as well. This one's pretty cool: Pink Grapes 441. I've never been a huge fan of the Grapes dishes, but I think if I had the pink set, I would definitely display that one. Next up is a 404 Woodland found in October of 2022 in the UK. A prototype Red Heinz hostess-like dish found in October 2022 as well. This one's really cool because it does look like the Green Heinz dish, but it has the red color and shape of the hostess dish with the hostess looking lid. Next up is the Clouds space saver, found in October of 2022. This one always reminds me of what you might see on the wall in a baby's room. It's like baby blue with little clouds and stars.
Bex Scott: [00:17:28] 441 Bright Stripes found in November of 2022. A Zodiac chop plate. Super cool. It has little zodiac signs with the starburst in the middle, found November 2022. The 475 Angelfish found in New York. As I mentioned before, this is the second one known and a third alternate gold on white was found as well in 2021. This one I really like. It's a really nice light blue color with the Angelfish and a ton of detail on it. And to finish off, the last one is an 043 Pink Tulip, and it looks like it's actually gold tulips on the pink background. And this one was found in November of 2022.
Bex Scott: [00:18:20] So I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode talking about the rare, hard to find, and one of a kind Pyrex pieces. I know this can be a bit of a difficult subject, depending on people's opinions and what information is still being found out there by collectors today, but I hope that you enjoy your hunt. I know I'll always be on the lookout for maybe one day being able to find one of these one of a kind pieces out in the wild. And I'll keep adding to my collection. And I'd love to know if any of you have any of these pieces in yours. Feel free to find me on Instagram at Pyrex with Bex. Thanks, everybody!
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It’s all about Merry Mushrooms with Bex Scott in this episode. Bex takes us down memory lane into her childhood to explore where her fondest memories of Merry Mushrooms pieces come from and where those pieces are today. She gives us a little history lesson on Merry Mushroom sets, too.
Links to childhood and family are always the most poignant in Bex’s vintage housewares journey and the Merry Mushrooms pieces are no exception. Bex shares memories of her great granny’s collection and what she remembers from summers in Drumheller, but she also shares what a fellow collector told her about his reasons for wanting a complete Merry Mushroom set. Everybody has different attachments to different pieces, which inspired Bex to research the Merry Mushroom history. She explains what she learned about the various companies and styles involved in creating Merry Mushroom sets.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Norcrest bluebirdsArnels Merry Mushroom spoon, fork, ladle wall hangingsSears Roebuck Merry Mushroom setLaurentian Pottery (Canadian) Merry Mushroom bird feederArnels Merry Mushroom canister—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott, and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, we're talking about mushrooms and not the food type, but the ceramic type. Think vintage mushroom canisters, coffee mugs, teapots and more. Stay tuned so you don't miss it. If you're a collector or a vintage lover, you likely keep an eye out for the brown, orange, and green mushrooms that decorate the cream canisters of a Merry Mushroom set. This set was super popular in the 1970s and still today. Now, I understand that these pieces aren't for everyone. I've had people tell me that they think they're extremely ugly, and others with mushroom or mushy obsessions drool over them. I would say that I'm somewhere in the middle, but I'm definitely one of the collectors that looks in Value Village, Goodwill, any thrift store for anything remotely mushroom themed. So it definitely is something that I thought would be fun to talk about. I decided to dedicate this episode to mushroom canisters after I had decided to resell part of a collection I bought on Marketplace.
Bex Scott: [00:01:40] I listed the salt and pepper shakers of the Canadian Sears collection and a man messaged me. Now the salt and pepper shakers had a ton of interest on Marketplace, but as Marketplace goes, I had equally as many people interested as those who ghosted me. Which is super frustrating when you know you've priced something really well and you just can't have somebody or get anybody to commit to coming to pick something up. But I think it was meant to be this way because this man messaged me, and I'm always interested in why people want to buy certain vintage items and he offered up his story right away. He mentioned that his mother had passed away two days earlier, and he'd been trying to piece together a full set like the one that she'd had when they were growing up, and each of her children would receive a piece of the Merry Mushroom set that he was looking for so that they could look at them and remember her. And I honestly couldn't think of a better reason to purchase these salt and pepper shakers. And I was excited that I could keep her memory alive for him and his siblings. And after we got talking a little bit, I mentioned to him that I had all these other pieces of the set and he was super excited because he was looking for the complete one. So this is one of the moments as a reseller and a collector that really, truly makes me happy to be able to help pass on these memories of people's family members and the special times that they had growing up.
Bex Scott: [00:03:21] And after he messaged me, it got me thinking about my own set of vintage Merry Mushroom canisters. And the Canadian series Merry Mushroom set holds a special place in my heart. While they're not my favorite item to collect, I would never part with a single piece. So my great uncle sadly passed away this summer, and I was lucky enough to inherit the pieces of his mom's, my great granny's, collection. And I was very young when my great granny passed away, but my great uncle remained living in her home in a small town in Alberta, just outside of Drumheller, and he kept it exactly as she had it when she was alive. And we used to, as kids, go down to Drumheller every single summer, and my grandparents have a house down the street from my uncle, or where my great granny used to live when she was alive, and we would go to his house and play in the yard with my cousins, and it just holds a super special place in my heart. And I remember her Norcrest bluebirds that covered her dresser top. And I've been lucky enough to inherit a few of them as well. And I just remember how beautiful and blue they were. This is when I was little, so even before I knew what all these items would mean to me in the future as a vintage collector. She also had this rainbow kitchen clock that now hangs on the wall in my office, and one of my absolute favorite memories was her kitchen table. It was always covered in a cheery patterned vinyl tablecloth, and instead of throwing out the old one, she would staple a new one on top. And you could see years and years of memories just by peeking under the table and looking at the different pieces of vinyl that had been used.
Bex Scott: [00:05:13] So my granny told me that when my great granny was given the canisters, she was ecstatic because it reminded her of her mushroom picking days when she was younger. Her kitchen was painted a pale yellow. It was a really pretty color, and she loved the way that the colors of the canisters complemented the paint on her walls. She thought they were so beautiful that she didn't use any of them in case they broke. And because of this, each of my pieces is in near perfect condition. She was like this with most of her items in her home, which made it an amazing time capsule. And this past summer, after my uncle passed away, my family went to his home and we were looking through some of the items that my great granny had, and all of these memories were rushing back. And I had always loved these canisters and I feel so honored that I have them. So in my collection from her home, I have the cream and sugar, the teapot, six mugs, five canisters, the salt and pepper shakers, and a bird feeder.
Bex Scott: [00:06:29] And the bird feeder has to be my favorite piece out of all of them. It has a little hole on the top for a chain to hang it, and two openings on either side of the mushroom shape where the bird seed would be filled and the birds could sit. And I noticed that the American version of the Merry Mushroom also has the bird feeder, and it has a little gold chain that it hangs from, and I haven't been able to find photos of the Canadian version, but I'm assuming that it would be a gold chain on this one as well. And I also have the Arnels 1973 spoon, fork and serving spoon wall hangings, which are really fun. And I remember these hanging above my great granny's kitchen table in her house and I remember as a kid thinking they're super neat because the spoons and fork were so massive, and it just, it was always a memory in my mind. And to have them now is really cool to be able to look at them, and my kids can look at them as well. So these pieces are all in my office, displayed proudly, where everyone that has a Zoom call with me can see them. I have all of the mugs, the teapot, the salt and pepper shakers, everything, all the canisters lining my Ikea bookshelves above my head on these calls, and then the spoons and fork hanging over my shoulder.
Bex Scott: [00:07:55] So they're the perfect conversation starter, with some people thinking that they're very out there, while others instantly dive into stories of their family members having them. And I remember being on one call with a potential client, and I turned on my Zoom and she looked behind me and she said, are those mushroom canisters? And I was so excited that she noticed what they were. And she immediately started telling me about how her mom had the same canisters, which made me super happy. So I'm admittedly a newbie when it comes to these canisters. And when I first got them, I foolishly thought that they were all made by Arnels, and I started doing some research and quickly discovered that I was very wrong. So I thought I would share a little bit about what I learned, in case it might be helpful for other newbies out there. Or maybe you have this from your family's collection that's been passed down to you, and you've been wondering what you have, which collection it comes from.
Bex Scott: [00:08:58] So first off, I discovered that there is the Sears Roebuck American version, and it included over 250 pieces and ran for 17 years. That is a ton of time and even more pieces. Which makes sense, because looking back through some of the old advertisements from Sears catalogs, I can't believe how many different items there are. There's pretty much everything. You've got canisters, napkin holders, coffee mugs, you name it. So to be on a team that had designed all of those items, I feel like that would be really cool. So not all of them included a maker's mark on the bottom, and many people think that they would. Some had stickers that said Japan and looking through photos some of them said Sears, Roebuck and Co. with the date, like 1976 and made in Japan, stamped in ink on the bottom. And this version had mushrooms on the front and mushrooms on the back, while the Canadian Sears canisters only had mushrooms on one side. I thought that was pretty interesting because first, I didn't know there was an American version and a Canadian version, and I assumed that they would all have only one side of mushrooms. But the American version, if you look it up, there is a little grouping of mushrooms on the back as well. Next up we have the Simpsons-Sears Canadian version, and these ones were made by Laurentian Pottery. And if you look on the bottom of them, you can see the mark on all of their pieces. And these are the ones that I have. And the biggest difference between the Canadian and American versions is the paint job. I didn't believe it at first, but when you put them side by side, it is very clear. In my opinion, the Canadian version looks kind of sloppy, hate to say it, while the American version almost looks more professional and thought out. So if you take them side by side or google them, you'll see that the brush strokes look different. The American ones just look more polished with more detail. But that's not to say that the Canadian ones aren't beautiful. The canisters from the Canadian version. They also seem to have a bit of a longer shape. And the lids are different. So the Canadian lids, they're thicker and they have a bit more detail and a bit more of an underside to the cap of the mushroom.
Bex Scott: [00:11:41] So next up is Arnels. And this is the company that I thought produced all of the merry mushroom canisters. Arnels started in 1953, in Beaverton, Oregon, and made ceramic molds and finished wares. So these canisters were part of a paint your own ceramic set. And because of this, they can look extremely different than the Sears Merry Mushroom pieces. And I've seen some of these canisters that people have painted that are beautiful. You would have no idea. I definitely wouldn't be able to do something like this. I've tried going to those paint your own ceramics and pottery places for birthdays and just for fun. And the stuff that I come out of there with is definitely not something I'd be putting on my own shelf. So one way to tell if you have a Sears set or an Arnels, outside of it having an Arnels maker's mark on the bottom, is that Sears has one little mushroom on the lid, and Arnels has a cluster of three. But keep in mind that Merry Mushroom molds have also been used as paint your own molds over the years, and some of those ones can also have one mushroom on the lid too, so it makes it a little bit difficult to determine if you have an authentic Sears piece that was produced by Sears and painted by them, or if you have more of a maker's piece. So my recommendation would be to use the gradient on the lid, the glaze, and just the distinct colors that they use to determine the authenticity of the canisters that you have.
Bex Scott: [00:13:24] There may be other companies that I haven't highlighted above, but the three that I have talked about were the ones that I thought were the most important. I love that mushrooms have remained popular to this day, and there are certainly coordinating mushroom pieces around every corner. I love going to the thrift stores and looking for any vintage mushroom item I can find. Some of them make it into my collection, but most of them I enjoy finding new homes for. Whether that's somebody on Marketplace or friends that are collectors that have been looking for certain pieces, it's just a really fun part of being a reseller and a collector. So if you have a Merry Mushroom collection or a story about a piece that was passed down to you, I would love to hear about it. Find me on Instagram at Pyrex with Bex, give me a follow, and let's chat.
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Host Bex Scott invites the husband of a Pyrex collector, or hoarder, onto the show to tell what it’s like to be the partner of a collector. To protect his identity, since his wife doesn’t know he’s on the podcast, he is called Rex. This is his uncensored view of Pyrex collecting from the support side.
Protected by anonymity, Bex gets Rex’s unguarded opinions on all things Pyrex. He shares that they recently had to move house due to his wife’s collecting “vintage knickknacky whatnots and doohickeys”. He answers every question you want to be answered: what his favorite pattern is, what Pyrex dish he exploded, how often he is dragged to thrift stores, why his wife is like the United Colors of Benetton, and what his most hated pattern is. This is an amazing look behind the veil of a Pyrex home from the perspective of the non-collecting partner.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Corning Museum of Glass Pyrex Pattern Library—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex With Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott, and you're listening to the Pyrex With Bex podcast. Today's episode is one that you don't want to miss because I am interviewing the husband of a Pyrex collector, so stay tuned to learn all about his side of the Pyrex addiction.
Bex Scott: [00:00:49] Hey everybody, welcome back for another episode of the Pyrex With Bex podcast. I am super excited for you guys to listen to this one today, because I have a special guest that I know you'll all love. He is the husband of a Pyrex collector or hoarder, if you will, and he's here secretly so his wife doesn't know that he's doing this podcast. So to keep his anonymity, we are going to give him an alias. And today he's going to be known as Rex. So I'd like to welcome Rex to the show today. He's going to give you a little bit of insight into his world, having a wife that is a Pyrex hoarder, a vintage lover. And I know that behind every collector and Pyrex obsessed collector and vintage lover, there is a spouse, a partner, somebody who is in the background having to put up with everything that we put them through on a daily basis. So welcome, Rex.
Rex: [00:01:52] Thanks for having me. I wish you had one of those voice synthesizers that make it even better.
Bex Scott: [00:01:58] Turn you into T-Pain on the Pyrex podcast.
Rex: [00:02:02] That'd be sweet.
Bex Scott: [00:02:03] So thanks so much for being here today, and I hope your wife isn't too mad that we're doing this if she ever finds out. But I wanted to get your take on what your life is like living with a Pyrex collector.
Rex: [00:02:17] Well, simply put, we have lots and lots of stuff in the house. We have a storage room that is dedicated to all of her stuff. We have boxes full of all sorts of different Pyrex and vintage knickknacksy whatnots and doohickeys and thingamajigs. So we are, we are surrounded from every direction.
Bex Scott: [00:02:46] That sounds like a dream for me.
Rex: [00:02:50] I thought you might say that.
Bex Scott: [00:02:53] And how would you say her collecting and hoarding has impacted your life?
Rex: [00:02:59] Well, recently we had to move, recently, and I will say here as Rex that it was because we ran out of space for Pyrex and our children. But, uh, it's very interesting to say the least. And being an older guy, it's funny how some of the things that she has found or digs up out of the archives of the 10 billion boxes that we have in the house, take me back to moments in my childhood, whether it be from my grandparents or my parents when I was a kid remembering different kinds of balls and knickknacks and whatnots that we used to have around the house.
Bex Scott: [00:03:41] Nice. So from the standpoint of it bringing back great memories of family and things that you've had from your childhood, it sounds like a positive thing, but maybe not on the side of running out of space in your home, having to potentially relocate because of her addiction.
Rex: [00:04:01] Yeah, that part's good. I mean, we got to the point where we had a spare bedroom in the basement of our old house that had to be converted into a Pyrex knickknack warehouse. We had to put up shelving and and all sorts of tables and shipping labels and bubble wrap and those foamy popcorn thingamajigs that get everywhere. So, yeah, it was, uh, anybody who wanted to sleep over is on the couch or on the floor.
Bex Scott: [00:04:35] Displaced by old bowls.
Rex: [00:04:38] Yeah. How odd does that sound?
Bex Scott: [00:04:41] Well, you sound like a very caring and understanding husband for building all these shelves and dedicating a whole room in your house just for her. So I think she's a pretty lucky lady.
Rex: [00:04:54] The things we do for love, you know.
Bex Scott: [00:04:57] And how long has your wife been collecting for?
Rex: [00:05:00] I think it's about four years now. Four long years. But yeah, but four years.
Bex Scott: [00:05:09] Four of the longest years of your life, would you say?
Rex: [00:05:11] Most definitely.
Bex Scott: [00:05:14] And when she started collecting, did you know about Pyrex and what it was, or what were your kind of initial thoughts and your headspace around Pyrex?
Rex: [00:05:27] Well, my initial thoughts or concerns was that my wife had been possessed by a very old geriatric woman in that she had this massive obsession with matching bowls and relic knickknacks and stuff. Sorry. What was the other part of your question?
Bex Scott: [00:05:48] And did you know what Pyrex was when she started collecting?
Rex: [00:05:54] I, yeah, I knew the name. I knew it was used for like cooking and stuff because we had some clear Pyrex that we used for casseroles or whatever. So I was familiar with the name, but I had no clue that there were so many patterns and colors and shapes and all that. Like, I was flabbergasted, honestly, at how much variety there was. I don't know if it's still like that, but, uh, definitely in the old days, it was certainly a thing.
Bex Scott: [00:06:28] Yeah. Pyrex has gotten, I think, a lot more boring lately with the modern types that they're making. They definitely don't make it like they used to with the nice milk glass and the different patterns and colors. It's all very... There's Disney and they've remade some of the vintage pieces into the more modern take, the glass, clear glass bottoms with the plastic lids and it's to me not as exciting, but I guess it is a way for the company to carry on and keep making money. And it has a place in some people's homes, so that's a good thing.
Rex: [00:07:07] Yeah, I'm not familiar with the modern stuff. I'm only familiar with the stuff that's as old as me.
Bex Scott: [00:07:12] That's good.
Rex: [00:07:13] Or older.
Bex Scott: [00:07:14] That's how it should be. So in your household, who does most of the cooking?
Rex: [00:07:23] Uh, that's all on my shoulders. Yeah, I do all the cooking and predominantly all the baking and stuff, too, in the house.
Bex Scott: [00:07:31] Very nice. You have a very lucky wife then.
Rex: [00:07:33] You got that right.
Bex Scott: [00:07:37] And when you cook and you bake, do you use the Pyrex that she collects? Are you allowed to use it?
Rex: [00:07:44] Well, that's a, that could be a bit of a delicate subject, but short answer, yes. And you know, I'll admit that despite my smarty pants remarks about everything, I have a signature chocolate cake that I make that's gluten free and can be lactose free and, um, I always use the standard kind of tin cake pans, and they always would stick, no matter how many gallons of Pam you dump in it, it would still stick. And parchment paper just made them look weird. And, uh, she suggested trying this one pink and one weird lime looking colored round Pyrex dishes from 1876 and gave it a little spurt of Pam. And the cakes just came out perfect, and they came right off the bottom. There was like, almost no residue left. I was thoroughly, thoroughly blown away with how how well they performed. So I was a convert there for sure. In terms of casseroles and stuff, I sometimes will use them like for shepherd's pie. It works really well, especially for keeping the heat in after. The delicate subject was, she had this one bowl that she was very proud that she acquired, which was, well you people will know what it is, this Big Bertha, I'm not sure what the print was. It was yellow with some white flowery things on it or something. Anyway, I was, uh, making a roast in it, and I'd like to say for the record that I had zero direction on Pyrex.
Bex Scott: [00:09:25] Sure, sure. Blame it on the wife.
Rex: [00:09:27] Well, it's true story. So, um, there are no, uh, 1950s directions with this thing. So, anyway, I, uh, mistakenly had put the Pyrex dish on the stove.
Bex Scott: [00:09:41] Oh, no.
Rex: [00:09:42] With the roast in it that I had, uh, seared and had turned it on. And then I had a jus that I'd made that I was pouring in. And for those of you who know what you're not supposed to do, it quite literally exploded.
Bex Scott: [00:10:00] Oh, no.
Rex: [00:10:02] Yeah, that was one of my prouder Pyrex moments in my life.
Bex Scott: [00:10:07] How long were you in the doghouse for that one?
Rex: [00:10:11] Oh, I didn't hear the end of it for a good three months. Yeah. And it still was brought up to this day. So it's going to be one of those things that's kind of like, uh, a cold sore. You just, you never get rid of it.
Bex Scott: [00:10:22] And did you finally replace the Bertha for her?
Rex: [00:10:26] Uh, well she did. I'm hopeless at finding this stuff, but she managed to find a replacement and then forbade me from touching it ever again.
Bex Scott: [00:10:34] That's a pretty scary story. And hopefully you have proof of this to show people down the road.
Rex: [00:10:41] Well, I did take a picture of the aftermath, but I was trying to be all, you know, uh, Gordon Ramsay style and show off my cooking abilities. So I'm sad to say, for my own sake, that I actually videotaped the, uh, the event as I was pouring in the jus you can see the whole thing just explode.
Bex Scott: [00:11:03] That's amazing. I think you're gonna have to share that video with me.
Rex: [00:11:08] For the right price. Sure. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:11:12] Oh, your poor wife. It's hard to find those Berthas. They're expensive, and they don't come around very often.
Rex: [00:11:20] Yeah, there's one less Bertha in the world now.
Bex Scott: [00:11:23] That's okay. You make up for it by doing all the cooking for her. So you're redeemed.
Rex: [00:11:28] Perfect. Can you let her know? That'd be great.
Bex Scott: [00:11:30] I'll try. I'll put a memo in. And does your wife collect one particular color or pattern, or does she tend to hoard them all, like some of us do?
Rex: [00:11:43] We should really refer to her as the United Colors of Benetton. She doesn't discriminate. She loves all patterns and shapes and bowls equally, as can be witnessed by the copious boxes we have on the shelves in the basement.
Bex Scott: [00:12:00] Very nice. That sounds like a great collector. A little bit of everything.
Rex: [00:12:06] Uh, sure. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:12:08] You're not convinced, though?
Rex: [00:12:11] I plead the fifth.
Bex Scott: [00:12:13] And of all of the patterns that she has, do you have a favorite pattern?
Rex: [00:12:19] Yeah. Once I started to warm up to the whole thing, I started to turn, I too became, you know, I was, what's the word?
Bex Scott: [00:12:30] You saw the light?
Rex: [00:12:32] Possessed. No, no, no, it's like the demon possessing me. Pyrex demon. And she has a lot of the Homestead it's called, pattern in the blue. I like the look of it. It was cool. And when I saw it all together, like, laid out, I was kind of impressed with all the different sizes and shapes. And I ended up gravitating to using them for serving because it, yeah, you know what? It makes the table look nice instead of the way I used to do it, which is just like, you know, dinner plates with different piles of food on it. Um, presentation wise, it was great. So that when we had, like, our parents over or whatever, then it just made for a nice spread. So that was a pattern that I originally liked. But then, and I will admit this, I am very fond of the black snowflake pattern. I really, really, really like that.
Bex Scott: [00:13:28] So that is a great one.
Rex: [00:13:29] That has given her all the green light that she wanted in her life to go out and go forth and seek out and find all the black snowflake. And we have a fairly good, we're only missing, I think, a couple of the entire collection and have some doubles, but they are, they look really nice and uh, of course function great. So that's my favorite. There's a few others that are cool, like the one-offs that have the gold foil. Those look pretty neat. But the black snowflake is kind of my favorite serving dish that I like to use.
Bex Scott: [00:14:01] So I have to agree with you that the black snowflake is an awesome pattern. But have you seen the English Pyrex? The JAJ Pyrex version? That's the white with the black snowflake.
Rex: [00:14:15] Yes. As part of my, uh, Pyrex indoctrination by my wife, I have learned about there being an alternate Pyrex universe across the pond, and, uh, she showed me how they have a snowflake one, but it's sort of like the inverse, I guess, of what is here. One of my grievances that I can't voice because they stopped making them back before I was born, was that they didn't seem to have a butter dish or a gravy boat that matched the black snowflake that we have now, to kind of compliment like a turkey dinner or whatever. And, um, yeah, she showed me that there's these butter dishes and gravy boats over in the UK that are the sort of inverted snowflake version of what we have, which I would really love to get. They look super nice, even though they are kind of the flip side color pattern. It's crazy though, like you can get the dish for 10 or 15 bucks, but then it's like $30 shipping or something ridiculous or, so I mean, as much as I'd like to have those, it seems a bit excessive to pay that much money, so hold out for when we have a friend going back to England or something. See if they can't fill a suitcase full of--
Bex Scott: [00:15:36] -- that would be great--
Rex: [00:15:37] -- Pyrex to bring back.
Bex Scott: [00:15:38] Yeah, yeah. It's funny how there's the JAJ in the UK and then they have Aggie Pyrex as well, which I believe is from Australia, and they're beautiful dishes. And like you said, there's a whole other universe of these dishes out there, but it is quite expensive with shipping and you don't find them here as often as you would just because they're made over there. And we have the US and the Canadian Pyrex here. So it's always fun to look online and see what you could purchase from Etsy or Poshmark or eBay, but that shipping really kills you. So not as fun on that side of things. So you've talked about Homestead, the black snowflake, is there a pattern that you really dislike that your wife has either bought, brought home, and forced you to look at or you just know exists? And you, she may not have any of it, but you just really despise.
Rex: [00:16:41] Well, we do have the, uh, Space Traveler's Guide to Pyrex book that she that bought shows all the different patterns and whatnot, which again blew my mind as to how many different things have been produced. But of all the ones I - and if anybody takes offense to this, I'm sorry, but you know, with therapy and counseling, you'll get past it - the Verdey or Verde, that green one with the weird sort of like round, smudgy fingerprint flower thingies on the lid, like...
Bex Scott: [00:17:12] That's a beautiful description.
Rex: [00:17:15] It's just so ugly. I just, it's a color I just can't get past. And she has a bunch of it, which, you know, it'd be a shame, but, you know, a box may fall on the concrete floor one day.
Bex Scott: [00:17:28] Uh oh. The Pyrex graveyard with the Bertha that you destroyed.
Rex: [00:17:33] Yeah. But, you know, in fairness, she's broken her fair share of dishes, too. So. And not from cooking, just from, you know, hacky sack, the bowl, or butterfingers or...
Bex Scott: [00:17:46] I can understand that. I've broken a ton of them myself. So the graveyard is getting bigger and bigger every day.
Rex: [00:17:54] Well, if you could, uh, you know, impart some skills and ideas on how she could improve our graveyard here, that'd be amazing, because then we'd have so much more space.
Bex Scott: [00:18:04] Well, there are people who make jewelry out of the broken Pyrex so you could scoop up--
Rex: [00:18:09] So I'll grab my sledgehammer and just give her.
Bex Scott: [00:18:13] Yeah and then send it away and have some jewelry made for her. There, I have solved all of the problems.
Rex: [00:18:18] I'm sure she would just be so happy with that.
Bex Scott: [00:18:21] I bet she would. So is it just Pyrex that your wife collects and hoards, or is it various other vintage items as well?
Rex: [00:18:31] Well, in staying true to the theme of Benetton, she doesn't discriminate with just only collecting Pyrex. She collects anything and everything that's old and dusty and musty and is, in quotes, vintage. So we have, oh my gosh, we have glasses and mugs and shirts and magazine holders and ashtrays. What else? There's just Christmas lights, old Christmas lights, old Christmas ornaments, you name it. We're, yeah, we're like a vintage thrift store.
Bex Scott: [00:19:10] That sounds amazing.
Rex: [00:19:12] I figured you might say that.
Bex Scott: [00:19:13] And is this all in your basement, or is it kind of decorating your house, or do you live in a very vintage-y, musty, dusty house as you describe these items?
Rex: [00:19:29] Well, most of it is contained within the room, but it does seem to find ways to sneak out at night and place itself on various countertops, couches, floors. Yeah. Railings? Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:19:46] Like vintage booby traps?
Rex: [00:19:49] Exactly. It's like, you know, like the movie Gremlins. Like, they just seem to multiply and they're everywhere. That's dating myself. But yes, if anybody's familiar with the movie Gremlins, that's what it's like. Somebody spilling water and there's little vintage gremlins everywhere.
Bex Scott: [00:20:04] And does she keep all of the vintage items or is she a reseller?
Rex: [00:20:10] She is a reseller. She needed a bit of a push to get going on the reselling because she was just more focused on the hoarding part. And then when the kids were having to sleep with Pyrex bowls and vintage shirts, we realized that, you know, she needs to start, uh, parting ways with some things. So. So she's gone into, um, listing the bowls and other vintage knickknacks that she doesn't like as much as her coveted - what the heck is it called? The pink and the turquoise Pyrex? Like, that's her, those are her babies as well as the, uh, primary color ones. But other ones she, like I can tell you one thing. Those Verde ones are not moving fast enough, but, she--
Rex: [00:21:05] They're haunting you.
Bex Scott: [00:21:05] -- no she does sell it. They do. I have, I'm in therapy right now for it because I've had to talk about it. So now when she goes, finds things, it's not necessarily stuff that she wants, which is what she used to do. It's more kind of like things that she thinks other people might appreciate.
Bex Scott: [00:21:24] That sounds like the right way to do it for reselling. It's tricky when you tend to buy things that only you like, and then you try to move them, and nobody wants to buy them because it's your taste instead of kind of predicting what the market out there wants. So that's a very savvy way of reselling. And how did she find all of her items?
Rex: [00:21:49] For the most part she frequents the, you know, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Vallue Village up here in Canada for anybody's from the States, just another sort of, uh, thrift store. There are sometimes these one-off ones that she comes across in different towns and cities that she'll go in and see, but that's probably the main way. She's, uh, also got big into watching estate sales and, uh, online auctions because it seems that there's a lot of old stuff that gets sold in those things, just mostly because there's only a a small group of you crazy folk who want that stuff. So a lot of people, that's why I find it kind of surprising, honestly, like she found a snowflake dish, black snowflake dish the other day. Like, was it a couple of weeks ago, maybe, in one of the stores and I was blown away that she found it, because I just find it surprising that - maybe it's just because it's the pattern I like - but that people would just donate it and not even look to see if it's worth anything. But I guess if you're, you know, sadly, clearing out a loved one, like grandparent's, house or something you don't want to be belaboring your grief by going through all their stuff like that. But anyway, so it's nice that people will donate that stuff so that other people can enjoy it.
Bex Scott: [00:23:15] Yeah. The estate sales are, they're definitely fun. It is sad to think that somebody may have passed and these are their belongings that are being sold. But the way I see it is I'm collecting them to kind of help keep that memory going. And all the Pyrex dishes that I keep, I love each of them, and... It really does sound like they're my children. Jeeze, maybe I am a crazy person. On that note...
Rex: [00:23:48] I'll plead the fifth again.
Bex Scott: [00:23:52] Has she ever taken you to the thrift stores when she's gone?
Rex: [00:23:57] Oh, my God, all the time. Yeah. No, it's, uh, it's become a mainstay of our routine. Buy food for the family, go to the thrift store, get gas for the car, go to the thrift store. Go to the thrift store. Go to the thrift store. Take the kids to swimming, go to the thrift store. Yeah. So we, uh, go frequently, but it's, you know, I've been somewhat infected by it. It is pretty fun. Uh, sometimes, like I will, you know, with shame admit there is one time we were at, I'm really quite enamored with the carnival glass stuff that looks, I like the look of it, it's really quite cool.
Bex Scott: [00:24:38] Yeah. It's pretty.
Rex: [00:24:38] And we were at a Vallue Village one day, and I was looking down the aisles and I got all giddy like a school girl when I found this gigantic carnival glass punchbowl with 14 carnival glass, like it was all intact except for the spoon, I guess. The serving spoon or ladle. It was beautiful. And, uh, I was quite excited about that. So I showed it to her, and I think she was quite happy that I was all excited about it.
Bex Scott: [00:25:12] That's a great score.
Rex: [00:25:13] It was a smoking good deal. It was, I think it was like $14 or something or $12 for this entire thing. So.
Bex Scott: [00:25:21] That's awesome.
Rex: [00:25:22] I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but, uh, maybe this coming summer, next summer we'll bust it out.
Bex Scott: [00:25:28] Very cool. And has there been anything weird or strange that you've come across? What's your best Value Village or thrift store experience?
Rex: [00:25:42] Oh my gosh, there's so many. There is so much weird stuff there that I'm surprised that they can even sell it. More to do with clothing, but, uh, I don't know. Sometimes you see stuff in there that you're questioning why they're even trying to sell it, because the condition of it is just so bad. Like there's those cornflower metal, I don't know what those are called, those big metal cooking like, I guess, a crock pot in a way, maybe?
Bex Scott: [00:26:14] Oh, yeah. Like the roasting pans?
Rex: [00:26:16] There was one, yeah, exactly. And there was one that I saw and it was just chipped to death like it'd be horrible to cook with. And I was a bit surprised to see something in that poor condition on the shelf. Especially, it was quite expensive too, it wasn't all that cheap. It was like 25 or $30. And I was just kind of like, that seems like a lot of money for something that's so used and abused. One thing I've found in all the multitude of stores that we've been to, there are definitely some that just, you know, they put a price tag on it and they just sell it for whatever seems reasonable to them. And there's others that seem to be more savvy with the value of the Pyrex world or the cornflower world or all this vintage stuff. And I've learned through my wife, like some of these prices are, they're just kind of ridiculous, especially from a resale standpoint. But even from a non-resale standpoint, like they're just, some places are just kind of a little out to lunch or maybe, I don't want to, I feel bad calling a thrift store greedy, but for the sake that they're doing stuff for good, but it's like if you really want to move the items, you have to be, you know, somewhat reasonable with your pricing. So it's just been funny to kind of see the disparity between different locations because obviously some people that work there are dialed in and others aren't. And so yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:27:44] Yeah, and I think a lot of them have gotten savvy to people coming in that are collectors and resellers, and they Google the items that people have donated to find out the prices and they jack them up. Even when I've gone, I've found certain shelves that you can tell the staff have been hiding items on behind things. So I've found PlayStation games and Pyrex dishes in totally the wrong aisle. But it's likely because somebody works there that knows somebody who would want it and they hide it for them. So I've gone back 3 or 4 nights in a row, and it's always in that one spot that they're hiding something, and the price is really low so that this person gets a good deal. So it works out well for me. But there's definitely some shady stuff that goes on.
Rex: [00:28:35] Yeah, it's good when you've cracked the code, hey?
Bex Scott: [00:28:38] Well, so in closing, Rex, what would you say? As words of encouragement for anyone living with a Pyrex hoarder that may have a partner that's one, a friend, a family member, that they have to endure on a daily basis.
Rex: [00:28:56] Well. Be strong, for one. You have to be understanding and considerate. But, you know, let's be honest here, this is a golden key for you to do your own thing and have your own obsession or your own thing, and they can't say anything about it. So in my case, I have a big car hobby fetish and yeah, so it's like a get out of jail free card. I can do it all I want. And she doesn't have any recourse because of, well, look at our storage room. So my words of encouragement are if you are wanting to have some sort of a vice or hobby or addiction of your own, and you have a Pyrex hoarder in your life, now is the time.
Bex Scott: [00:29:48] That is spoken like a true survivor of a Pyrex hoarder.
Bex Scott: [00:29:57] Well, thank you so much, Rex, for being on my podcast. I'm sure it was very enlightening for my listeners and myself even, to hear about the other side of the Pyrex collector world.
Rex: [00:30:10] Well, my darling wife, it was my absolute pleasure and pure joy to be on your show today, to share my side of my life with you. And it's amazing and interesting and definitely never dull. So. But I have to go, dinner's almost ready, so don't be late. Love you.
Bex Scott: [00:30:29] Well, thank you for supporting me through my addiction. And I'll help you through your car addiction as well. And I will see you in the kitchen. Love you.
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Host Bex Scott shares delightful Pyrex holiday recipes from the vintage 1953 cookbook, Pyrex Prize Recipes. A pie crust recipe straight from the book is also included, along with a variety of recipes and tips that Bex challenges listeners to try at home this holiday season.
Corning Glass Works published the Pyrex Prize Recipes book in 1953 and it only cost $2.50 when it was released. Times have certainly changed! But have the recipes? Bex first shares the different types of Pyrex dishes and what appliances they can be used on. She then divulges tips for taking care of and cleaning Pyrex, hoping to help everyone keep their Pyrex new-looking. Finally, the recipes. From hot chocolate to apple pie to mince pie, follow along with Bex and try these recipes at home over Christmas.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Pyrex Prize Recipes bookAnna’s Apple Pie (with cheese apples) photo--
Pie Crust Recipe
TWO-CRUST INGREDIENTS
For PYREX 7½-inch Pie Plate #208
1½ cups sifted flour¾ teaspoon salt½ cup shortening4 to 5 tablespoons waterFor PYREX 8½-inch Pie Plates #209, #228, #909
2 cups sifted flour1 teaspoon salt⅔ cup shortening5 to 6 tablespoons waterFor Pyrex 9½-inch Pie Plates #210, #229
2½ cups sifted flour1¼ teaspoons salt¾ cup shortening6 to 8 tablespoons waterFor PYREX 10½- inch Pie Plate #211
3 cups sifted flour1½ teaspoons salt1 cup shortening8 to 10 tablespoons waterFor PYREX 5½-inch Pie Plate # 206
Is cup sifted flour¼ teaspoon salt3 tablespoons shortening1½ to 2 tablespoons waterGENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR TWO-CRUST PIE
The best pie makers handle crust gently. They mix the dough with a delicate touch, four the board sparingly, and press lightly with the rolling pin. Result-tender pie crust.
Sift flour and salt together into a PYREX Mixing Bowl. Cut in shortening until it is like coarse meal.Sprinkle water, a tablespoonful at a time, on flour-shortening mixture. Mix gently with a fork. Use only enough water to make dough stick together.Press dough into a ball. Divide into 2 parts, one slightly larger than the other.Bottom Crust. Flatten larger part of dough with hand. Roll out on a lightly floured board or a pastry cloth to a circle about ⅛ inch thick and about 1 inch larger than the inverted PYREx Pie Plate.Fold this circle of dough in half and transfer to the Pie Plate.
Unfold and fit into the Pie Plate. Avoid stretching.Trim dough with scissors, leaving about ½ inch overhanging the edge of the Pie Plate. Add filling according to pie recipe used.Top Crust. Roll out remaining dough to a circle about 1 inch larger than the inverted pyREx Pie Plate. (It will be slightly thinner than bottom crust.)Fold dough in half and cut slits near center to let steam escape while baking. Unfold this top crust over filling. Crust should extend about ½ inch all around pYREx Pie Plate. Tuck overhanging crust under bottom crust edge and seal by pressing to-gether. Form desired edge.Bake according to directions in pie recipe used.VARIATIONS OF TOP CRUST
Lattice Top
Roll out top crust dough about an inch thick. Cut into strips.
Lay half of strips over filling, then cross with other strips to form a lattice top. Fasten ends of strips by pinching to edge of bottom crust. Bake according to directions in pie recipe
used.Fancy Top
Roll out top crust dough about inch thick. Follow directions in pie recipe being used for cutting fancy shapes and for baking.—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex With Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott, and you're listening to the Pyrex With Bex podcast. On today's episode, I'm going to be talking about cooking and baking with your Pyrex. Christmas is around the corner, and that means there's going to be a ton of holiday cookies, desserts, turkeys, all of the fixings for Christmas, and all the parties that are coming up. And I have the perfect cookbook that I want to go through with you guys. So I found this cookbook, it's called Pyrex Prize Recipes, and I've talked about it in a previous episode before, where I went through an angel food cake recipe that was baked in a 404 mixing bowl. And since then, I've been going through this recipe book and it's pretty amazing. The recipes are great and the photos are great. They showcase different food that's been cooked and baked in specific dishes, but some of the backstory about why they put it together is really neat as well. So I thought I would share some of the holiday recipes they have in it with you guys. If you're adventurous enough, maybe you can try them out and let me know how they go. But other than that, I thought it would be kind of fun to go through.
Bex Scott: [00:01:46] So this book was published in 1953 by Corning Glass Works, and it cost $2.50 when it was published. Now, full disclosure, I think I paid about $40 for it because I saw it on Poshmark and I had to have it, and I've seen one other one come up on Marketplace, so I'm pretty glad that I got it when I did, because it's been a valuable book for me. So the inside says 'dedicated to all men, women and children who love to cook in Pyrex ware'. I'll read the introduction to you guys because it's pretty neat and gives a bit of a background to the book. So it says 'This book of Pyrex Prize Recipes has been published in response to the many requests received from Pyrex ware users. All the recipes in this book have been tested and perfected under the supervision of Dr. Lucy M Maltby, Director of Home Economics and in charge of Corning Glass Works Famous Pyrex Ware test kitchen'. Now imagine what that would have been like being Dr. Lucy in charge of the Pyrex Ware test Kitchen. That would be pretty amazing to be able to have all of these casseroles and dishes, and to be able to test out different recipes and see if they work, if they flop using Pyrex.
Bex Scott: [00:03:13] And I've baked quite a few things with my Pyrex, I haven't cooked a lot. We mostly use our Pyrex to serve food out of in our house, but I have never been disappointed with anything that I've baked in a Pyrex ware dish. So it says 'You who are old friends won't think us vain, we are sure, when we claim to be popular among you. You have welcomed us into your homes. You have let us help with the cooking, the serving and the storing of food. And we've enjoyed it. Three out of four families in the United States use Pyrex ware. You've told us why you like Pyrex ware, and we would like to pass on your reasons to the newcomers who may join our family of friends as a result of this recipe book. You have given us many good reasons why you like Pyrex ware'. And this is pretty neat, so I know why I like Pyrex ware, but this is from all of the submissions that they received before they printed this recipe book first.
Bex Scott: [00:04:12] And they go dot dot dot... 'Because Pyrex ware is so easy to wash clean. Odors and flavors don't cling to the smooth glass surface'. It's pretty true. Second, 'Because Pyrex dishes keep their newness even after years of use'. Third, 'Because Pyrex ware is inexpensive to buy', not so much anymore. Fourth, 'Because Pyrex ware is dependable, there is only one Pyrex ware made by Corning Glass Works. With more than a century of experience in the manufacture of glass products'. Fifth, 'Because Pyrex ware is economical. Pyrex ware heats rapidly, bakes faster, and saves fuel'. Sixth, 'Because Pyrex ware saves dishwashing, the same dish can travel from refrigerator to oven to table and back to refrigerator'. To bring you up to date, we would like to review the variety and types of Pyrex dishes, which have been made available for your convenience. So this is where they go into each of the different types of Pyrex that they have, which I thought was pretty educational. And as a reseller of Pyrex, I've had a lot of people ask me, How can I use this flameware? Or can this dish go in the microwave or on the stove top or in the oven? So this is a great reference if anybody listening has been wondering about specific types of Pyrex that they have.
Bex Scott: [00:05:42] So the transparent Pyrex ovenware, which is used in the oven but not over direct heat on top of the range or under the broiler. It is designed for baking, serving, storing in the refrigerator, or for freezing in the freezer. Cake dishes round and square. Deep pie dishes. Casseroles with knob or utility covers, measures, custard cups, loaf pans, oven roasters, pie plates, mixing bowls, and utility dishes. So this is the transparent Pyrex ovenware. Next up, my favorite colored Pyrex ovenware, which is also used in the oven but not on top of the range or under the broiler. It too is used for baking, serving, storing, and freezing. Casserole, round, square and oblong baking dishes, pie plates in decorator colors. Refrigerator dishes. Color bowls. Hostess ware, casseroles, and ramekins in basic colors. Pyrex flameware, which is used over direct heat on top of the range whether gas, electric, oil, coal or wood. Anybody using wood, oil or coal anymore? It is also used for serving, storing or for baking in the oven. Double boiler. Saucepans with lock on covers and hang up rings. Percolators. Teapot. Skillet. Pyrex dinnerware, which can be used in the oven. It is beautiful enough for entertaining and sturdy enough to take hard knocks and high oven heat. The kind of dinnerware that you have dreamed of owning. Dinner plates, cups and saucers. Bread and butter plates, salad plates, and many other dishes.
Bex Scott: [00:07:26] So let's get into some holiday recipes. In my family, we always have mulled cider, and every single year when we go over to my parents place, and even when we were living at home still, my mom would always make mulled cider. It would be in a huge soup pot on the stove, just ready to drink throughout the day. And in this recipe, it says the dish you're supposed to use is your Pyrex nine cup percolator, and the amount is 12 servings for this. So the ingredients you're going to need are two quarts of cider, one cup brown sugar well packed, three sticks of whole cinnamon about two inches long, half a tablespoon of whole cloves and half a tablespoon of whole allspice. And I've had cider without the cloves and allspice, it pretty much just makes it apple juice. So the spices definitely make a difference. The first step, put cider and sugar in a nine cup Pyrex percolator. Place spices in the percolator basket. Let boil gently for ten minutes. Remove percolator pump in basket containing spices. Then there's no need to strain the cider, as the percolator basket itself acts as an excellent strainer. Three, serve very hot. And this is amazing! I've never thought of using a percolator for anything other than coffee or tea. And my mom, she uses a little tea ball that you usually put tea leaves in in the big pot, but this would be so much easier. So I think we're definitely going to try this one this year.
Bex Scott: [00:09:03] This next recipe is for the hot chocolate lovers out there, and I know that's everybody in my family. We go through so much powdered hot chocolate regardless of the time of year. And I remember in our house, my mom as well would make stovetop hot cocoa for us from scratch, and it was amazing. The difference was huge. So I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's definitely on my list for the holidays. And it says serve directly from the Pyrex percolator in which the cocoa is cooked and saved time and dishwashing. And this recipe is made in your Pyrex four cup percolator, and it gives you six servings,. So you'll need three tablespoons of sugar, an eighth teaspoon of salt, which is interesting because my grandpa also put salt in his coffee, and I've tried it with the salt and without, and it makes a huge difference. It's so much better with the salt. So that's a little tip if you want to try putting a pinch of salt in your coffee grounds. Three tablespoons of cocoa, one cup of cold water, three cups of milk, a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract. And this is cute, six marshmallows, if desired. Exactly six marshmallows. One for each cup. That's a pretty small amount. I think I put about ten marshmallows, if they're the tiny ones, in each of my hot cocoa cups. So the first step is mix sugar, salt, and cocoa together in a Pyrex four cup percolator. Add water, place over moderate direct heat. Simmer gently for two minutes, stirring constantly. Two, add milk and bring slowly almost to boiling point, but do not quite boil. Three, remove from heat. Add vanilla. If desired, beat with a rotary egg beater to prevent scum formation. Four, put a marshmallow into each cup and then pour in the hot cocoa. If anybody out there makes this hot cocoa, let me know how it tastes. I'm especially interested because it's made in the Pyrex percolator.
Bex Scott: [00:11:15] So next up, before we get into the good stuff, the baking and cooking with your Pyrex dishes, I thought I would go through what the book says about how to care for your Pyrex ware. So this section is called the ABCs of Pyrex Ware Care, and I've had a lot of people ask me over the years about how I clean my Pyrex, what they should and shouldn't do with it, what's the best way to get this and that off of it? So hopefully this sheds a little bit of light from the experts themselves. So a) Avoid wet surfaces. Don't set hot Pyrex dishes on a wet table or sink. The spot of water cools the dish too rapidly in one place. b) Be sure to use a wire grid under a Pyrex flameware dish on an electric range. These grids are free at any Pyrex ware sales counter. Or write to Corning Glass Works. That would be great if we could still do that. c) Cool hot Pyrex dishes before adding liquids. Pyrex ware can stand hot temperatures, but pouring liquid into a hot dish cools the dish too quickly in one spot.
Bex Scott: [00:12:24] When making white sauce, remove the hot Pyrex flame ware saucepan from the heat and cool slightly before adding the milk to the hot butter and flour mixture. d) Deep fat frying? No. This is a capital N a capital O with an exclamation mark. Never use Pyrex ware for deep fat frying. It's not that the hot grease will break the Pyrex dish, but if in that one chance in a million the dish is broken, the fat would catch on fire. Be on the safe side. e) Empty dish. Don't put any empty Pyrex flameware dish over the direct heat on top of the range. Always put liquid, fat or other food in the dish first. f) Faster baking. Pyrex ware bakes faster than shiny metal pans, so less heat is needed. If you're using a recipe which has not been tested for Pyrex ware, reduce the oven temperature about 25°F. Thus, if an old recipe says bake at 350 degrees, use a temperature at 325 for Pyrex ware, g) Greasing helps. A well greased Pyrex baking dish washes easier. If a Pyrex ovenware dish is filled very full, handles and rims should be greased too. This is a very good point, because I've made a lot of cakes in my Pyrex ware, and everywhere that hasn't been greased is pretty hard to get stuff off of unless you soak it or you clean it right away. So that's a pro tip right there. h) Handle hot Pyrex dishes with dry cloths. A wet cloth on a hot Pyrex dish cools the dish too fast in one spot. Also very good. i) Icy cold to roasting hot. Pyrex dishes can go directly from freezer to preheated oven. Frozen food thaws and bakes in just a little longer time than the normal baking period, and you can skip the wait for frozen food to thaw at room temperature.
Bex Scott: [00:14:26] j) Junior's food. When heating nursing bottles, cans of baby food, etcetera, bring water to boiling and remove Pyrex flameware dish from heat. Then put the bottles or cans in the dish. Otherwise, the dish might be permanently damaged when the water boils and leaves dry spots underneath the bottles or cans being heated. k) Keep its newness. Soap or detergent and hot water will wash Pyrex wear dishes sparkling clean. Never use scratchy cleansers. And this is a very good point because there are certain cleaners that people use now, like bar keepers friend that are great for removing utensil marks, you can use them on the inside, but if you use them on the outside of the Pyrex dish, that especially with the ones that have the gold or the metallics on the outside, it will fully take them off. And that is from personal experience.
Bex Scott: [00:15:23] l) Low direct heat. Use low to moderate direct heat with Pyrex flameware. m) Mineral deposits caused by hard water in some localities may leave white spots on dishes. Avoid this by washing the Pyrex double boiler bottom, for instance, with soap or detergent and hot water after each use. Stubborn mineral deposits may be removed by filling the park's flameware dish half full of water, adding two tablespoons of vinegar, and boiling a few minutes, then wash in hot, soapy water. n) Never let a Pyrex flameware dish boil dry. o) Occasionally, overcooking may cause brown stains. if hard to remove by just soaking the dish in warm water, add baking soda, three tablespoons to one quart of water. Diluted laundry bleach also is good for removing stains. And this is something that I wish more people did because I have bought, I think I talked about this in one of my other episodes, I've bought so many Pyrex dishes that have the brown stains on them that people haven't even attempted to take off, or else they have and they just haven't used the right methods. So awesome point. p) Pyrex ware has a two year replacement policy. Any dish or part of Pyrex brand Ovenware, which breaks from oven heat within two years from date of purchase, may be replaced by any dealer in Pyrex ware in exchange for the broken pieces. Any glass part of a Pyrex brand flameware dish, which breaks from heat within two years from date of purchase, when used according to the instructions, may be replaced by any dealer in Pyrex brand ware in exchange for the broken pieces. That doesn't really apply to us now, but it was nice that they did that back then. It's kind of like Tupperware. We will close our ABC's at this point, in the hopes that we have set down some helpful reminders on Pyrex ware care and use. So if any of these were surprising or helpful to you at all, I would love to know.
Bex Scott: [00:17:21] Next up we have the cooking and baking with Pyrex. So these will be the recipes that you can try out this holiday season and test on your family. The first one I've chosen is called Anna's Apple Pie and it says 'Apple pie still remains America's favorite dessert. Bring it to the table made just the way your menfolk - yes, your menfolk - want it in this Pyrex pie plate'. So it says you'll need one tablespoon of flour, five cups sliced apples, one and a quarter cup sugar, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and one tablespoon of butter. And check the show notes. Because this recipe I'm talking about now is for the filling of the pie. But in the show notes, I will have the recipe for the actual pie crust that Pyrex recommends. So it says 'Prepare the crust according to the directions on pages 96 and 97', which is what I'll give you guys. Number one, sprinkle one tablespoon of flour on unbaked bottom crust in the Pyrex pie plate. And this is using two crust pie in Pyrex nine and one half inch pie plate number 210. Two, arrange apple slices on crust. Sprinkle with sugar and spices. Mix together. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Three, Bake for ten minutes in a hot oven 425°F. Lower temperature of oven to moderate 375 and bake 30 minutes longer or until apples are done. Time, Bake about 40 minutes in all, temperature 425. Hot oven for first ten minutes and then 375 moderate oven for 30 minutes. Amount, eight servings and dish, Pyrex nine and one half inch pie plate. So the reason I chose to talk about this recipe is not only because people love apple pie in general, but because of this one little part right here. It says, 'Serve this delicious apple pie with cheese apples'. So I've heard about people making apple pies with cheddar cheese in the crust. I've never tried it. I've always wanted to. So I figured maybe a cheese apple is something like that. But it says, 'To make these, shape quarter pound sharp American cheese into balls about one inch in diameter. Dip the balls into red food coloring. Insert a cocktail pick into each cheese apple and stick these picks into a real apple. The apple will stand erect if three short pieces of picks are inserted for tripod legs'.
Bex Scott: [00:20:06] There's a picture of it. It's an apple. It's standing on toothpick tripod legs. And there are a bunch of cheese apples sticking out of it. So if anybody tries that as well, please let me know how it goes. Because it's another thing I've definitely never heard of. Then in the small print on this recipe, it says 'Day in and day out use won't hurt your Pyrex pie plate. It will come up sparkling after every pie you bake'.
Bex Scott: [00:20:39] Okay, so next up we have Christmas mince pie. And if anybody has had mince pie and likes it or doesn't like it, regardless, I'd love to know because I still don't really know what mince pie is or mince meat is. And maybe I should just try making it. So the recipe is... bake about 35 minutes in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven. 6 to 8 servings. And this you'll be using your Pyrex eight and one half inch Flavr Savr pie plate number 228. And it says you'll need one package prepared mincemeat nine ounces, or two and a quarter cups moist mincemeat, sounding good already, three quarters cup applesauce, and half a cup seedless raisins. I'm not sold on this recipe. Okay, so it says prepare crust according to directions on page 96 and 97 for fancy top variation of two crust pie in Pyrex eight and one half inch Flavr Savr pie plate number 228. So again, if you're going to try out this recipe, check my show notes and I'll have that pie crust recipe for you. Number one, prepare mincemeat according to the directions on the package. Add applesauce and raisins. Pour filling into bottom crust in the Pyrex pie plate. Make a fancy top crust in the shape of a seven inch Christmas tree. That's pretty cute. Sprinkle with white or colored granulated sugar if desired, and place on top of pie filling. Bake until crust is nicely browned. And they have a nice picture of it in this glass Pyrex pie dish. It's the one with the little scalloped edges with the little handles, and there's a Christmas tree with the granulated sugar sprinkled on top. And it actually looks really nice. It says make Christmas mince pie the day before, store it in a Pyrex pie plate, then heat it up just before serving.
Bex Scott: [00:22:40] So the last recipe I thought I would share is a potential good side dish for your Christmas dinner. And because I'm in Canada, I picked this one, and it's called Canadian style bacon with candied sweet potatoes. Says 'Canadian style bacon is smoked cured pork loin'. I'm pretty sure that's just back bacon. 'Other cuts of smoked ham, thinly sliced, may be used'. So this one you're going to be using your Pyrex two quart utility dish. And it does 5 or 6 servings, 325 degree Fahrenheit, slow oven and bake about 45 minutes. You'll need 1 pound of cooked sweet potatoes, and in brackets it says (number three vacuum can). I don't think you need to use, I don't even know what that is. Is that like a can of sweet potatoes? Anyway, just go out and buy some real sweet potatoes. Two thirds cup brown sugar, well packed. A quarter teaspoon of salt. An eighth teaspoon ground cinnamon. Half a pound of Canadian style bacon, thinly sliced. 18 one half slices of pineapple, number two can. Exactly 18. Quarter cup of juice from pineapple. Two tablespoons butter or margarine, and parsley for garnish. First step is slice sweet potatoes in quarters lengthwise and arrange in two rows in a greased Pyrex utility dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Two, arrange alternate slices of bacon and pineapple on top of potatoes. Pour pineapple juice over all. Three, dot with butter. Bake. Garnish with parsley. So I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode of baking with your Pyrex Ware, and I can't wait to hear if any of you try out any of these recipes, I'd love to know! I'm definitely going to try a few of them myself, and I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas dinner and a wonderful Christmas.
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Bex Scott is ready for Christmas and talks about her favorite Christmas traditions, collecting vintage decorations, and the beautiful vintage Pyrex Christmas pieces she loves and is searching for. Bex shares cute throwback ad copy - with mind-blowing vintage pricing - and investigates rare Corning employee gift holiday designs worth seeking.
Some of Bex’s Christmas memories were made by watching her mom decorate their tree with vintage decorations passed down from her mother and grandmother. Holiday music and decor started in November when she was little, and it’s something she still enjoys. Now, though, Bex has the added pleasure of adding to her own vintage and Pyrex holiday piece collection. She describes the excitement of finding a Red 024 Holiday Casserole from 1960 in the wild and how she immediately snapped it up. Pyrex didn’t make a lot of holiday pieces but the ones they did make are rare, charming, and unique. Fellow enthusiasts and collectors will love exploring the festive vintage designs with Bex in this holiday episode.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Holt HowardWhatnotCorning Glass Works ad, Saturday Evening Post, December 9, 1939Pyrex Holiday Casserole, Red 024, 1960Pyrex Golden Poinsettias, Deluxe Buffet Server, 1961Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Bowl, Corning employee holiday gift, 1971 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Mug, 1410, Charleroi plant holiday gift, late 1960sMerry Christmas Luncheon Plate, 1965Rum Pa Pum Pum Bowl, late 1960s“Chronicles: A Very Merry Pyrex Holiday” by Emily Davis, Corning Museum of Glass, Pyrex Potluck—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I'll be chatting all about Christmas. That includes Christmas themed Pyrex, some of the traditions that I had with my family as a kid, and just everything that I love about the season. So growing up, my family, especially my mom, really loved Christmas, and November would roll around and Christmas carols would be playing. She would start decorating right after Halloween ended, and I remember growing up, I wasn't super excited about having Christmas carols playing that early, but now I absolutely love it. And I've become a little bit like that where Christmas starts early in our house, for me at least, where I'm humming Christmas songs, I'm starting to play them on the radio, and I'm thinking about decorating the house. And this year especially, I've gotten really into vintage Christmas. And growing up I remember my mom had all of her granny's and her mom's Christmas decorations on our tree. They were super delicate little vintage Christmas balls and lights, and they were some of the most beautiful ornaments that we had and my mom still has.
Bex Scott: [00:01:50] So every year when we go over to their house to decorate their big tree, I see the little vintage ones and pull them out and of course, there's still some that my brother and I have made over the years. There's some with sprinkles, some with markers, and they're definitely not the highest quality decorations, but they still have a place on that tree, which is really amazing. So I've kicked off Christmas this year with a ton of vintage Christmas shopping, and I should probably cut myself off at some point. But I was looking on Facebook Marketplace and there was a lady selling her full mid-century Christmas decoration collection. She was selling just the regular part of her collection as well, which included a ton of Holt Howard and Lefton and everything. Unfortunately, I didn't buy that portion of it, but I did buy the Christmas side, which I'm still unboxing. And the reason I've gotten so big into buying the Christmas this year is because I have a huge Christmas sale coming up. I've recently started selling on Whatnot. If you haven't heard of Whatnot, you should check it out, but beware, it is super dangerous because it's very easy to shop on there. So essentially, Whatnot is a platform where you can download it on your phone or on your desktop, and sellers go on there live and it's a live auction and a live sale.
Bex Scott: [00:03:23] So you're talking to the buyers and chatting and they're writing comments and purchasing from you while you're showing all the items that you have. So I have this big Christmas sale coming up, and it's going to include a ton of the little vintage flocked deer and Santas and elves, as well as ceramics. And I'm going to even be selling a ceramic Christmas tree. So that's one of the things I promised I would do. We were going through all of our boxes in the basement and cleaning up a bit, and my husband said, Hey, I noticed you have three of these ceramic trees. I said, Yes, yes I do. There was an awkward pause and I said, okay, I guess I have three. I'll get rid of one of them, but I'm keeping these two for sure. So that one's coming up in my sale next week. So aside from all of the amazing mid-century vintage Christmas pieces I managed to pick up, finding vintage Christmas Pyrex is always one of my goals. There are so many amazing pieces, and at least where I am in Canada, in the wild they don't ever show up, very rarely, if you do find something, you're super lucky. So I've been looking online, trying not to spend an arm and a leg on these items. And I think I mentioned in a previous episode of my podcast that I do have one of the Christmas mugs, but I thought it would be really fun in this episode to go over some of my very favorite Christmas Pyrex pieces, and then some of my favorite Corning employee Christmas pieces. Because I have to say, Corning treated their employees right with those gifts. I wish I could go back and work for them just to get the amazing Pyrex that they gave at Christmas time.
Bex Scott: [00:05:13] So I thought I would start off with a pretty cool ad that I found when I was looking into Pyrex, Christmas, and Corning. So this ad was in the Saturday Evening Post and I believe it is from December 9th, 1939. So this is before there was the nice colorful Pyrex. This was the clear Pyrex that you got the ovenware for baking and cooking. So it says, 'See these Merry Pyrexmas bargains at your favorite store'. There's a little Santa, and he's pointing out all the black and white photos, and he's saying 'Pyrex ovenware prices reduced 30% to 50% in the last two years'. And on the right, there's a housewife holding her casserole wrapped with a red ribbon, and it says, 'Here's a gift that gives double, and it's catching on fast. Rich, wholesome fruit cake baked in a Pyrex casserole offered by leading bakers. Look for it in your favorite store or bake shop, or use that pet recipe of your own'. And then they go into all of the different items of Pyrex that you can buy for Christmas.
Bex Scott: [00:06:27] So number one, 'Mother will be upset if she doesn't get this cup set. Six Pyrex utility cups for custard, storage, or tidbits. Only $0.39'. And these are the little V shaped custard cups, the glass ones that you can get that stack really nicely on top of each other. Next, 'Let them eat cake, breads and meats look tasty too in this gleaming Pyrex loaf pan. Now only $0.45. Pyrextra'. Pyrextra. It actually says 'Pyrextra special for modern cooks, this round casserole is a honey. Knob cover keeps food hot on table. Quart sized $0.50'. 'Flakier pie crust all year round with this Pyrexmas pie plate bargain. Only $0.20'. Imagine a pie plate for $0.20. 'Cooks as good as it looks. Oblong utility dish for cornbread, desserts, cake, meats, baked stores serves. Now only $0.50'. 'A 2 in 1 pyrexmas surprise. Round casserole does double duty with pie plate cover. Three quart size $0.95, two quart, $0.75'. That's a pretty good deal. 'Give her this round cake dish with handles. She'll give you cake, gingerbread, Brown Betty cobblers. You can't lose. Only $0.35'. 'Deep dish meat and chicken pies taste yummy in these individual Pyrex baking dishes and apple pie. Wow. Eight ounces now $0.10'. Any woman'd get excited over this deep oval casserole. Knob cover. At new low price. Popular quart size now only $0.50' and they spelt woman would as w o m a n apostrophe d. 'It's not only a gift, it's a give away. Nine pieces of sparkling Pyrex ware. Six gleaming custard cups in a handy wire rack. An eight ounce measuring cup and a 9.5in pie plate. The whole combination can be yours for only $0.89'.
Bex Scott: [00:08:34] Oh, no. Okay, this one's going to kill you guys. 'She'll go into Pyrextacies over this beautiful set. Ten pieces, including bread or loaf pan, casserole with knob cover, utility dish, pie plate, and six gleaming Pyrex custard cups. Now only $2.15'. Pyrextacies. Remember that one, guys. Oh, this one's handsome. 'A handsome 15 piece set, six custard cups, nine and a half and ten and a half pie plates, six cup flameware teapot, two piece casserole, utility dish, eight ounce measuring cup, loaf pan and one quart open baker, only $4.75'. And then on the bottom left it says 'There are few gifts that go to a woman's heart like gleaming Pyrex ware. And this year, you can make your gift all the more exciting because in many cases, a dollar will buy twice as much of this modern cooking, storing, and serving ware as it would have a couple of Christmases ago. Buy Pyrex ware singly or in sets. And remember, sets are attractively gift boxed at no extra cost. Look for the trademark Pyrex stamped on every dish and the famous replacement offer'. And then on the right it says 'It's different. Pyrex flameware. Three new designs, flameware saucepans, glass handles detach for serving, storing, lock on covers only $1.65'. 'Flameware seven inch one pint frying pan for use directly over open flame, complete with detachable chrome handle, $0.90'. 'Grand for cream sauce and icings, one and a half court flameware double boiler $3.95'. A Christmas morning eyeful, 2 new flameware percolators, stainless glass pumps. Nine cup size. $2.45'. And last but not least, we have 'New low price, sturdy Pyrex all glass tea kettle. Smart for table use. Full year replacement offers two and a half quart size. Was $3.25, now only $2.95'. And one of the last pieces of Pyrex that I actually bought was this sturdy Pyrex all glass tea kettle. I definitely did not pay $2.95, but it's very interesting to see. It's quite a wide tea kettle, and it has a little lid that I'm looking for on the top. So very interesting ad to find.
Bex Scott: [00:11:02] Next we have a more modern ad, and this was when all of the beautiful colored milk glass came into play. So this next ad is from an unknown periodical in 1955, and it says 'Solve your gift problems right here with beautiful, durable Pyrex ware'. And it has four different sections. We have gifts under $2, gifts under $3, gifts under $4, and gifts under $10. And the gifts under $2, we have the Pyrex oven roaster. 'The Pyrex round baking and serving dish comes in desert dawn yellow or desert dawn pink. The Pyrex covered bowl casserole lets food brown more evenly in desert dawn yellow or pink as well'. Gifts under $3. 'The Pyrex colorware bowl set has lots of different uses for baking, serving, storing, and mixing. Bowls nest to save space. Complete set of four only $2.95'. And that's the primary set they're talking about. Gifts under $4. We have the Pyrex Colorware oven and refrigerator set. That's the primary fridge set. 'For baking, serving, storing. Yellow dish holds one and a half quarts. Blue dish one and a half pints. Red dishes one and a half cups. Get the complete set of four for only $3.25'. Then they also have the percolator and the double boiler and the flameware for under $4. And then the gifts under $10, this is the Pyrex dinnerware sets. And I love these. It says, 'They're beautiful enough for entertaining, yet durable enough for everyday family use'. And they have a blue, pink, green and red.
Bex Scott: [00:12:54] And one last ad that I really liked. This one says, 'Just in time for Christmas giving. New Pyrex ware decorator casseroles. Any woman who cooks will be delighted with these beautiful and practical decorator casseroles. Their famous Pyrex ware in new oval shape, and the cover becomes an extra baking and serving dish on hot pad. Choose from four smart designs and color combinations, each packed in attractive gift carton. 48 ounce size $4.50'. And this is talking about the turquoise snowflake on white, the white snowflake on turquoise, the white snowflake on charcoal, and the white daisy on pink. And then on the right they have a new Pyrex instant coffee maker and warmer. And I actually just came across tonight the warmer. I purchased it from someone and it's pretty cool. I'm excited to use it because I do have the carafe as well. And the one in this ad is the starburst carafe, which is beautiful.
Bex Scott: [00:13:58] So I know that Pyrex didn't make a ton of Christmas dishes, but the ones that they did make, I think they did an amazing job on. And there are three that are my absolute favorites. And the first one is the holiday casserole. So this one was made in 1960 to 1961. It's an 024. It's a two quart round casserole with a clear single knob lid. And it came with a brass cradle with two large plastic handles. And it's a wreath design on it with little pine cones. And I found this one in an antique store in British Columbia two summers ago for about $20. And I remember walking into the store, looking around, not expecting to find any Pyrex, and I came across this display and saw this red bowl, this red casserole, and I grabbed it, and I ran to the till as fast as I could, and I wasn't paying any attention, I probably ran down a few people during this whole process, but I was so excited to find a piece of Christmas Pyrex in the wild that it was going to be mine no matter what.
Bex Scott: [00:15:11] So next we have the Golden Leaf casserole with cradle, and I don't have this one yet. It's a 404 mixing bowl with a clear single knob lid, and this one came with a brass cradle with flat walnut handles. And it's similar to the holiday casserole, but the pattern is more of an ivy leaf. It's gold metallic, so it's a really beautiful bowl. Next up I have the deluxe buffet server with candle warmer, and this one is the Golden Poinsettia. And I remember I bought this one off of Poshmark about three years ago. It was posted as a beautiful dish with no condition issues at all, and I remember opening it in the mail, getting it from Poshmark, and there was a huge scratch on the side and I was so upset. But this one, it still has a place in our house. It's displayed with our other dishes and it's so pretty. I especially like the top of the lid because it does have the golden poinsettia pattern on it. And it included a brass cradle with flat walnut handles and a dual candle warmer on the bottom. There's two sizes of matching carafes as well, an 8 cup and a 12 cup. And they both have the really pretty poinsettia design on the outside.
Bex Scott: [00:16:37] So next up, I have a feeling that this one is a little bit harder to find. I've never seen it in real life. It's the Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Bowl from 1971 and Corning employee holiday gift, it says, with the text Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And in Pyrex Passion, where I'm getting all my information from, my Pyrex Bible, it says other versions existed in green with orange holly and one with the design printed on opal. It was a Cinderella Bowl. The date estimated is based on 1971 Crazy Quilt promo, which includes the same background color, which I thought was pretty cool. Next up we have Merry Christmas and Happy New Year too, late 1960s. So this Christmas themed item was produced as an employee holiday gift for the Charleroi plant. A matching mug, 1410, was also created. The date estimate is based on the backstamp of matching mugs, and it's a round casserole with a clear lid that had the text Merry Christmas and Happy New Year on one side. Definitely one of my all-time must-have pieces here. I don't know how many were made, but who knows if I'll find one one day.
Bex Scott: [00:17:56] Okay, so next we have more employee Christmas pieces. The first one is a Merry Christmas plate from 1965. This one I don't know how I feel about. If you guys have seen this one in the Pyrex Passion book or in real life, let me know your thoughts. So this was produced as an employee holiday gift. It's a luncheon plate and it has a flamingo pink solid border on the outside, and it has a green and red design of a snowman with a holly on the inside. And below the design is the text 1965 Merry Christmas. It's cute, it's cute. The snowman is a little interesting looking, but I'd love to see one of these in real life. Next up we have the Green Castle Christmas party bowl from 1964. For the 1964 Christmas party at the Green Castle plant, employees received a one pint bowl as a holiday gift. The maroon text reads Corning Christmas Party, Greencastle, 1964. The bowl includes eight Christmas images around the circumference. Christmas mugs with matching images exist, but were produced in the mid to late 1970s and include the microwave backstamp. Next up we have Merry Christmas mug, mid 1960s. So this was a nine ounce mug. And I love this mug because I have a Santa addiction. Anything Santa, especially vintage Santa, I need. I don't have this mug. Another one on my list. My list is pretty long. So this one was nine ounce mug with red text and graphics. The mug includes the text Merry Christmas along with an image of Santa on each side. The backstamp says Corning, along with the mold number produced as an employee holiday gift. Next up we have Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year mug from the late 1960s. This one has red text and a bluish green and red graphic. The text reads Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The mug includes green holly leaves with red berries and a red ribbon, likely produced as an employee holiday gift, and it matches the casserole that I mentioned earlier. Another late 1960s was the Rum Pum Pum Pum bowl and mug. This was produced as an employee gift as well, and they included red text and graphics of a drummer boy and a lamb. The red is the same color used on the Red Circus Child feeding set, and the backstamp reads Pyrex brand tableware. So there was a ten ounce bowl and a nine ounce mug, and they're really cute. They have a little Drummer Boy walking in a circle around the mug and the bowl.
Bex Scott: [00:20:41] Now we're into the early 1970s, and this is the Merry Christmas Santa mug. And this is the mug that I was able to find in Portland, Maine. And it cost me $54 US and I'm in Canada, so increase that by however much you need to to get the actual price that I paid. It was worth it though. I have no regrets. So this mug is a nine ounce mug with all red, all green, or alternating red and green graphics. It includes the text Merry Christmas in a Christmas Tree design, along with holiday images produced as an employee gift. And I have the all red version of this one. And the last one I have is from the mid 1980s, and this one was a flared handled mug, ten ounces with red and green printing. One side includes a graphic of Santa riding a candy cane with holly leaves, while the other side says Season's Greetings, produced as an employee holiday gift. And this one is pretty cute, but you can definitely tell the style change of the mugs that were in the 60s. And then you fast forward to this one. The graphics look different and even the mug style is a little bit different, but definitely still cute and would love to add it to my collection.
Bex Scott: [00:22:06] And while I was doing my research, I came across this blog post. It's from Corning Museum of Glass Pyrex Potluck, and if you haven't checked out that site, make sure you do, because there is a huge amount of information for Pyrex collectors and lovers on there that'll be a really interesting read for you. And it's from the Chronicles and it's called A Very Merry Pyrex Holiday. And it talks about how during the Christmas season, Pyrex advertising was focused on one side consumers and one side store buyers, and the marketing was totally different for them. To the store buyers, it was important for Corning Glass because these were the people who were responsible for closing the final sales with shoppers, and they offered different promotions like counter cards and display kits to make stores into what they called gift headquarters. So they periodically sent out inserts called the Pyrex Sales Maker. And it was a little publication read by store buyers such as Home Furnishings Daily. Many publications offered display setup ideas to increase sales, and I found an example of one of them online. And it's actually really cute. The illustrations are amazing. There's little drawings of Pyrex and ladies behind the the desk or the tills selling their Pyrex, and it gives ideas of how the department store should be setting up their Pyrex for people during the Christmas season to hopefully buy them.
Bex Scott: [00:23:47] So, idea number one, 'Show the seven advertised items sitting on top of their gaily designed Christmas packages, set in front of a small Christmas tree. Add a theme sign reading New Pyrex Holiday House gifts'. And in this little illustration, there's a tiny little Charlie Brown-looking Christmas Tree, and they have a carafe and a bunch of casseroles on their beautiful boxes in front of this tree. Second idea, 'Set up a Christmas party table in a traffic location, and show the items featured in the Pyrex ware ad. On a tea stand, mount the Pyrex ad along with the copy line The Holiday Look for the Christmas Cook'. Idea three, 'Mount a copy of the ad on your regular Pyrex display fixture to remind shoppers that Pyrex ware is needed for holiday entertaining, and makes an ideal Christmas gift for homemakers'. Idea four, 'Promote the glamor of Pyrex for Christmas entertaining by grouping the items featured in the Christmas ad next to mannequins dressed in party frocks. Sign reads Hostess ideas for holiday entertaining, today's look for today's cook'. Idea five, 'Brew coffee or tea in your Pyrex beverage makers and serve to Christmas shoppers on Christmas shopping nights in your store. Mount copy of ad near the serving table', and there's two little Christmas decorations with a holly or a Garland and two women in cute little dresses serving coffee out of their Pyrex carafes. And the last idea, 'In outpost locations, use Pyrex casseroles and beverage makers as containers for holiday greenery. Show a mounted copy of the Christmas ad beside the arrangement'. This one I can actually see people doing in their displays of Pyrex. They have a Pyrex casserole full of greenery and then they have one on the side, it's the pink scroll, and it's full of Christmas balls, which is pretty neat.
Bex Scott: [00:25:49] So these promotions all came to the stores in, it looks like a package, and there's an ad below that says 'Pyrex Ware Christmas promotion to make your store gift headquarters. Your Pyrex Ware Christmas Display kit contains these 12 counter cards', and I wish I could find these in real life because they are adorable. There's little Santas and Christmas Trees and a Santa with his sleigh, and these are all just the pop up cardboard stands or the ads that they would have in the store while you're shopping and it says will arrive before November 15th. Pyrex collectors and lovers out there, I would like to know what your number one Pyrex piece would be on your Christmas list this year. I know for me it would be the Pink Gooseberry fridge set. That's definitely on my list to complete, and I hope that you guys all find some amazing Pyrex under the tree this year.
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Host Bex Scott welcomes her second guest to the show, Podcast Host and Pyrex collector Kelli Szurek. Kelli is an avid collector of all things Pyrex, along with other vintage glassware and figurines, and she discusses how she came to Pyrex love and what she is hunting for with Bex.
Kelli, like Bex, really fell into collecting Pyrex in the pandemic in 2020. The first Pyrex she bought was the Spring Blossom Cinderella set and as she says, “from there I was hooked”. Kelli tells Bex about some of the pieces she’s collected and where they came from, including some treasured items she received as gifts. Their conversation ranges from how hard it is to come across great treasures in flea markets and antique shops, their coveted holy grail Pyrex pieces, how Kelli anticipates Pyrex collecting to look in the future, and what sets are overrated or underrated. Lovers of Pyrex will truly identify with this episode and the absolute fascination with Pyrex and vintage collecting that hooked Kelli and Bex.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Kelli Szurek’s podcast On Our Best BehaviorPyrex Love Pattern ReferenceFire-King GlassHazel Atlas GlassLefton CollectiblesPyrex on Film and TV—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I'm chatting with Kelli Szurek about her amazing Pyrex collection, some of the pieces she's been able to find over the years, and where she thinks Pyrex collecting is headed. Hey everybody! I am super excited because today I have my second guest on the Pyrex with Bex podcast and it is Kelli Szurek. Welcome, Kelli. Thanks so much for joining me today.
Kelli Szurek: [00:00:57] Thank you. I'm glad to be here. Super excited. I love Pyrex a ton, and it's always exciting to me when there's other people out there who are avidly collecting and are the younger generation, because we want this to continue on for a long time, right?
Bex Scott: [00:01:13] Definitely. I agree, and I was really excited when we started chatting on Instagram and I found out that you collected. It's hard to find people who are really passionate about it, who are open to chatting and kind of like the same things in the vintage world. And you also have your own podcast. So tell me a little bit about that.
Kelli Szurek: [00:01:33] Sure my son and I do a podcast. It has nothing to do with Pyrex. I occasionally do talk about Pyrex on the podcast, but our podcast is about just our relationship, and he just started high school this year. And so it's just kind of been the process of junior high changes, high school changes, struggles, just things going on in our life and how we just handle hurdles. And also we recently expanded to having guests on there just because sometimes our life isn't that eventful, which is good because, you know, I don't want to talk about all the trouble he gets in school all the time.
Bex Scott: [00:02:12] Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:02:12] You check, you guys can all check that out. You can find On Our Best Behavior wherever you listen to podcasts.
Bex Scott: [00:02:18] Perfect. I've checked out a few of your episodes so far and they're awesome, so I definitely recommend it. So you love Pyrex, I love Pyrex. What was the beginning of your Pyrex addiction and how did you get started collecting?
Kelli Szurek: [00:02:32] So looking back, I cannot remember that anyone ever had Pyrex. My grandparents, I was fortunate enough to know my great grandparents for a long time. They lived until they were in their 90s and nobody had Pyrex. And my mom had one dish, but she didn't have the lid. It was just a yellow casserole dish. And I always wondered, like, this dish is so cool and it's so colorful. Why is it like, just like this random piece of kitchenware that we have? But I was young., I really didn't know anything about it. And then when the pandemic happened and the whole entire world shut down, I just found myself scrolling on Facebook Marketplace and I, for some reason, I don't know why it started showing up, but I just started seeing pieces of Pyrex and I just got really interested. I love these patterns. I love these colors. Not knowing how huge the Pyrex collection and world is. And my very first piece that I ever bought was on Facebook Marketplace, and it was the Spring Blossom Cinderella set. And from there I was hooked. Once I found out there was, like, this isn't just a one thing, there's like millions of, it has a whole collection, right? And a whole set and a refrigerator set and all these casserole dishes. And so I just kind of got sucked in and got on a deep dive and through the internet and books, and I was like, oh my gosh. And then I just started buying.
Bex Scott: [00:04:05] I love it. That's kind of similar to my story. I started off during the pandemic as well, and it spiraled. And I remember the Spring Blossom was one of my very first as well. My grandma had it hidden away in her pantry and she pulled it out one day and I said, oh, I just started collecting this stuff. And she was like, oh, it's yours. You can have it. So I've kept that to the side. I don't use those ones, but it definitely has a special place in my heart as well.
Kelli Szurek: [00:04:34] What kind of like hooked you? Was it the memories from when you were young?
Bex Scott: [00:04:38] I think I remember my mom using Pyrex a little bit. She had the Autumn Harvest casseroles, those were on our table a few times during the years, but I started when I was cleaning out my grandparents garage, and they had some of my great aunt's dishes in big rubbermaid bins, and we were unpacking them, and I found a lasagna pan and a couple primary bowls. And that was my, kind of my gateway bowls, I call them. That started everything. And I went on Instagram, and I instantly found all these pink displays and turquoise, and I started messaging other collectors. And that's kind of when I was fully hooked. And then, like you, I went down the Marketplace rabbit hole looking for anything I could find and just buying the different sets. And yeah, it's a fun addiction.
Kelli Szurek: [00:05:31] Yeah, yeah it is.
Bex Scott: [00:05:35] And how does your, your family feel about your collection?
Kelli Szurek: [00:05:39] They've done well. They've embraced it pretty well. I really, you know, when Justin and I, who is my husband, got together, I really didn't collect much of anything. Like I remember him asking me what do you collect? And I was like, well, I collect these, like, Starbucks mugs from places I've been, you know, he's like, well that's not like old and vintage. I'm like, well, I don't, never really been a collector. And so he was really into like going to antique stores and checking out rummage sales, garage sales, estate sales. And I was just kind of like, why do you want to look through, like, old people's gross junk? But then when I got hooked on the Pyrex, then I understood and I was like, oh my. I remember the first time we went into an antique store after I had gotten hooked on Pyrex. I was like, this is amazing. Can we go to all of them? And he's like, what happened to you? So. He has done well in trying to, you know, he'll be like, hey, I think, he'll try to like, remember what the patterns are called, like, oh, hey, did you see over there they have this or that? And my son Maccoy, he's awesome about it. Like, he is really happy for me that I have something that makes me so happy. And he calls it his inheritance. So he always wants to know, like, how much is this going to be worth? How much is this going to be worth? What's the most rare pieces? So we've talked about that. And he always says like I'm not going to sell any of it. I'm just going to keep it all. Okay. We'll see. We'll see how your wife feels.
Bex Scott: [00:07:09] Yeah. He'll carry on the the collection for you.
Kelli Szurek: [00:07:15] Yeah, I hope so. I mean that would be, that would be sweet. You know, I think that it is really important for the younger generations to continue it on. Right? Because once people don't care about it anymore, then it kind of fades away, you know?
Bex Scott: [00:07:29] Yeah. My husband, he has been great with allowing me to have such a large collection and go to the thrift stores every week, and I think it's because he has a huge BMW old car collection, so he fixes them up and flips them. So if he was to say that I couldn't do my Pyrex collecting, then I might have an issue with his car collecting.
Kelli Szurek: [00:07:53] Yes. You have something to hold over him, right?
Bex Scott: [00:07:57] But I think that's awesome that your son calls it his inheritance. We have two boys and a girl, and I'm hoping, our baby girl is almost a year old, so I'm hoping that she's going to be the one that carries it on for me, because it will probably all be left to her because the boys, they don't want it right now. So.
Kelli Szurek: [00:08:15] You know, as we get older, like, right, our appreciation for things changes. And so that might happen.
Bex Scott: [00:08:22] Yeah. That's true. I'll keep working on them. Alex, he goes he goes to the thrift stores with me. And he's really good about finding things and being excited about it. So there's still hope.
Kelli Szurek: [00:08:33] It's good that you share that. He'll remember that always like, oh mom, remember when we used to do this or hey, I found this piece, you know, so it will be special to him.
Bex Scott: [00:08:40] Yeah, exactly. And what would you say are some of your best Pyrex finds that you've had over the years?
Kelli Szurek: [00:08:50] So I feel like, you know, a lot of the basic stuff, I, I have all of the basic stuff and I, a lot of my sets I have pieced together. So I have been very picky about, you know, only spending like so much money on them. And so a lot of my stuff I've really just pieced together because I think if you buy the whole set, you end up spending more money. Right? So I have just kind of slowly done that and, you know, really only great like steals. I found like, you know, steals like, oh, this is, you know, $0.25 at a garage sale, but it's a, you know, Woodland 401 bowl, whatever. Oh, sweet. I'll take it. You know, and I am a sucker for if I see anything like that's really, really cheap and, you know, dishwater damaged. Whatever. I'll take it home because I just don't want it to go into, like, the junk. So I'm really bad about that. But one, a few years ago and I think this might have been early on, but I saw on - I'm in a lot of Pyrex groups - and somebody had posted locally here in Minneapolis that they had a Barcode set for $90, and I don't think they realized what they had.
Kelli Szurek: [00:10:06] And I was like, I'm coming right now. So I got that. And then I also my other thing I was really, really proud of is I got a green dot bowl on auction for $30, and I just was over the moon about that. Yeah. So those are really my only like super great finds that I feel like I got for like a reason, you know, a way cheaper price. It's hard. I always want to be that person who goes into the thrift store and like, finds some diamond in the rough, but I feel like they're getting better at knowing what people are interested in, and then they will pull it aside or put it up on auction or something like that. And so then, you know, then it's not just laying there for us to find. So I'm still waiting to, like, stumble across a garage sale where somebody has like a, you know, Starburst Atomic Space Saver just sitting there for a dollar. That's my dream. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:11:03] I'm in a bunch of the Facebook groups as well, and I always see people posting about what they've found and how cheap it was. And I always get jealous. I'm like, oh, I never find steals like that.
Kelli Szurek: [00:11:15] And I think it doesn't happen that often because I used to do the same thing. I'm like, I'm going thrifting all the time. I'm stopping at so many garage sales, you know, I did it so much at one time that I just was like, would go home empty handed and feel so defeated. So then I was like, I'm done doing this. I need to take a break. I feel too disappointed.
Bex Scott: [00:11:35] And there was, I think, last week or a couple of weeks ago in one of the groups, you might even be a part of it, but a lady mentioned that she found the Blue Dianthus Cinderella bowls at Goodwill and it was like 7.99 and 12.99 or something crazy like that. And that would never happen over here where I am in Canada. So.
Kelli Szurek: [00:11:58] So in Canada, do you see like more of the, I mean, you're just a country up from me. It's not too far away. But I always feel like in different countries, like they have a different variety of things, or it seems like certain things are easier to find and other things are harder to find.
Bex Scott: [00:12:14] Yeah. We, I don't know, I found a ton of primary here. I feel like every time I go to the store, I see the yellow primary bowl everywhere. What else has there been? Um, lots of Spring Blossom, Forest Fancies, Old Orchard. It haunts me. It follows me around everywhere. And I see it.
Kelli Szurek: [00:12:39] It's here too.
Bex Scott: [00:12:40] Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:12:42] That and the Early American like, runs rampant here, so.
Bex Scott: [00:12:45] Oh, really? We don't have any of that here.
Kelli Szurek: [00:12:48] Oh, really?
Bex Scott: [00:12:48] Yeah, I think I've seen one and it was in British Columbia and so I picked that one up. But yeah. Yeah, the thrift stores are fun. I think my best find at the thrift store so far has been, what was it, a divided dish. It was the black and white snowflake and I think it was 999 and I was pretty happy about that.
Kelli Szurek: [00:13:14] Yeah it is. It is a rush. It is a rush.
Bex Scott: [00:13:17] That's the problem. The adrenaline you get from it. And you keep wanting to go back more and more.
Kelli Szurek: [00:13:22] And, you know, I don't know about you, but the problem I have now is I have so much and I have so many that I love. Like, how do you display all of it? I feel like I have to constantly like switch it out to display it. Otherwise, I don't know, it's tough. I'm like, we need to build a house that has like built ins in every single room so that I can just put the Pyrex in every room. Justin's always like, okay, we'll do that. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:13:53] I always love when the hardcore collectors have a whole basement that's lined with either built ins or Ikea shelves, and you just walk in and they have lighting coming from everywhere. And that would be my dream, I think.
Kelli Szurek: [00:14:07] I always wonder, like, what do those people do for a living?
Bex Scott: [00:14:12] Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:14:14] Or like, how long have they been, you know, you just wonder everyone's story. Like, how did this madness start for you?
Bex Scott: [00:14:20] Yeah. So what would you say is the piece that you've paid the most for?
Kelli Szurek: [00:14:25] So I personally didn't pay for it. But there was a Balloon bowl, chip and dip set with the bracket on Facebook Marketplace in the city, Minneapolis, and I think Justin paid $250 for it for me, it was a Christmas present.
Bex Scott: [00:14:41] Oh, nice.
Kelli Szurek: [00:14:42] I thought that was a good price for it. Like, don't even try to barter with her. Like 250 is a real fair price. And I think he did try to like get her down to 200 still. And she was like not happening. I have a lot of other people that want this, so take it or I'm moving on. Like take it.
Bex Scott: [00:15:01] Yeah, I don't have that set yet. It's on my list though. I passed it up for a really good deal maybe 2 or 3 years ago, and I still regret it. I could have had it.
Kelli Szurek: [00:15:11] That's the thing that's tough, right? Like when you see it, you have to make like a rash decision to buy because it's not like Target where you can just go back and get it tomorrow or go back and get it next week, you know.
Bex Scott: [00:15:25] Yeah. And especially if it's on Marketplace, people are savage on there. Nobody holds anything. And I don't blame them because there's so many no shows. But you have to be within seconds of it being posted. And what would you say is your all time holy grail unicorn piece that you really want to have?
Kelli Szurek: [00:15:45] Well, I always say, like, if we ever win the lottery when it's $1 billion, I want, you know, I think this is most people's holy grail, but I've never even seen it in real life, is the Lucky in Love dish. So I think there's maybe, you know, and I'm not, don't quote me on this because I don't know for sure, but I think like there's like two known in the whole entire world. So I saw one goal. I saw one on auction and it was, you know, over $10,000 that the bidding was at. So that'd be another one I'd just love to, like, stumble across for, you know, a dollar at a garage sale. But my other ones that I really want, the turquoise Atomic Starburst, the space saver, and which, you know, is attainable. So it's just, you know, you have to be ready to spend the money when you find them. And the Pumpkin Butter print. So those are like my three, you know, like Lucky in Love I'd probably never, ever get. But that would be my holy grail.
Bex Scott: [00:16:46] What does the Pumpkin Butter print go for in your area usually?
Kelli Szurek: [00:16:49] $1,000 for a set.
Bex Scott: [00:16:51] That's like us here too.
Kelli Szurek: [00:16:52] So $800 to $1200. And I've even tried to, like, bid on like bowl by bowl to try to get like, I'm like, okay, if I can get them for $200 a piece slowly, you know. When they sell individually, I feel like they sell for even more because people are probably trying to do the same thing and piece their own together. And then you need like that one last piece and then you're paying more than you should for it. Or some people just have way more money and can, you know, afford it. I try to have a Pyrex budget, so.
Bex Scott: [00:17:25] It's a smart thing to do. Right now I don't have one and I'm kind of all over the place, so it's dangerous. Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:17:32] And then you get to the point where you're like, oh, I've done that, where I've bought something and then I've already had it. Oh shoot, I couldn't remember, but it was a really good price, I don't want to pass it up, like that whole thing. So. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:17:46] And do you guys use your Pyrex at home?
Kelli Szurek: [00:17:49] So anything that I have that I've picked up at like flea markets or anything like that, that's just kind of been, you know, like 401 bowls, we'll use those for cereal bowls at our house. I have some things that I feel so blessed that people know about my Pyrex love. And a lot of times, like a family member will pass and they'll say, hey, I'm cleaning out. So, you know, going through my grandma's things, she has this, do you want it? Yes. And so there's a couple of casserole dishes that I'll use and I always remember, like, who got me it or who gave it to me. And so then it's like special when I use it like, oh, this was from so and so when it was her grandma's. And I just think that that's really special.
Bex Scott: [00:18:32] I love that about collecting and having other people kind of looking out for you and wanting to pass the dishes to you because they know that you'll look after them and it'll be important to you just like it was for them.
Kelli Szurek: [00:18:48] And I also, but it also makes me realize the other side of that, which is how many people are going through their grandparents things and just throwing all this in the garbage, because a lot of people are like, well, we're just going to toss it if you don't want it or drop it off at Goodwill or whatever, which is I guess that's fine. But yeah, if you're just going to throw it away, call me. I met this, I've met a lot of people on Marketplace and just in the community, and I bought a dresser from this one guy, and he, just like a random thing, and he was telling me, like, he cleans out houses for a living. So like stuff that's going to get like condemned or knocked down and he'll go through and then he'll kind of like pick through stuff and resell it. And he's like, oh, you know, he's like, what's your thing that you love? And I'm like, oh, Pyrex. And he's like, oh, I wish I would have known you last week there was this house or so much of it, and I just left it all behind. And I'm like, you call me when that happens.
Bex Scott: [00:19:42] Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:19:42] And he's like, okay, just so you know, like you have to be ready to come right now. And I'm like, well, if you call me, I'll try. And if I can't, I can't. But yeah, please reach out to me if you ever, if that ever happens again. And of course it hasn't happened but yeah it was that was a recent meet. So I'm still hopeful that he'll think of me.
Bex Scott: [00:20:01] I was watching a story on Instagram of a collector that I follow, and they went to an estate sale out in the country and not everything sold. So they just took, the company, or the family took everything and put it into a big dumpster. And the collector was going through and trying to find as much as they could that they could salvage. And I was just thinking, oh, I would have loved to be there to save everything and bring it home. It's kind of like me with cats and dogs.
Kelli Szurek: [00:20:32] You bring them all home?
Bex Scott: [00:20:33] Yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:20:36] I know people, I also have two bunnies, and so whenever, whenever there's, like, a bunny that needs a home, people are always like, you need to help this bunny. I'm like, I can't take any more animals, I can't.
Bex Scott: [00:20:50] Oh, and you mentioned before when we were chatting before the podcast that you love to collect other things as well. So what are some of the the other things that you really love?
Kelli Szurek: [00:21:03] So I feel like once I started collecting Pyrex, then I just kind of went down this rabbit hole of vintage glass and Fire-King has some. I don't love all Fire-King, but you know, I like the the super popular stuff that everyone does. The tulip bowls, the jadeite bowls, they have these teardrop bowls. So I have those. So Fire-King and then Hazel-Atlas they make like these cute dot bowls. So I have those and Federal Glass also has some like, I honestly am not like a big enough collector of those things to actually even tell you the real name of what they're called. But yeah, just as time has gone on and I've seen pieces or I've seen stuff, I'm like, oh, I have to have that. It's so cute. So yeah, I have randomly collected some of that. Like Fire-King has their own version of a primary set, so I have that. One of my other really unique items that I have is I have a primary set in a sealed box. And so I love that.
Bex Scott: [00:22:09] That's amazing.
Kelli Szurek: [00:22:09] That was a gift too. So that's kind of what's fun about Christmas is I'm like, okay, here's all the Pyrex I still need. Find it. But he actually, that was actually a Marketplace find too. And yeah, so that was, I feel like I'm really surprised with how much local stuff I've found that's a big find. And then, you know, just throughout I've really taken a liking to vintage sprinklers. If they're metal, like I have to have it, I use them to water my lawn. But I just think it's fun and they're cool. And I love bunnies. So I also collect any cute vintage bunny figurines. My mom had collected some Lefton when I was young and when she died, I kept all of that. So that has brought me on a trail of trying to finish, you know, like I didn't know when I was younger. I remember like, oh, this angel was a set of 3 or 4, and now I have to find them because she, there's only one left. So. But those are harder to, I feel like I've had a hard time finding those. Or people, which I remember we were going to throw that in a donate box and, you know, they go for $35 a figurine, which I think is expensive. So, you know, they're hard to find. But I was at a flea market, I think it was this summer, and I was at like in line to check out. I had found a pink striped bowl that was super cheap because it was it was a little faded. But we, you know, so that's one we just use in the kitchen. And I was standing in line and I saw one of those Lefton angel girls or poinsettia, I think it's a Lefton Poinsettia Girl and she just has like this poinsettia dress on. She's little. And I was like, oh my gosh. Like I saw one. And it was, you know, super cheap. It was like a dollar. So I was like, that was my every once in a while, you know, you get that like, I'm so excited about this. So yeah. So that's just kind of like, I end up getting into like, you know, if I start to see things repetitiously, sometimes they'll start to call my name and some things I'm just like, this is cute, I like it, I'm getting it. And then it just kind of starts a whole nother trail of junk. Yeah. My treasure. Right?
Bex Scott: [00:24:19] Yeah. It's easy to to fall into the next hole of collecting the next best thing. My other addictions are the little blue birds. They were my great grandmas. So I've started collecting those. And then the Merry Mushroom canisters and anything mushroom I love. So that's another issue that I have to deal with.
Kelli Szurek: [00:24:42] I know I also get in like that, I was a child of the 80s, so anything like Pound Puppies, Care Bears that's still in the box, I'm hooked. Like, oh, I have to have that.
Bex Scott: [00:24:54] Oh, I love Pound Puppies. I forgot about those. I had quite a few of those.
Kelli Szurek: [00:25:00] So now when I find like the old ones, I actually, one of my favorite finds was an antique store here, I live in Anoka, it was like a little bride and groom Pound Puppy set still in the box, like they are still in the box. So I was super excited about that. Like, I have to have it. So yeah, that's. And then Justin makes fun of me, like, oh, now you're on to something else. Okay.
Bex Scott: [00:25:24] Make more room in the house. I have another collection.
Kelli Szurek: [00:25:27] It's like, where are you going to put this? I'm like my grandma always said, if you want it, you'll find a spot for it.
Bex Scott: [00:25:32] That's very true. Yeah. So where would you say Pyrex collecting is headed? Do you think there's going to be crazy prices, a lack of available dishes? What are your thoughts on that?
Kelli Szurek: [00:25:48] Well, I do feel like as time goes on, right, they don't make Pyrex like this anymore so it's definitely going to get harder to find if people stop collecting it. You know, pricing, I always get a little frustrated with people online when somebody will post something for sale and people will comment like, this is a ridiculous price. I feel like things are worth what people are willing to pay for them. As somebody who has a very large Pyrex collection, I still want it to be worth something, you know, 50 years down the road. So I am hopeful that people will continue to collect, and I do want the price to stay high. So, you know, I want to find things for a steal. And I think that's what is really exciting about collecting some kind of antique item is it's, the hunt is fun, the hunt is part of the high, right? So I hope it continues. But I do see in my community a lot of young people, I also read, so I'll buy things in auction lots a lot, and I'll be going for one piece, but it comes in like this huge lot of other Pyrex or other stuff, and I'll resell that. And it is a lot of younger girls that are buying it because they're like, my grandma had this, I have to have it.
Kelli Szurek: [00:27:15] And so that does make me super happy that people still have that in them. And I do think like, I don't know about this generation, but there is a generation younger than me that is into like vintage stuff. And now people are into like, don't throw stuff into the landfill, like let's reuse, let's recycle, let's... so that's inspiring that hopefully people will continue thinking that way. Save the planet, don't buy new stuff. Use the old stuff. So I don't know where it's going to go, but I don't see it slowing down right now. In my experience, since 2020, it's only been three years, but I haven't seen it slowing down at all. And even like, I'll even look at some auction websites and just to see, like, what stuff's still going for, what are people still bidding at? And yeah, it's not slowing, it's not slowing down. I always think, oh, maybe as a reseller, I don't claim to just be a reseller, but if I have extra stuff or stuff that I got that I wasn't going for, I'll try to resell it and I'll go on those auction sites sometimes and think like, oh, maybe I can find something super cheap and resell it. But I mean, I feel like it's going for what it's worth. So.
Bex Scott: [00:28:36] Yeah, I agree, I'd like to see it continue and the younger generation get more into it. And I remember when I first started collecting, looking online for articles about Pyrex and it was mostly people, well, not mostly, but a lot of people getting angry about how there was a huge influx of collectors and resellers during the pandemic, and it was pushing prices up like crazy, and people were worried about where it was headed. But I think it's good if they're collecting it for the right reasons, and they love the dishes and they're going to pass them on to people and keep it going, I think that's awesome.
Kelli Szurek: [00:29:13] Right. If we have been spending this much money on it and it's at its highest cost or whatever, then you never want anything to go down in value after you've invested in it.
Bex Scott: [00:29:25] Mhm.
Kelli Szurek: [00:29:26] We'll see. We'll see what happens. I mean I don't see it going anywhere. People are still, people are still buying it. So it's good.
Bex Scott: [00:29:33] Mhm.
Kelli Szurek: [00:29:34] But I'm to the point now where you know, Justin will be like, we'll be at an antique store and he'll be like oh did you go over there, they have a room full of Pyrex. And I'm like, and he's like, do you have all of that? I'm like, maybe.
Bex Scott: [00:29:47] I might.
Kelli Szurek: [00:29:49] That is the point where I'm really just treasure hunting, you know, the more rare things. So it's, I definitely haven't been spending as much money because I never stumble across those right pieces unless I'm ready to pay what they're worth. And I don't want to do that.
Bex Scott: [00:30:07] And when I first started, I wasn't keeping track of what I was spending on it. So I'd hate to go back and calculate that because it would be a huge amount, because I was buying anything and everything I came across, and I had bajillions of duplicates, and I was trying to finish every pattern and I didn't get very far. But now I'm kind of, I've stuck to, I have my primary dishes and sets that I really love and then pink and turquoise. And now, like you, I'm going for the harder to find more rare pieces and selling off my extras to be able to pay for the more expensive ones.
Kelli Szurek: [00:30:48] Yes. Yeah, I do that too. Like if I resell anything on Facebook Marketplace, I'm like, okay, well, I'm going to take that money and put it towards this thing that I really, you know, this piece that I really want or kind of just set that aside, like, okay, well if I'm reinvesting then it doesn't seem as bad, right?
Bex Scott: [00:31:04] Yeah, exactly. And you mentioned that you're working on a Pyrex tattoo.
Kelli Szurek: [00:31:11] Oh yeah. So I love tattoos and I have been wanting a tattoo for a long time, but it was like, what do you pick, right? Like you can't have every single bowl tattooed on your body. And trying to narrow it down, and so I initially was going to be like, okay, I'm going to get a tattoo of the Cinderella Spring Blossom. It was what hooked me. So it's, you know, that's a really important piece to me. It has a lot of meaning and significance. And then I was, Justin was asking me because I'm like, I'm really going to try to come up with this idea, he's like, why don't you make your set of four of your favorites? I'm like, oh, that's a good idea, because then, I'm like, but still like, how do you pick four? That's even hard. So I'm still trying to figure that out, but my goal is to have it done in January.
Bex Scott: [00:32:05] I'm excited to see the finished product. That'll be awesome.
Kelli Szurek: [00:32:10] Me too! We'll see what it looks like.
Bex Scott: [00:32:12] Oh very cool. Well, I thought we would finish off with a bit of a game of underrated or overrated. So different patterns and dishes. So what are your thoughts on the Starburst Casserole? Underrated or overrated?
Kelli Szurek: [00:32:28] I think it's appropriately rated. It is the next big piece on my agenda to have. So I mean I guess I would say it's overrated. Don't buy it so I can.
Bex Scott: [00:32:44] That's an awesome answer.
Kelli Szurek: [00:32:45] Nobody needs that. Nobody needs that. Don't buy it. Leave it on the shelf for me.
Bex Scott: [00:32:50] I always see those posts come up when there's people who have like 7 or 8 of them at home and I'm like, how do you do that? I have never found one. I could use 1 or 2 of those. What about the Duchess?
Kelli Szurek: [00:33:09] Gosh, I don't even know what that is.
Bex Scott: [00:33:10] It's the the pink one with the little flowers. I think they're, it comes with the, there's a Libby glass set that goes with it and a carafe. That one's my holy grail.
Kelli Szurek: [00:33:21] Is it? Okay, I'm going to have to Google it because I honestly, see, you know more than I do. I don't even know what that is.
Bex Scott: [00:33:28] It's amazing.
Kelli Szurek: [00:33:28] Underrated because I don't know.
Bex Scott: [00:33:33] How about the primary set.
Kelli Szurek: [00:33:35] What is this girl doing on this podcast?
Bex Scott: [00:33:39] Nah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:33:40] The primary set? You know, I think it's underrated because it was like the first bright color piece ever to come out. It's such a staple to me. So I think it's underrated because people don't realize like how great it is. It's what started this madness.
Bex Scott: [00:33:57] Yeah, I agree, I'd say underrated as well. And the Opals?
Kelli Szurek: [00:34:02] The true Opals, I think that they're underrated. I have never seen true Opal. And I think that what's tricky about it is that it's hard to tell unless you, like, know certain things to look for. Sometimes it can, people will advertise that they have white Opal and it's, you know, another bowl with all the paint taken off of it. So it's tricky. So I think it's underrated.
Bex Scott: [00:34:30] I agree.
Kelli Szurek: [00:34:31] What about you? Do you have some?
Bex Scott: [00:34:32] No I wish. I always see the the Butter print with nothing on it at the store. And I get really excited. And then I walk up and, nope.
Kelli Szurek: [00:34:44] Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:34:45] Mm hmm. Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Kelli, for joining me today. It was great chatting with somebody who who loves Pyrex just as much as me. And I think now I'll probably have to get into the Fire-King and Hazel Atlas. And to get your advice.
Kelli Szurek: [00:35:04] It's another expensive rabbit hole. So.
Bex Scott: [00:35:07] It is.
Kelli Szurek: [00:35:08] But you know, it's fun. It's fun. I was going to say, too, I wanted to mention this on your on your podcast, but one of the things I get really excited about and all my friends make fun of me is if we go to a movie or watching TV and I see like Pyrex in the background because, you know.
Bex Scott: [00:35:22] Oh yeah.
Kelli Szurek: [00:35:22] Did you see they came out with Dear God, it's me, Margaret. And that takes place in like, the 70s. And so there was so much Pyrex and like, oh my gosh, do you see the Pyrex? Do you see the vintage? Like, look at their living room. It looks so amazing. And they're like, oh my God Kelli, no one cares.
Bex Scott: [00:35:40] I love watching shows on TV. I think there was an episode of Young Sheldon my son was watching, and I was standing there and pointing out all the Pyrex. He's like, oh, I'm trying to watch the show.
Kelli Szurek: [00:35:51] Right? It's just like so alluring when you see it. It's like, oh my gosh, did I just see that? I hope they go back to it because sometimes it'll be like a quick flip. I'm like, oh, rewind it. We have to go back and see what that was. Or Justin will be like, oh, I watched this girl on TikTok and she bakes and she uses her Pyrex. She's using, like, you know, green dot bowl. I'm like, why would you use that in your kitchen?
Bex Scott: [00:36:13] Don't break.
Kelli Szurek: [00:36:13] It. Don't put it in the dishwasher.
Bex Scott: [00:36:16] So yeah, there's some really cool sites where you can look up dishes and there's a whole list of different shows that they've been on and where you can buy them. So that's something fun to do. I found a set of Denby dishes at Value Village the other day, and I looked them up and it said that they were all on The Brady Bunch. And I used to love The Brady Bunch. Yeah, it's kind of a neat thing to look up.
Kelli Szurek: [00:36:41] Yeah. That's fun. Thank you.
Bex Scott: [00:36:45] Awesome. Well, thanks so much, Kelli.
Kelli Szurek: [00:36:47] Yes. You're welcome. And I'm excited to listen to all your episodes as they start coming out. It's exciting.
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Bex Scott shares her garage sale adventures, as both a buyer and a seller, in this episode. Garage sales can offer up vintage treasures among all the worthless items, and visiting the sales can require a bit of a strong mindset for negotiating, as Bex learned, and can be intimidating at times. But she also describes how the fun is not just in finding the valuable pieces but in meeting the people around them.
Bex has fond memories of visiting garage sales with her mom growing up, so she tries to take her oldest son with her when she visits the sales now. Some of the garage sales she visited throughout the summer offered up beautiful vintage Christmas decorations and the hidden gems of Pyrex sold cheap because it wasn’t able to be cleaned (Bex knows better). Other sales visited offered only eccentric encounters with the people running the sales and a learning curve in bartering. Bex then recounts what she learned from hosting her own garage sale and encourages collectors to be prepared when visiting to enjoy the finds and strangeness alike.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Contact Bex on her website—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott, and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Thanks so much for tuning in. So today I thought I would talk a little bit about garage sales, and I know that garage sales are not for everyone, but I've always loved them. And sadly, garage sale season is fully over here in Canada. We're located where it's starting to get rainy and a little bit chilly, and really not a lot of people, unless you're super brave, are deciding to have garage sales anymore. And I'm always jealous when I hear of people in the States or the warmer climates that can have a garage sale all year round. And this is something that I never really thought about before, but they can have a garage sale any weekend they want as long as the weather cooperates. And we definitely can't do that with all of the snow and the cold weather that we get here. So growing up, my parents would frequently have garage sales on the weekends. We'd set up our clothes and toys and get up super early because we were so excited. And I remember putting out my toys, people coming up and saying, oh, could I buy this? Can you give me change? And it just being a really great memory and then at the end, counting all our money and looking back at all the hard work that we put into these sales to come out with, I don't even know how much, an extra $30 or $40 as a kid, which was really fun.
Bex Scott: [00:01:54] So as I grew up, it changed into me going to other people's garage sales with my mom. We would look through the newspaper every week and circle the ones that were close to us, and pack up the car and go driving around to find these sales. And at that time, it was mostly me buying toys and Barbies and Polly Pockets and all of that kind of fun stuff as a young girl. And the tables really turned now with what I'm looking for as a vintage collector and a reseller. We live just outside of a small town in Alberta, where the population is around 8000 people. So it's not the smallest, but it is a lot smaller than what I came from growing up as a city girl. So I would say that a decent portion of the population is older here, and I did manage to make it out to some garage sales this summer. It was our first summer here, so trying to get a little bit of a lay of the land and see what the town is like, and it really didn't disappoint in terms of what is able to pick up and also some of the stories that I came out of these sales with.
Bex Scott: [00:03:04] So the first sale that I went to, and I try to take our oldest son with me when I go, he's 13 and he loves garage sales. He doesn't necessarily love vintage, but he does love coming with me and tagging along and seeing what we can find. So the first sale we went to was a mother/daughter sale. Both of them were selling off a whole bunch of vintage items that I'm sure were her parents'. Everything was priced really well and I have to give it to them, because when you walked in, you saw this legend with all these color coded sticky dots, and the dots corresponded with the items that they were selling, which worked really well. And I don't think there was anything that was over $5. So this was super ideal for a garage sale. So we're walking around and the first thing that my son sees is this super old vintage mop and broom set. And we have a young daughter as well, and he was hell bent on buying this set so that we could teach her how to clean. So that was the first item we got, and I guess coming up will be once she's old enough, she'll be learning how to clean the house with this little vintage set.
Bex Scott: [00:04:14] Next up, I don't know why, but I always seem to find lasagna pans. They're attracted to me for some reason. So I found a Verdi 933 lasagna pan for $3, and something that I thought was that I keep finding, I guess, out in the wild and at these sales is that people will use their Pyrex, but they won't clean them. I don't know if it's that they don't know how to properly clean them, or that they're just too lazy. I'm not sure, but a huge majority of these casserole dishes that I find have baked on grease, have markings from where the tin foil was resting on them, and they're put out for sale at super low prices. And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they think that they can't be fixed. So I love grabbing these dishes and using oven cleaner and peak to really give them a new life and to clean them up, and most of them end up looking brand new in the end. Things that I found were probably my favorite at this garage sale, and if you know me, you know that I love Christmas, so I found some awesome vintage Christmas items. The first one was called a Bubbling Electric Christmas Lamp, and a bunch of you will probably remember the little bubbling candlesticks that you could get for your tree that you just screwed into the light bulb base, and there's liquid in them, and the bubbles went up and down.
Bex Scott: [00:05:45] And this is an actual lamp that has one of them in it. It looks like one of the vintage oil lamps, but there's a little bubbling Christmas light inside, and it has holly berries in the bottom and a nice gold stand. So I thought that was pretty cool, because I remember having the bubbling lights on our tree and being a little kid and touching them and remembering them being really warm when you touch them and thinking, now, thinking back on that, I'm sure these ones were fine to put on the tree. But I've come across a lot of vintage Christmas lights that were wrapped in paper or had little paper lanterns, or were definitely now probably considered a huge fire hazard, but really beautifully designed and just pretty for trees and decorating. The next thing I found was an Alpine Village set of little lights on a string by Universal Lights, and it says, contains a set of ten miniature lights with eight cottages and a cathedral. And these are super cute. They're red, yellow, green, blue and white, and I'm really looking forward to setting them up this Christmas.
Bex Scott: [00:06:59] Okay, so next we went to another sale. Now this one I had reservations about going to. It was one of those sales that when you look up online, this one was on marketplace, and the pictures show a massive amount of could be junk, could be really great treasures, but either way, we went to it and we pulled up and we walked into the back and there was this massive detached garage, and they opened up the garage door and it was stuffed full to the brim from floor to ceiling, with what looked like could have been a liquidated antique store or just collections of things from over the years. And we looked around a little bit. There was a little old man that lived there. He came out and he started following us around. We went to the back of the garage sale, where they had a bunch of china cabinets set up, and the man came over, and this was really funny, he starts telling my son that he should be buying some of these super ancient looking rum bottles and booze bottles. And our son was looking at me like, what do I do? I don't know what to do. I don't need these bottles. But this man was convinced that they were meant for him and that he would really love to have them in his collection. Next up, I ended up getting myself into the world's most awkward price conversation, and it was over a lamp that I didn't necessarily even need. It was an old gold painted lamp with glass shades. Nothing too exciting, but I was thinking of maybe putting it in my daughter's room. So he pulls it off the shelf and there's a little sticky price tag on it that says $15. And he looks at me and he says, well, that was priced years ago, so make me an offer.
Bex Scott: [00:08:45] So I'm standing there thinking that he meant that it was so long ago that the price didn't make sense anymore, and that I could go lower because it really wasn't anything special. So I - side note, I hate negotiating, I'm the world's most passive person and talking about money makes me so uncomfortable - so I'm standing there fidgeting, holding my breath and I say, okay, $10. And he looks at me like he was the most offended he's ever been and says, this is very old, very old, you can't give me just $10. So then I panic and go the other way and I say $30. He still wasn't happy. So I tried backtracking and at this point I don't know what I'm doing. So I said to him, please suggest me a price. And this whole time his lovely wife was listening in and standing there drinking her coffee, obviously thinking this was hilarious and entertaining for her, and she says something to him and ends up just giving me the lamp for $15, which was on the sticker to begin with. But at this point, I want to get out of there because I'm uncomfortable. I feel bad for low balling him. And so he takes the lamp from me and he says, no, no, no, you have to go in. You have to keep looking. So we go back into the garage and I end up going into where the china cabinets were again, because his wife said there might be some Pyrex back there.
Bex Scott: [00:10:19] Realizing that there wasn't, we turn around and he's there, standing, blocking the only exit out of this garage and pointing at things, just saying how old and nice they were, how we should take them. And I'm starting to panic because we can't get out and he's not making any move to leave. I think me and my son, we ended up standing there for a good, awkward five minutes until he decided to move on and find something else in the garage or go talk to somebody else. But I'm obviously not capable of going to garage sales without adult supervision because this one, I have to say, was a little bit stressful. But that didn't stop us from going to a few more that day. Our next stop was at an elderly couple's house where it looked like they were downsizing. This sale, I have to say, started off strong. We walked in and right as we started looking around, everyone in the garage stopped and someone brought out a birthday cake with lit candles. So we're standing there awkward and everybody starts singing around us, so we decide the only thing we can do is to join in. We start singing Happy Birthday to a random man in this garage, and it ended up being kind of the highlight of our day. But moving on to some of the things that we found there, I wanted to bring up this set of bowls that I found because, as you know, I'm a Pyrex lover, but I found a set of Hazel-Atlas bowls that were pretty cool.
Bex Scott: [00:11:49] So if you haven't heard of Hazel-Atlas spaghetti string bowls, now, I don't know if that's the correct term for them, but this is what I found when I googled them. These bowls were four little serving bowls and a large salad bowl, and the ones that I found were white milk glass with a yellow gold spaghetti string design, which I believe is called Hazel-Atlas spaghetti string butterscotch. And it looked like someone had taken paint and drizzled it all over the bowls. And the best part was the woman comes over and she looks at me and she says, I was given these bowls for my wedding 60 years ago, and they've never seen the light of day. And this is what makes garage saleing so fun, is that you actually get the back stories from people on who gave them these items, why they have them, why they're getting rid of them. And that makes it even more special when you add them to your collection. So to finish off, I thought I would tell you a little bit about the garage sale that I decided to have over the summer.
Bex Scott: [00:12:54] So during the pandemic, I had gone a little bit crazy with my collecting, and I ended up with around 60 banker's boxes of vintage items. And these items started with me at a whole other house. I started collecting, and they just kept adding up and adding up and I was making sales, so that's great. But at this point, my Poshmark and my Marketplace sales had slowed down, and I was honestly tired of seeing it hanging around, and some of these items were things that I had thought would sell and hadn't yet. And a large portion of it was actually Pyrex. Pyrex dishes that I started collecting, thought I was going to continue with that pattern, and then kind of went on to the next one and abandoned it. So I had a ton of vintage Pyrex. I had mugs, figurines, a whole bunch of brass. I think I should do a whole episode on brass, because my husband hates it so much that I try to keep it out of the house. The other day I was listing a whole bunch of things in the basement, and he came across this box of brass. It was actually a cereal box that I had stuffed all the brass into, and he was like, what is this, I thought you got rid of these. I started to panic a little bit. Don't worry, I'm going to sell them. They're going. They're leaving the house. Don't worry. Anyway, so I decided to have this garage sale and we live out in the country so I had it in the city at my parents house, and I was a little bit nervous about it because I had so many items and I didn't want to sell them too low, but I didn't want to go too high, so pricing them was an issue.
Bex Scott: [00:14:36] We spent probably a good five hours the night before unboxing everything, setting it up, trying to put stickers on things. I even attempted to do the color coordinated dot, but I had so many items that I ended up pricing maybe a quarter of them, and then leaving the rest and just hoping I would price them throughout the day or that people would ask me how much things cost, and then I would just kind of negotiate with them from there. Little did I know, that was a mistake. And now looking back on it, I think that was a no-no of garage sailing etiquette. So I set this garage sale to start at 9:00. And I didn't know that people lined up for hours before to get into these sales first. So I'm looking out the window, and my parents are like, there's a guy sitting out there in his car. So I start panicking. Do I let him in? Do I not let him in? I think at the end of the day, I ended up letting him in a few minutes early. But I go out there and I open the garage sale, and this guy gets out of his car and he's making a big production of stretching, and he's yawning and groaning. I'm like, oh, great, here we go, this is my first customer and it's already not going well.
Bex Scott: [00:15:55] So he walks up and he says, I was beginning to think this was the wrong house. Well, I had it set for 9:00 and he just walked by. I said good morning and he kind of just huffed past me. So he starts looking around. And he's asking me what prices are. He said there's no price tags on these things. I said, yeah, I know I haven't gotten around to all of it yet, but feel free to ask me if you're curious about something and I'll let you know. So he's going around and instantly you can tell he's a reseller. He's looking at the Pyrex, he has his phone out, he's googling things, so he asks me how much for this, like mint condition set of spring blossom Pyrex dishes. And I think I ended up saying, both of these are $35. And at this point, somebody else had come into the garage and it was one of his friends or a reseller that he knew. And he looked at this guy and he said, well, I guess that's why it's called a vintage sale. And at this point I'm panicking because I'm obviously messing up the garage sale already, don't know what to do. So he looks at me and says, how much would you want for everything here? And in the back of my mind I had kind of thought of a number already in case this had happened. I didn't think he was, I don't think he was being serious, but he said, throw out a number. So I said, well, for everything I would want $2,000. And he looks at me and says, well, that would be all the money I had for the whole day and walks out.
Bex Scott: [00:17:36] And so I felt like I had started off my garage sale on a strong note, and it was quickly becoming something that I was not familiar with, and I felt like I was a little bit in over my head. So as the day progressed, things got a little better. I realized that I needed to put stickers on things. I needed to lower the prices and just hope for the best. So another big portion of the garage sale items that I had were CorningWare casseroles. And I found it really funny because I tried to price these relatively low to get rid of them. I don't collect CorningWare, but I found a lot of success over the years in reselling it, and there are some pieces that go for a lot more than others like the brownie pans, the pie plates, the little petites with the plastic lids. Those are the more sought after pieces and not so much the everyday casserole dishes. So I had a bunch of just the run of the mill casseroles in my sale, some of the teapots, and I remember people coming in and saying, oh, you're selling these for like $1 to $5, that's way too cheap, these things are worth a ton of money. And then kind of giggling to myself, because the person before them had told me that I had priced them way too high in that same price range, and that I wouldn't sell any of them.
Bex Scott: [00:19:06] So it's funny how different people perceive things to have different values. And I know as a collector and somebody who buys off of eBay and Marketplace, that there's been a lot of conversations in groups around these CorningWare dishes that have been selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and there's been suspected money laundering happening through them. And this has kind of skewed people's perception and skewed people listing this CorningWare on these places for the proper price, so it could be your regular Spice of Life casserole, but it's being sold on eBay for $8,000, when really it's worth like $5 or $10. So it's just interesting that things like that are happening and that it's hard to price things to make everybody happy because you can't. So you have to go in with the best price for you and what you believe to be the best price for things.
Bex Scott: [00:20:06] And to wrap up, I thought I would go over a few of the other funny things that I experienced in my garage sale. So in the end, we ended up having about 4 or 5 weekends of garage sales because I had so many items to get rid of and we were doing quite well with them. And some of the highlights of my garage sales were definitely people complaining about prices being too high or too low. One man came in and told me that he was very upset because I didn't have any items for men. Another woman told me that she goes to many, many garage sales and that my items probably wouldn't sell. I had some really old vintage squeaker toys and they were both for a dollar, and somebody asked me if they could have them for $0.25 because all they were going to was his dog as a chew toy. And this kind of just made the whole experience a little bit more fun in the end, because I got to look back and think of all of the funny things that I came across, all the funny things that were said to me, and I would say garage sales are definitely not for the faint of heart. But if you are up for putting in the effort and taking the time, it is really fun because you do get the experience of meeting people and making connections and just having some fun while you're at it. I did come across a bunch of awesome other resellers that came to my sale, and we've connected since then. And my final story is, I remember one lady telling me that she got the full pumpkin set of butterprint Cinderella dishes for $65 at a garage sale. And that right there is my dream. So garage sales will always be near and dear to my heart, and I'll always keep going to them.
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Host Bex Scott welcomes guest Danielle of The Mid-Century Maximalists on Instagram to the show for Bex’s very first interview episode. Bex and Danielle talk about all things Pyrex, why Danielle started collecting, her amazing ceramics collection, and the joy of being a vintage collector in a modern world.
In a similar story to Bex’s, Danielle came to her love of vintage and Pyrex through her grandparents. She inherited several sets of Pyrex, including the Friendship and Butterprint patterns, and many of those pieces that hold sentimental value remain on display in Danielle’s house. She explains to Bex that many of her thrifted or purchased pieces, however, she uses on a daily basis. Danielle describes the eclectic maximalist decor she prefers, some of the many ceramics pieces her grandmother and great-grandmother handmade, and trades stories about favorite Pyrex and vintage items with Bex. This episode sheds light on why collectors love the hunt of collecting, the value of the pieces that goes beyond financial, and how to decorate with vintage finds.
Resources discussed in this episode:
Danielle on The Mid-Century Maximalists on Instagram‘Merry Mushrooms’ collectors guidePyrex Love Pattern ReferenceThe ‘Pyrex and Corning beaker-decorated mug’English (JAJ) Pyrex Reference Guide“Pyrex Passion” by Michael D. Barber—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex With Bex podcast, where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey everyone, this is Bex Scott and you're listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. In today's episode, I'm joined by Danielle, the Mid-Century Maximalists on Instagram. We chat about why she started collecting Pyrex and vintage, her awesome ceramic collection, and what it's like being a vintage lover. Okay, so hey everyone, I'm super excited for today's episode because I'm here with my very first guest and I'd like to welcome Danielle to the show. Thanks so much for being here.
Danielle: [00:00:58] Thanks for having me.
Bex Scott: [00:00:59] And you can find Danielle on Instagram at the Mid-Century Maximalists. And it was actually on Instagram that we met. And I was impressed right away by your amazing Pyrex collection. And then I read your first post all about why you started collecting and why it's so important to you. And I'd love to start off with that story here today.
Danielle: [00:01:20] So my entire life I've always been a bit eclectic, and I spent a lot of my childhood at my grandmother's house. Wasn't one that wanted to just go out and party or anything like that. I just loved spending time with my grandmother, and her entire house was decked out in 70s garb, a lot of Merry Mushroom, a lot of Pyrex that has been handed down. And so it's things that I was familiar with my entire childhood. And then about three years ago, I lost my grandparents within two weeks of each other due to Covid. And since then, it's just kind of spiraled, collecting things that remind me of them because it makes me feel close to them. So it's been a hobby that kind of hit me out of nowhere, but it's fun.
Bex Scott: [00:02:12] Definitely. And I love stories like that, where it's more than just going out and finding things that you like. It's some kind of memory that's brought up when you find things or when they're passed down to you, and it's a great way to keep people in your life, even after they're not with us anymore. And that's kind of similar to my story. I got into it because of my grandparents, but it was more that we were cleaning out my granny and grandpa's garage, and we found some of my great aunt's Pyrex in a Rubbermaid bin. And that's kind of what set things off for me. And it spiraled into an addiction as well.
Danielle: [00:02:50] What pattern was it?
Bex Scott: [00:02:52] It wasn't anything super exciting. It was the lime green lasagna pan. And then I had some primary bowls. But after I found the primary bowls, that was my very first pattern or set that I collected. And I think I ended up with about 5 or 6 full primary sets. Way too many. You don't need that many ever. But I ended up selling them eventually, and I think I kept two and then a reverse primary. So I have those ones still. But yeah, it's easy to get swept up in it.
Danielle: [00:03:24] It really is. Every antique store you go to.
Bex Scott: [00:03:28] Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle: [00:03:29] It's the thrill of the hunt, though.
Bex Scott: [00:03:31] It is. It's a huge adrenaline rush. And then you have huge boxes and piles, and - at least I do. I have, I think, 60 banker's boxes of vintage items in my basement. Now that's become me having to resell things because I have so much. But it's fun, so it keeps me going.
Danielle: [00:03:53] Yeah, I wish I had a basement so that I could hoard some more things, but I unfortunately live in a ranch so I don't have that much for like room for storage. So whenever I cycle things out, I have to purge.
Bex Scott: [00:04:09] That's probably a good thing. That's what my husband would prefer, I think, because he's the one who helps me pack everything to ship and then pack it away in the basement, and he's a very patient man. Thank goodness.
Danielle: [00:04:22] We love to hear it.
Bex Scott: [00:04:23] Yeah. So do you have a specific pattern of Pyrex that was passed down to you that you really love?
Danielle: [00:04:31] So my family, I live in Georgia, but my family is originally from Pennsylvania and up there it was really prominent to have Pyrex, so there was a lot of patterns. And predominantly my favorite one that I've gotten is the Friendship pattern, but I've inherited the Friendship, there's several primary sets, there's the Amish Butterprint. There's quite a few that are within my family line. In fact, my mother still uses what she was gifted as a wedding present almost daily. She has this really neat, it's a complete yellow set, and I've been searching for one as I thrift because she won't give it to me. But she has that. And then she has this really cool casserole dish that's like a hunter green, and it has gold detailing on it. So there's quite a bit of Pyrex that I have inherited. My partner actually inherited the Sunflower pattern, so we have that too. So a lot of what we have on display in our cabinets at home are things that we inherited because of how sentimental they are to us.
Bex Scott: [00:05:56] That's awesome. And do you guys use them every day as well, or do you display them and keep them there?
Danielle: [00:06:02] We don't use the ones that were handed down, but we do use ones we have thrifted and antiqued simply because while they may look the same, it doesn't hold the same sentimental value. So we keep those put up safe. We've got a zoo of animals. You'll probably see a cat or two pop in here at some point. So because of that, we like to keep those types of things safe and away from the animals.
Bex Scott: [00:06:34] That's a good idea. My cat has definitely knocked a few knickknacks off of tables and desks before, so it's a dangerous hobby when you have pets.
Danielle: [00:06:47] Yeah, and we've got three large breed rescues.
Bex Scott: [00:06:51] Oh, wow.
Danielle: [00:06:53] A pit/boxer, a lab/hound, and a husky. So they're not well behaved.
Bex Scott: [00:07:02] That's okay. They sound very cute.
Danielle: [00:07:08] They are.
Bex Scott: [00:07:09] Nice. Most of my collection I keep in china cabinets, and then we ended up using the Homestead pattern as our daily Pyrex dishes. So all of those ones, I find that they wash really well, and they just go with pretty much everything in our house. So that ended up being something that we use and my husband likes them.
Danielle: [00:07:33] So we use the Corelle dish set, the ones that kind of match all a lot of the Pyrex patterns. So we use those as our everyday dishes, which is fun. That and I've also got my grandmother's, they're the cubist glasses, Indiana glass.
Bex Scott: [00:07:53] Okay.
Danielle: [00:07:53] I can't think of the name of them, but I've got her set, so we use those as our drinking glasses.
Bex Scott: [00:07:59] Nice. I've always wanted to incorporate some vintage glasses or barware into our kitchen, but we have three kids and they're pretty young still, so right now it would be too dangerous, I think.
Danielle: [00:08:14] Yeah, we're lucky enough, I guess lucky enough, that we don't have kids yet, so we can dabble in all that type of stuff. Once we have kids, I will have to be a bit more careful with where I place certain things, because I have a lot of ceramics that have been handed down to me, and if a kid hurts them, I will cry.
Bex Scott: [00:08:35] Oh, I think I would too. Yeah. And those are the ceramics that, was it your grandmother that made them?
Danielle: [00:08:44] My great grandmother and my grandmother.
Bex Scott: [00:08:46] Okay. And what kind of ceramics are they?
Danielle: [00:08:50] Oh, I've got some for every holiday. So right now I've got a little village out that has a tree with a vulture on it, and kids trick or treating, a ghost popping out of a casket, a little graveyard. It's super neat. Then I've also got a ceramic pumpkin that she, my grandmother, painted, made and painted, so that's pretty cool. And then I have a couple different ghost ceramics, a black cat ceramic, a house that's very similar to the village, but it's set up inside of a house. Things that I've never seen other people have, which is pretty cool. I've also got a turkey and a pilgrim and an Indian, which probably isn't kosher anymore, but my grandmother made them, so I hold on to them. And then for Christmas, I've got all sorts of things. But you name a holiday - Valentine's Day, Easter - I've got ceramics for it.
Bex Scott: [00:09:58] That's awesome. I would love to decorate my house for every season with ceramics like that, and I think I saw them in the little highlight on your Instagram story.
Danielle: [00:10:08] Those were the ones that I most recently was able to convince my mother to let me steal. Yeah, that's the little graveyard and the house. I've never seen anybody else have anything like that. So they're super special to me because I can remember just being little and thinking they were the neatest things and playing with them and then getting yelled at for playing with them. Rightfully so. So, yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:10:37] Yeah, I think I crushed some little reindeer figurines that my granny had when I was little, and my dad always brings it up when we're at family functions. And he reminds me that he told me just for looking, not for touching. And then I took them in my hand and I squished them. And so...
Danielle: [00:11:00] Oh boy.
Bex Scott: [00:11:00] Hopefully my kids don't do that with any of, I have a whole bunch of little bluebirds that I collect because my great grandma collected those as well. So I have to make sure the kids stay away from those.
Danielle: [00:11:12] Keep them up high.
Bex Scott: [00:11:13] Yeah. So what's the thrifting like where you live? Is it pretty good, or...?
Danielle: [00:11:21] I'm right outside of Atlanta. So unfortunately the market's kind of like saturated around here. It just doesn't seem like as many antiques. There wasn't as much Pyrex down here. There wasn't a whole lot of ceramics down here. So you do, like, bump into those things from time to time. But that just doesn't seem to be what people's ancestors down here had. So anything that is down here pretty much migrated with someone from the North. I find that when we travel, we have better luck. We went to Louisville to visit my partner's uncle and I found a ceramic wall hanging Christmas tree, and I was really pumped about that, like found it at Goodwill. That type of stuff does not happen down here. Unfortunately, our Goodwills are dumbly overpriced, like 20 bucks for a pair of pants and they're picked over and they're just not that great here. But we've got family all over, so we've got to travel quite a few times throughout the year. So we hit those places up. So like Florida and Pennsylvania and Ohio and Kentucky, just not, it's just not booming around here. I guess maybe too many resellers.
Bex Scott: [00:12:43] Yeah, that's like my area as well. Everybody seems to be getting into reselling and collecting. And I'm in a small town between two large cities, and there's a nice little pocket of Salvation Army and a few other Value Village stores that are really nice for finding things. But the further out you get, the harder it is to find good deals, like you said, and especially with Pyrex, the price seems to be going up where they'll have a dishwasher damaged bowl for $20. And it's just, it's kind of ridiculous and it makes it not as fun in that sense. You have to start looking online for things that you want to add to your collection, but that's okay. It's all part of it.
Danielle: [00:13:28] Yeah. I mean, I still enjoy the hunt. I still go to the antique stores. I've paid some stupid prices for things that I just wanted.
Bex Scott: [00:13:37] Yeah. Me too.
Danielle: [00:13:38] You don't see them every day, so, like, you know what?
Bex Scott: [00:13:42] Yeah, it's worth it at that point.
Danielle: [00:13:43] I'll take it. But whenever I try and purge things around here, like, I don't try and do that. Like, I'm not in it for the money. I just want to kind of get out maybe what I put into it or part of what I put into it. So I don't full blown re, like I wouldn't call myself a reseller. I just have to purge from time to time because I can't hoard everything. I know that I'm a maximalist, but, at some point...
Bex Scott: [00:14:14] Yeah. What's the best piece of Pyrex you found thrifting? If there is one that you can think of.
Danielle: [00:14:22] At an actual thrift store, I don't think I've ever actually found Pyrex, at least none that wasn't dishwasher damage, because I find, I find that kind of stuff all the time. I did find a pretty neat Corelle dish thrifting one time, but as far as like antiquing goes, the coolest one that I found, I'm trying to think, I've got several unique pieces, that I think the Pueblo pattern is the coolest one I've found out and about. It's probably my favorite piece in there.
Bex Scott: [00:14:57] Yeah, that one's beautiful. And then I noticed you have the Kim Chee as well.
Danielle: [00:15:03] I do have the Kim Chee.
Bex Scott: [00:15:04] And then the Navajo.
Danielle: [00:15:06] So the Navajo, fun story, we pretty much were given that one when we were in Ohio by someone we met. It was their grandmother's, and they made us swear up and down that we were gonna take care of it. Like absolutely! Brand new. Never used. And I was like, of course I will take care of this. It's in good hands. So I was pretty pumped about that one.
Bex Scott: [00:15:32] Those are definitely ones that you would never find out in the wild here. That would be, maybe not even in an antique store. I don't think I've ever found any of those patterns.
Danielle: [00:15:43] All three of those come from Ohio.
Bex Scott: [00:15:46] Okay, I need to go to Ohio.
Danielle: [00:15:50] My partner's father lives up there, and every single time we go up we make him take us to all of the antique stores. And he moans and groans while we have the time of our lives. Um, but good prices on them, too. The Pueblo we paid like 40 bucks for, it's pristine, was definitely never used. So we typically have really good luck when we go up there. So definitely hit up Ohio sometime.
Bex Scott: [00:16:20] Yeah, I've never been. It's on my list now. We went to Portland, Maine just this past summer, and my aunt took me around to a bunch of different shops, and there was one, I still have regrets that I didn't buy way more at the store, but they had a whole bunch of the Pyrex Christmas mugs that were given to staff every year as gifts. And I only bought one, and this one mug was $54 US, which was way more because of the Canadian dollar. Our dollar is terrible right now, but I should have bought all five of them and I still have nightmares about it.
Danielle: [00:17:05] Yeah, we have a pretty unique one that must have been only in-house, like Pyrex only gave it to their employees, but it has like beakers across it and it says it says Pyrex on one side, and then it says Corning on the other, which I thought was pretty cool.
Bex Scott: [00:17:27] That is cool. I don't think I've ever seen that.
Danielle: [00:17:30] I'll have to message you a picture of it.
Bex Scott: [00:17:33] Yeah. That's awesome. Very cool. So do you have a specific style that you like to decorate your house in, or is it kind of just eclectic from the things that you've collected or...?
Danielle: [00:17:46] It's very 70s. So the room I'm sitting in right now, obviously I've got this old Afghan, um, but we have a record cabinet, lots of vintage records, and our main living room is painted like a 70s bright orange, and it's all 70s garb. So pretty much anything that my grandmother would have had in her house, we have here, minus a couple things, because there were some things, like the Ivy dishes, that just never tickled my fancy. But we love cross-stitch. We have it all over our walls. Love ceramics, obviously love stained glass, love Pyrex, love... You name it, we probably have it.
Bex Scott: [00:18:41] That's awesome. It sounds like I'd love your house.
Danielle: [00:18:45] You'll have to come out sometime.
Bex Scott: [00:18:49] My one room, my office that I'm in right now, is the one that I decorate. And the rest of the house is just... my husband doesn't have the same style as me, so we've kind of come to some kind of middle ground with decor. As long as I don't put brass in the house because he really doesn't like brass, which kills me because I keep finding some amazing brass pieces.
Danielle: [00:19:12] Luckily, my partner and I have the same style. We both really caught on to certain things because of our grandmothers. So I mean, we've, I see you've got the Merry Mushroom canisters behind you, but we use ours.
Bex Scott: [00:19:29] That's awesome.
Danielle: [00:19:32] A lot of the things that we do collect, we try and make functional. If we can. Not everything, like some of the Pyrex obviously we don't want to touch, but yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:19:49] If you had one, I guess, Pyrex pattern or dish and one just random vintage piece, what would you want? Like what's your unicorn or your holy grail piece of vintage? And then Pyrex?
Danielle: [00:20:05] I'm going to stick with my Friendship dishes simply because those were passed down through my family. Like there was other ones, but for some reason I'm just stuck on those Friendship ones. I can remember, like my grandmother having them, I can remember my great grandmother having them. So it's one of those things that that would definitely be my Pyrex dish. As far as things that are hanging on the wall, I'm trying to think because there's several good things. Oh, I know what my other one would be. My cast iron cat that my partner hates.
Bex Scott: [00:20:50] That's awesome.
Danielle: [00:20:54] Yeah, I have, um, I have old vintage ceramic and cast iron cats almost in every single room. And my partner says they're creepy.
Bex Scott: [00:21:05] Cats are great, and there's luckily a lot of vintage out there with cats.
Danielle: [00:21:10] I actually just found a mug this past weekend, not this past weekend, two weekends ago, and it's an old piece of pottery and it has like cats painted on it. And my mom was like, oh God, please, no. And I was like, how much? And they were like $0.50. And I was like, done.
Bex Scott: [00:21:28] Sold.
Danielle: [00:21:29] Um, so yeah, no, I definitely would need to keep one of my cast iron cats. But that was also one of the things that my family members always had them. I have a great aunt, in Pennsylvania, and she's got quite a few of them. And I hate to break it to my partner, but they're all coming here.
Bex Scott: [00:21:56] You can just start hiding things around the house. They'll just start appearing.
Danielle: [00:22:01] She's tried to create, like a one item per room rule, that I can only specifically pick one item because I try and pick the most eclectic things.
Bex Scott: [00:22:16] That makes it fun.
Danielle: [00:22:17] If there's if there's a Bigfoot statue, definitely putting that in my house. So my partner has her opinions, but sometimes I get the veto.
Bex Scott: [00:22:29] Yeah. And we have a running joke in the house right now. I have a horse cross stitch, it's huge, I don't know who made it, but it's in a massive wood frame and it keeps moving around our house. It started above our bed and then I think now it's above our toilet and I have no idea where it's going to end up next. But I have it listed for sale. But until it sells, we just keep moving it around because none of us like it. So.
Danielle: [00:22:59] That's hilarious.
Bex Scott: [00:23:03] Nice.
Danielle: [00:23:03] Is that the only cross that you have?
Bex Scott: [00:23:06] I have a ton of flowers and they're all listed for sale. I want to keep all of them because my goal was to make a big cross stitch, cruel needlepoint wall behind me at my desk here. But I have trouble committing to a certain style and a certain type of...
Danielle: [00:23:26] You just got to throw them up like, turn mine, like ours doesn't match.
Bex Scott: [00:23:34] Oh, that looks great. Yeah. I love that.
Danielle: [00:23:35] But that we find things and we just throw it on the wall.
Bex Scott: [00:23:39] Yeah. My hope is to find a mushroom needlepoint or cross stitch that will go with my theme that I have going on with the Merry Mushroom.
Danielle: [00:23:48] That would be really cool. You could make one.
Bex Scott: [00:23:51] That's true. I have to learn how to.
Danielle: [00:23:53] My partner cross stitches.
Bex Scott: [00:23:54] Oh, really?
Danielle: [00:23:56] She loves it.
Bex Scott: [00:23:58] Maybe she'll have to do one for me.
Danielle: [00:24:01] I mean she would. She also sews.
Bex Scott: [00:24:03] Oh, I'll hire her. She's hired.
Danielle: [00:24:06] She's a jack of all trades.
Bex Scott: [00:24:08] Nice. Yeah. I haven't gotten into the cross stitch yet, but I even have a bunch of kits that I could start. That might be my...
Danielle: [00:24:15] We have a bunch of kits, too.
Bex Scott: [00:24:19] Yeah, those ones are easy to collect as well.
Danielle: [00:24:22] They are. You find them out and about quite frequently. At least I do around here, because I guess people will clean out their grandparents houses and they think that nobody knows how to do that type of stuff anymore. But like, there's plenty of people that do. Plus, it's pretty easy to like pick up if you put your mind to it. If you don't have ADHD like me because I started one and just haven't gone back to it. But maybe one day.
Bex Scott: [00:24:56] It'll be there when you're ready.
Danielle: [00:24:59] Yeah, it's how most of my projects go. I get about halfway and then I'm like, on to the next one.
Bex Scott: [00:25:06] Yeah, next thing. Well, I picked up a bunch of Christmas cross stitch kits in an estate sale a couple of days ago, so maybe I'll do one for Christmas.
Danielle: [00:25:17] That'd be awesome. You could also crochet some snowflakes to put on your Christmas tree.
Bex Scott: [00:25:22] Yeah, I think I have some of those from my grandma. Those are nice.
Danielle: [00:25:27] My partner's been on the hunt for a pink Christmas tree.
Bex Scott: [00:25:31] Ooh, that would be amazing. Then would you do vintage decorations?
Danielle: [00:25:35] We already have vintage decorations on one of our trees. We have a white one and then just a regular one. And I think, I think last year we put the vintage on the white Christmas tree. I can't remember, but we do have like vintage shatterproof ornaments. I actually have a bunch of ornaments my great grandmother handmade, but I'm too afraid with all of the animals that they'll get broken and they're kind of not replaceable. Our cats like to climb the trees and eat the trees, so we haven't found a way to stop them. We've tried all sorts of things to get them out, but because of that, I just keep them away safe.
Bex Scott: [00:26:27] That's a good idea.
Danielle: [00:26:31] Have you noticed any of your kids getting into, like, collecting?
Bex Scott: [00:26:35] That's a good question. I've tried. My oldest son, he's 13, and he comes to Value Village and Goodwill and all the garage sales with me. He doesn't love anything vintage, really, but he likes coming and looking for things with me. And it's, I think it's the thrill of the hunt for him as well. And then when I go out and I come back home, he'll say, Oh, are those more bowls in that box, or Did you buy more bowls today? I definitely did, and then I threaten, we have a nine year old son as well, I threaten them that this will be their inheritance one day, that they're going to have all of these bowls and Pyrex bowls to give to whoever they want, and they can sell it if they want, but it's all coming to them. We have an 11 month old as well and I'm hoping that she'll be the one that kind of turns into the Pyrex vintage lover. So starting off early.
Danielle: [00:27:33] I'm sure. Yeah, I'm sure as they get older they'll get into it because it's something I never appreciated when I was younger. I was always like, why don't you, like, redo everything? Because this is kind of outdated.
Bex Scott: [00:27:47] Yeah, yeah. And then you end up falling in love with the vintage items, and then you reverse time and then you don't go with the new, updated, renovated house stuff. It's like a blast from the past, which I really like.
Danielle: [00:28:01] Yeah. My friends will come in the house and be like, whoa, these are some bright colors. And I'm like, you can go home to your agreeable gray walls anytime you want.
Bex Scott: [00:28:13] Yeah, go home and stare at your white walls.
Danielle: [00:28:18] Exactly. So, I mean, to each their own, I guess.
Bex Scott: [00:28:22] Exactly.
Danielle: [00:28:27] What's your favorite piece in your room?
Bex Scott: [00:28:30] Oh. Good question. I have a cabinet on my right here that's full of all my pink Pyrex and my pink Gooseberry. So I'd say probably the pink Gooseberry. And then I have the glasses that go with the Duchess set. I think they're the Libby glasses. The Duchess casserole is my number one need to find one day Pyrex dish, so I'm always on the lookout for that. I found it online, but it's so expensive.
Danielle: [00:29:02] Yeah, that one is rather expensive.
Bex Scott: [00:29:04] Yeah, yeah. So maybe, maybe one day when I win the lottery, that'll be my next big collectible.
Danielle: [00:29:15] When did you kind of get into collecting?
Bex Scott: [00:29:18] I got into collecting at the beginning of the pandemic. So before that, I didn't really know anything about Pyrex. It was always just like the measuring cup that my mom had that I don't think was even very old. It just said Pyrex on it. And that's kind of what I thought it was. And then after we cleaned out my grandparents garage, that's when I realized that there was this whole world of vintage Pyrex out there, and it kind of just spiraled after that. And that's been fun collecting everything and finding new pieces. And at the beginning, when I first started collecting, I would essentially buy everything that I found, even if it was dishwasher damaged or it was way overpriced. So I was spending all of this money on things that probably weren't even in good condition or worth it. Now I'm way more selective, but it was, yeah, it's so easy to do when you're learning and trying to figure out what patterns are and what things might be worth, and if they're even Pyrex at all. So.
Danielle: [00:30:25] Yeah, it really is, because, I mean there's some things that aren't even like marked Pyrex. I have one, I'm getting rid of it, but I have one that's I think it's from England.
Bex Scott: [00:30:36] Oh yeah. The JAJ.
Danielle: [00:30:37] It's their version, I can't remember what it says on the bottom, but it's their version of Pyrex. So like I have that and that's pretty cool. But I would have known nothing about it before I started getting into this. I would have been like, oh, that's not Pyrex, and just like, moved on from it. So the more you learn. My partner actually bought this really neat book off of Amazon, and it goes through like the history of each pattern and details it. We use that as a guideline at all times, because it tells you so much about different promotional pieces and stuff like that.
Bex Scott: [00:31:20] Is that the Pyrex passion book?
Danielle: [00:31:22] I think it is. Yeah.
Bex Scott: [00:31:23] This one.
Danielle: [00:31:25] Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is our Bible.
Bex Scott: [00:31:30] Yeah, I have it on my iPad. And then I went and bought the the paperback version. And then there's a second one that came out as well that has even more in it. So that one's great.
Danielle: [00:31:41] I do laugh at their like suggested prices because I'm like, yeah, try and tell, try and tell most people that. Like they're not, I think I was looking and it had like the Butter print as like the entire set for like $75. And I'm like yeah, okay.
Bex Scott: [00:32:01] Yeah.
Danielle: [00:32:03] Tell me where you can find that for that.
Bex Scott: [00:32:05] That would be great. But yeah.
Danielle: [00:32:07] That's what I'm saying. So I do find the prices they list comical.
Bex Scott: [00:32:14] Yeah. Pricing is one thing that's always very controversial, I find. I'm part of a bunch of Pyrex groups on Facebook, and there's a lot of them that just flat out say you're not allowed to ask if you did good buying this, because if you like it, it's worth it. And we can't tell you if the price is good or not.
Danielle: [00:32:36] I am not a part of them on Facebook because I don't really have Facebook, but I am a part of a couple Pyrex groups on Reddit and some of the finds they post on there are insane.
Bex Scott: [00:32:52] I haven't looked at Reddit for Pyrex groups. That's a good suggestion.
Danielle: [00:32:58] On Pyrex groups and Animal Crossing groups. Gotta love it. Yeah, my partner actually named her Animal Crossing Island Pyrexia.
Bex Scott: [00:33:11] That's great.
Danielle: [00:33:13] Is there anything else that you collect other than, like, the mushrooms and the Pyrex?
Bex Scott: [00:33:17] Mushrooms, Pyrex, little bluebirds. What else do I collect? Secretly, I collect brass. It's in a box that my husband can't, well, he found it the other day, but there's a bunch of - I thought he couldn't find it, but it was in a cereal box, I talk about this in one of my other episodes, but it was packed away in a cereal box in our basement, and he found it and opened it, and he said, What is this? I said, oh, that's just my brass. I'm selling it. Don't worry, it's going on Marketplace. But I do like brass.
Danielle: [00:33:51] That's funny. I don't think we have much brass around here.
Bex Scott: [00:33:55] It's heavy and it takes up space.
Danielle: [00:33:58] Yeah, it does, it does. And we don't have, with all my ceramics we don't have that much like shelving. I know you said you had that horse. Do you have any other ones?
Bex Scott: [00:34:14] No, none that I've really kept. I have one that's a little girl on a toilet reading a book, and it says something really funny. I think it's like a potty training needlepoint or cross-stitch or something.
Danielle: [00:34:31] I have a cross-stitch. I have a cross-stitch in my bathroom that says, please don't do coke in the bathroom.
Bex Scott: [00:34:38] That's awesome.
Danielle: [00:34:42] And everybody always is like, did someone do coke? And I'm like, no, no, no, not to my knowledge, but...
Bex Scott: [00:34:49] Yeah.
Danielle: [00:34:50] It's a warning. Like please don't.
Bex Scott: [00:34:53] And they won't now because that's up there.
Danielle: [00:34:55] Yeah. I asked nicely.
Bex Scott: [00:35:02] I'm trying to avoid getting into all the art glass and like the vases, and that's another thing that I really can't do because I don't have space.
Danielle: [00:35:15] I think we have one swing base, but I haven't gotten a whole lot into that. But we do have quite the collection of nesting hens.
Bex Scott: [00:35:29] Oh, I love those.
Danielle: [00:35:32] And my partner insists on putting candy in every single one of them.
Bex Scott: [00:35:36] That's great. Do you have a favorite one or a favorite color?
Danielle: [00:35:42] So blue is my favorite color. Oddly enough, since most of the house is done in like yellow, orange, green, but we have a cobalt blue that has like the oil slick on it, almost like carnival glass. And it is my favorite. And it just so happened to be given to us by my partner's grandmother, which just makes it that much more special.
Bex Scott: [00:36:11] Yeah, those are beautiful, I love them. I've had a few of them in the past, and it's always hard to tell if they're actually vintage or not. That's my biggest struggle is what year they were from and who made them. So I do a lot of research when I find them, and I think there's even some jadeite ones too that I've seen that are really pretty.
Danielle: [00:36:34] Yeah, we have a small jadeite one, but we have quite a few. They're all over the house.
Bex Scott: [00:36:41] What's the biggest one that you have?
Danielle: [00:36:45] A turkey.
Bex Scott: [00:36:47] Amazing.
Danielle: [00:36:48] Yeah, it's a nesting turkey. And it's like orange and yellow and... It's pretty cool. I mean, I just think it's so funny, you go into most people's houses that are, you know, around our ages, and it's minimalist and boring and gray. Like, there's just not a whole lot of personality.
Bex Scott: [00:37:17] Mhm.
Danielle: [00:37:18] So, you know what? If I'm a hoarder, so be it.
Bex Scott: [00:37:23] Yeah I agree, it's great for people coming over and starting conversations and especially like with our kids growing up, I'd rather them live in a house with memories and things to look at and ask questions about. Where is this from, and What year was this from, then see everything from, I don't know, we have, I don't know if you guys have HomeSense where you are. It's like a mass produced store or home decor store where people get just the run of the mill stuff, but I'd rather have all of the memories and the fun items.
Danielle: [00:37:59] Yeah, I mean, I think, I think that's a lot of what the newer generations are missing out on. Like they're not going to have the things that have been handed down generation after generation because so many people get rid of them. They're like, oh, this is ugly so I don't want it. But it's like, I don't know, these are my family's ceramics. So there might be some that I don't love. But my grandmother made it, and for some reason that means I can't get rid of it.
Bex Scott: [00:38:33] Yeah. I'm the same. Yeah. All of the things that I keep, even if I don't like them, I keep them because they came from somewhere special.
Danielle: [00:38:40] Yeah. So I just think that this next generation is going to be missing out on a lot of that.
Bex Scott: [00:38:48] Yeah, I agree, and that makes it even more fun to hunt for items and just love vintage.
Danielle: [00:38:57] It definitely does. It's definitely something that I want to be able to pass down. My brother doesn't have quite the same enthusiasm as I have about certain things, but he has asked for a couple of different things we have. Like my great great grandmother, we have her cookie cutters, which is probably weird because they have just been passed down. When I went down, I split the bucket with him and he has, like my grandfathers and my great grandfather's vices, which is like, I don't know if you do much woodworking, but he has that out in his garage, which is really neat because my brother does some really amazing woodworking, creates a lot of custom pieces. So it's pretty cool that he's able to incorporate my relatives vices into his work, which he definitely wouldn't have to. Like, he has other other ones, but when he was able to get those, he retired the other ones that he was using and just put those away so that he could keep using our family's. So I know that he doesn't have quite the same love for the ceramics as me. But, you know, hopefully one day when my niece and nephew are a bit older, I'm able to teach them about this kind of stuff and maybe they'll have an interest in a piece or two.
Bex Scott: [00:40:34] Yeah, yeah, that would be great. Same with my family. My brother's not into all of the the same kind of things that I like. And he's more into the tools that our family had for woodworking and construction and that kind of thing. So that's his stuff. And then I've taken all of the the other stuff, so it's nice that way.
Danielle: [00:40:58] That's been the divide for us. My brother's biggest one is like my father currently has a pool table that's been passed down. Why we have such, like, random things that get found in my family I don't know, but my brother is insistent on the pool table and the light that hangs above it that those are his. And I'm like, I don't even have space for them, so go for it. But it's just funny the things that you kind of get attached to.
Bex Scott: [00:41:33] Mhm. Perfect. Thank you so much for coming on the episode today and for chatting about vintage. It's really great to be able to talk to somebody else that loves similar things and understand what it's like to be a hoarder.
Danielle: [00:41:52] Yeah, it was great jumping on and getting to chat with you. Yeah, it's definitely nice to talk to people that are like-minded.
Bex Scott: [00:42:00] Yeah.
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Welcome to the inaugural episode of Pyrex With Bex with host Bex Scott. Bex talks about vintage Pyrex, of course, but also all things in vintage housewares. You’ll hear about her thrifting adventures, learn about reselling, and hear interviews with other enthusiasts. Today Bex introduces her “gateway Pyrex”, the item that inspired her passion for collecting.
Bex came to Pyrex because of her grandparents. In cleaning out their garage at the beginning of the pandemic, she discovered a box full of carefully wrapped dishes and glassware. Three of the items were a lime green lasagna pan and two mixing bowls, one green and one red. That discovery got her hooked and sent her into research and collecting. It was her “gateway Pyrex”. In this first episode she explains the significance of the pieces she found in the garage, what collections they belong to, and which book has become her “Pyrex Bible”. Bex also shares vintage ads and recipes that may just inspire you to get your own Pyrex bowl to try baking in. Avid Pyrex enthusiasts, vintage collectors, and interested newbies alike will thoroughly enjoy embarking on this Pyrex podcast journey with Bex.
Resources discussed in this episode:
“Pyrex Passion” by Michael D. BarberContact Bex on her website—
Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—
Transcript
Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey, everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex With Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.
Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, you're listening to the Pyrex With Bex podcast. My name is Bex Scott and I am so excited that you're tuning in. I've been wanting to record this podcast for quite some time. I am a full-on Pyrex addict. I am self-proclaimed. But also if you were to ask my friends and family, I'm sure they would say exactly the same thing. And I wanted to take this episode to explain to you a little bit about why I got started, give you a backstory, and tell you a little bit about my addiction. So I started collecting Pyrex back in 2019, and this was when the pandemic had just started and we were on lockdown. We had started to lose our hobbies, things that we loved, we couldn't see family and friends. And for many of us, it was a time where we were looking for new things to do and new hobbies to have and Pyrex became that hobby for me. I loved being able to research bowls and patterns and what years things came out and going to the thrift store in hopes that I'd find my next favorite bowl.
Bex Scott: [00:01:46] And the whole reason that I found Pyrex was because of my grandparents. I remember at the beginning of the pandemic, we had decided to help my granny and grandpa clear out their garage and they had a full single garage full of we weren't sure what, but I knew there would be a lot of vintage clothes, jackets, dresses in there. And at the time that's mainly what I was interested in. So we went over and started unloading boxes and I remember my mom took down this Rubbermaid bin. It was full of dishes and glassware that was all wrapped up in linens and tablecloths and even some old needlepoint. And I remember seeing this lasagna pan and it was lime green. And at the time I had never heard of Pyrex outside of the measuring cup that I'm sure everybody's mom or even that you have in your kitchen. I unwrapped it and I saw that it was this lime lasagna pan and I instantly fell in love. I kept unwrapping and I also found a green mixing bowl and a red mixing bowl. And I was hooked. They looked like Christmas to me. And right after we left, I immediately went on Google and started looking into what these Pyrex bowls were, what year they were from, and started asking my grandparents questions about where they're from.
Bex Scott: [00:03:18] It ended up that they're from my mom's aunt, so my great aunt, and it was all items that they had saved from when she had passed and they ended up in their garage. So this was just a few of the items of Pyrex that she must have had. And to this day, I think about what her kitchen must have looked like and how amazing it must have been. And I wish that I could go back and see it now, knowing what all of these vintage items were. So I'm doing some research and nothing that I had was really, now knowing, hard to find or rare but it was still beautiful to me. I had the lime 232 oblong baking dish. Lime was launched with Flamingo Pink in 1952. It's not my favorite color, but I have to say when you pair the lime with the flamingo pink, it really looks great in a China cabinet or on a countertop. The lime and the flamingo pieces are the ones that we use in our house on a regular basis to bake cakes. So they've seen a lot of birthdays. And trust me, if you've never baked a cake in a Pyrex dish, it's amazing. We've used the brownie dishes, the lasagna pans, and the round cake dishes or the cake pans to do them and they pop out easily and the cakes are delicious and moist, so definitely give it a try.
Bex Scott: [00:04:44] If you like the lime color, there's also a complete line of lime green, solid border, opal dinnerware. And this is pretty cool. They have a 22 karat gold band on them. So if you're into dinnerware, give that a search and check those out. So the green mixing bowl that I mentioned ended up being part of the primary set. And the primary set made its debut in 1945 and was the first time that Corning ever sold opal glass to the consumer market using the Pyrex name. And I can see why they decided to start with this primary set because it's beautiful. It's yellow, green, red and blue, and it just, it looks great in your kitchen, I think, and it stands the test of time with the colors. I also had the 404 red mixing bowl, and after doing a bunch of research, I've found that starting in the 1950s, the 404 was sold individually in either yellow or red. So if you know the primary set, it's usually the 404, the biggest bowl, starts off with yellow. But you can also get this alternate red bowl. And to me, I think I like the big red bowl a little bit better than the yellow just because it's such a nice, rich color. The downside to the red is that I've found it is the hardest to find in good condition.
Bex Scott: [00:06:11] I don't know whether it's that people just use the red more often. I've also heard, this might just be a rumor, so don't quote me on this, that there's something in the red paint that made it so that it couldn't withstand the test of time like the other bowls did when they were being washed. But like I said, it could be a rumor, I heard it in a Pyrex group, but if you know otherwise or if you know if this is true, make sure you let me know because it's something I've been wondering about. So I would love to know which bowl was the first bowl that you ever collected or as I called the ones that started it off for me, the Gateway Bowl for you. Which do you love the most? Which pattern are you collecting? Let me know. Find me on Instagram at Pyrex With Bex. Send me a DM. I'd love to chat about what got you started with Pyrex collecting or vintage collecting. So back to 2019, I had started my collection with these three bowls, and this kicked things off full steam ahead for me. I started buying bowls like crazy, but the primary set was the main one that I had focused on, and I think that I had ended up with maybe 5 or 6 primary sets. Regardless, way too many Pyrex dishes. There's no reason I needed five full sets of them, so I did end up selling them on Marketplace and finding homes for them. But to this day, the Pyrex primary set is still one of my favorites.
Bex Scott: [00:07:47] And if you're a new collector, you need to go out and grab the Pyrex Passion book. It's by Michael Barber. You can buy it online. This has been the biggest help for me as a collector. It goes through all of the colors, the patterns, when they were released, and descriptions for all of them. It will be your Pyrex Bible. And I remember getting it for the first time on my iPad, I bought the online version of it, and it was so cool being able to flip through and see all of these bowls. I not too long ago invested in the paperback copy, which I think is a lot better than doing the online version because you can put sticky notes in it, you can mark it up as you collect bowls, you can check things off in pencil if you want, and just carry it with you and have that paperback copy that you can just hold in your hands. But in this book, Pyrex Passion, I remember seeing one of the very first Pyrex ads for the primary set. It said special $3.50 Pyrex ware color bowl set only $2.49. You save $1.01 limited time only. World's most famous mixing bowl set at almost a third off just in time for Mother's Day. Here's your chance to get America's favorite mixing bowl set at the lowest price in history. And just in time for Mother's Day, think of all the help these big colorful bowls will be for mixing, baking, serving and storing. Think how bright and gay they'll be on the table. Easy to wash clean, too, and they nest together to save space on your shelf. This special bargain offer ends June 30th, so don't wait. Get your Pyrex ware color bowl set and save $1.01 at any housewares store.
Bex Scott: [00:09:40] I thought this was pretty incredible to get a whole set for $3.50. Think about how much prices have gone up since that time. I know for where I live, I'm in Canada in a small town in Alberta and a primary set goes for around $100. That's for all four bowls in great condition, no dishwasher damage. Another thing I found really cool, which kind of ties into the primary bowl set or any mixing bowl, is in this vintage Pyrex prize recipes book that I have. I was flipping through and I saw a picture of somebody tipping a 404 red mixing bowl over and a full on angel food cake is coming out of it. So I've used the regular brownie or lasagna or cake pans to do cakes, but I've never baked a cake in a mixing bowl. And this is something that I'm definitely going to have to try.
Bex Scott: [00:10:38] So the recipe says, Angel food cake in a hurry with strawberry frosting. One package prepared angel food cake mix, prepare cake mix in a Pyrex mixing bowl according to the directions on the package, being sure that egg whites are beaten so stiff they do not slide when the bowl is tipped. When folding dry ingredients into egg white foam, have spatula or spoon reach the very bottom of the bowl. Leave the batter right in the Pyrex mixing bowl and bake. Turn the bowl upside down on rack to cool before removing cake from bowl. Ice inverted cake with strawberry frosting or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Time bake about 35 minutes. Temperature 350°F. Moderate oven. Amount one cake 9.75 inches in diameter. 12 servings. Dish Pyrex four quart mixing bowl. So I don't know if any of you have ever used a mixing bowl to bake a cake, but please let me know because this is something that I think is really cool.
Bex Scott: [00:11:38] You know a little bit about me and my Pyrex addiction. I'd love to know about yours. What was the first bowl that you ever collected or the first Gateway Bowl, as I like to call it, that started your Pyrex collection? Feel free to find me on Instagram at Pyrex With Bex or check out my website PyrexWithBex.com. Shoot me an email on there and check out some of the vintage items that I have for sale.
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Discussion about vintage pyrex and other vintage home items as well as interviews with collectors to chat about their stories.
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Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:
Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex
