Great Pyrex Move of '08

Oh dear, we've nearly been a full month without a post from either Leilani or myself! I've finally found some time to edit and upload photographs of some of my finds from the past month. A bit of an exciting update (exciting for me, anyway) - I just got done moving into a new, much bigger and much nicer apartment! Now I'll have plenty o room for my vintage goodies. And as soon as I get some shelves for my Pyrex, I'll finally be able to photograph my collection of Pyrex all together! Actually, I already took a few group photos before we moved in...







My Pyrex collection was the first thing I took to the new apartment. I put a lot of the dishes in the kitchen cabinets for safekeeping, so there was no possibility of them being broken as furniture and the like was moved in. I took the opportunity while they were briefly displayed to take those pictures. Sadly, that's not even all of them.





This table also goes along with my new apartment - I now have a patio, and I needed a patio table! I fell in love with this one at Famous Hardware Antique Store in Springdale. I was considering buying a similar tile mosaic metal table at Bed Bath & Beyond that was smaller, with all-white tiles, for $45. Then I saw this one - larger, handmade, and with a pretty design, for $65. Worth the extra $20, I think. A few of the black edge tiles were missing, but it was easy enough to find the same ceramic tiles at Lowes, where they even cut them down to the right size for free. Now I just need to finish grouting, and it'll be good as new. The best thing about the table is that the two creators signed it on the bottom. They even named it - "Born to be Tiled." Cute!



I think the table is going to be my new dedicated photography spot. :P I took another picture of my set of Pyrex Desert Dawn yellow dishes. I finally managed to get the proper lid to the 2 qt. round casserole (the knobbed lid rather than the one with the flat top). Now I feel like that set is truly complete. And the cake dish can have the old lid as a bonus! I got two of the knobbed lids off eBay for .99 cents, plus shipping.





Another mini-set has been completed! I just recently thrifted the middle percolator (6 cups) at the Council of the Blind in Springdale. I got it for $5, which is a good price considering it looked like it had never been used, literally. The 6-cup percolator goes great with the 9-cup and 4-cup that I already had. That same day I also found 6 Tupperware coasters. I had considered buying a set that I found in an antique store, but I just couldn't pay the high price tag. I found these for just .50 cents at Second Chance Thrift.





This Foley flour sifter is one of my favorite finds. I found it in the antiques and collectibles corner at the Peace at Home thrift store in Springdale. It was $5, I could hardly believe it was so cheap. Usually anything that they even suspect is collectible is marked way up. With the great turquoise color, I could see this going for $20 at antiques stores around here.





These melmac plates are thrift store finds from before I moved. I've found quite a few plates in this size with varying patterns. Random patterns in sets of 3 to 5 show up at the thrift stores around here pretty often. They're hard to resist because they're usually pretty cheap at .10 to .25 cents per plate.



In my last post I posted a picture of the Pyrex Cracker Barrel that I found in an antique store in the Bentonville/Rogers area. Not too long after that I found its mate at another antique store in the same area, and it was pretty reasonably priced. The gold leaf on the cookie jar is in a little better condition than on the cracker barrel.



This promotional Pyrex casserole called "Lace Medallion" is one I had been wanting for quite a while. I actually didn't even end up finding it- kudos goes to my good friend Amanda who found this dish on eBay. She went a little too crazy buying Pyrex on eBay and had buyer's remorse after getting this dish, because the color didn't go with any of her pieces. I paid her the full price plus shipping costs, and I threw in an extra $3 Pyrex Bake-A-Round that I found at the Salvation Army. So thank you thank you thank you Amanda for buying this and selling it to me! I love it! :)



This last dish was part of my mother's day present to my mom. She's had her set of Wildflower Corning Ware casserole dishes for 20+ years. When I saw this microwave dish, I had to get it for her set. I found this in a small antique shop in the Bentonville/Rogers area. It was $15, and came new-in-box with the dish, glass lid, plastic storage lid, and care instructions. As for the gift aspect, I think my mom liked it. :)

What's Better Than Vintage Kitchenware?

SETS of vintage kitchenware, that's what! I noticed a trend when I uploaded my pictures to Flickr... I actually seem to have completed or acquired a lot of sets recently, rather than getting a bunch of random pieces. I'm quite proud of myself, actually. I vowed not too long after my descent into thriftmania and pyrexia that if I was going to be a kitchenware junkie, I was not going to have a completely random kitchen! I've managed to stick to my vow and I have only collected in my patterns in color palate (with only a few minor indiscretions). I'll start with my favorite:



The rectangular space saver dish on the very bottom of the middle stack was my last, elusive piece... I finally found a nice one on eBay and I had to get it. I just love this pattern, something about the color and the snowflakes just sucks me in! Oh, and I'm officially getting a larger apartment in a month, and it has a dedicated dining space (!) so they will be on display properly very shortly.





I had to get this carafe when I saw it on eBay... It started at $4.99 and I was the only bidder! It came with everything - candle-warmer, care instructions, original box, and even the tea ball! I loved that it had the same snowflakes on it as my turquoise snowflakes, also. I didn't realize it in the auction, but it has a combination of gold and white snowflakes, which is really pretty. When I got this beverage server, I really felt like my snowflake collection was complete!





I thrifted this carafe and candle warmer quite a while ago. I found out on PyrexLove and saw on eBay that it originally came with 4 mugs as a beverage server set. I had found the matching mugs at a few local shops, but they were in poor condition. The brown paint didn't seem to hold up very well, and forget about the gold design. I finally turned to eBay for these. I managed to get a deal by buying another set of mugs that I needed from the same seller, so I got combined shipping at least!



I only pictured one of the Peach Shell mugs, but I actually found 7 of these at an awesome garage sale for only $2! I happened upon the sale when Jason and I were driving to Pea Ridge to see his parents. The guy running it had a huge garage full of stuff! I also spied this adorable Fire-King mug. What a cute little mouse!



This is another cool find from the large garage sale. These disposable placemats are very 50's. I love how the packaging enumerates the many reasons why disposable placemats are such a good choice ("saves cost of laundering linens" "longer life for linens" "makes food look more appetizing" "decorates table" "saves work"). We actually got a lot more from this sale that I didn't photograph. Jason found himself an awesome vintage Atari with 2 controllers and paddles, with several games and even the original box for just $15! He's becoming quite the little thriftster himself. We also got quite a few LPs for our record collection, and a nice vintage Yamaha record player with groovy faux wood so we can actually listen to our collection now!



I've been wanting a Pyrex gravy boat for a while now, and I was lucky enough to find this one at the thrift store. It's not my pattern, but it is my mom's, so when I do get the one I really want, I can pass this along to her. She always serves mashed potatoes out of her Woodland mixing bowls, so the Woodland gravy boat will be perfect! I actually only thrifted the boat of this gravy boat, I had to go to The Rose antique mall in Rogers to get the underplate. This is how bad I am - when I saw the boat at the thrift, I knew immediately exactly where I had seen the underplate sold separately before, and exactly where it was. All together I paid $7.10 for it, which is not too bad, I'd say.



I got these from an antique store that Ifound with Leilani during her visit this winter. I hadn't been to it since then (I kind of forgot where it was), but I re-discovered it last Thursday. The Pyrex Cracker Barrel was actually there the last time I visited. I passed on it before, but I decided to go for it this time. It was $4.95. I also found a great Federal glass syrup pitcher for $4.99. I've seen a lot of these in some pretty blah colors, but I had to get this one with the orange lid. A lot of the kitchen gadgets that I've been getting are this color orange. By far the best deal was the Pyrex Pink Daisy dish. It's in good condition, and it was only a $1.99! I question the pricing at that store.



It doesn't seem like it because I haven't photographed it as much, but I probably have as much Tupperware as Pyrex at this point. I got a pasta holder in orange, which has edged it's way into my aqua-jadeite-yellow palate. I got another pitcher because they are just so handy. This one, although a little beige for my tastes, has a nice design on it rather than just being plain.



My last few finds are all additions to my mug collection. I picked up two of these mugs at the Council of the Blind in Springdale. Although they look very similar, the one on the left is Pyrex Tableware, and the other is Anchor Hocking. There were 3 of these together on the shelf. Two were Anchor Hocking with backstamps that dated to different time periods. jeffpyrex on Flickr, who is quite the expert on restaurantware, told me that Anchor Hocking made their line longer than Pyrex did, and because they were so similar many people used them as replacements for their sets.



I'm keen to get all the Pyrex cups and mugs for my collection. This pattern is called Burgundy. It was one that I had been on the lookout for but I hadn't seen it anywhere. I finally got this one for 25 cents at Helping Hands. Woo!



This makes Federal glass zodiac mug Number 2. Technically it's #3, but I have two Scorpios, so I don't count that. Only 10 more to go! :P



My last mug is also one of my funnier stories. I was driving down Main St. in Johnson, and I passed an empty lot that earlier in the week had sale signs up, but no sale. But that day tables were up, so I pulled in. The only good thing was this Fire-King mug. However, I couldn't find anyone to pay. Other people had pulled in after me and were browsing the tables. We all kept asking each other, "Are you running the sale? Do you know who is?" It looked neglected, it had rained the night before and things were soaked, like they had sat uncovered all night. I wanted this mug, so I even dared to go across the road to a rather run-down house and ask if the sale might be theirs. No answer. The people browsing were getting frustrated and leaving. I considered just taking the damn thing, but it felt too dishonest. So instead I went to my car and got a pen and a scrap of paper. I left a note "50 cents for mug" with 2 quarters on it on one of the tables. A lady that was leaving asked me "Did you leave a note?" I told her "Yeah, I figure if they're not going to man their tables, I can make my own price," which she found quite amusing. Someone probably came along and took their stuff and my money, but oh well. At least I rescued a Fire-King mug. :)

Arkansas Spring

You never know with Arkansas weather, it's so unpredictable, but I think it's finally safe to say that spring is here! And thank goodness. I haven't posted in so long because I have to take most of my pictures outside - my apartment makes for an ugly backdrop, and the lighting is terrible. But every day off I've had since my last post, it was always gray outside! It's been frustrating, but I finally had a sunny day off and photographed all my finds from about the last month or so. I hope now my posts can be a little more frequent!



I found this Corningware teapot a little while ago, as you can probably tell from the snow on the railing (I got frustrated with the gloomy weather and photographed some of my finds regardless). :) It's hard to tell from the picture, but this teapot is a lot bigger than the 6 cup Corning teapots that you usually see around, this one is actually 2 quarts, and rather hefty. I got it from the Salvation Army in Springdale for $8.



I really like this Gemco salt shaker. Gemco made a lot of products that coordinated with Corning and Pyrex patterns. This pattern is 'Country Festival'. I normally don't go for a very 'country' look, but I think this one is adorable. 50 cents at the Springdale Salvation Army. The Fire King measuring cup isn't in the mintiest of condition, but I had to get it for 75 cents. Until I found this one, I hadn't been able to find a vintage measuring cup that wasn't completely destroyed - completely worn lettering, major chips, scratched to death... usually a combination of the three. This cup has nice red lettering, light scratching, and no chips. That's all I ask...



This is a find not from one of my usual haunts. I decided to make a trip up to Gravette, east of Bentonville, where my boyfriend and his family used to live. Jason told me a tale of a really good, really cheap thrift store there, and I decided to go on one of my days off. Well, when I got there, the store was CLOSED, I was literally 8 minutes late. But my hour trek wasn't for nothing, because right across the street was a small flea market! That's where I got this cute Androck flour sifter, for $4.



I love owls! I found this Avon owl container at the same Gravette flea market. It was just a dollar, so I scooped it up. One negative - I got it home and opened it up, not realizing that it still had some old rank perfume inside. Oh lord, the smell made me physically ill, and I of course spilled it on myself when I opened it. I soaked the owl but it still smells bad inside and around the seam. :(



This Kodak Instamatic was my last find from the Gravette flea market. It was $4, which is a little higher than I usually pay for my cameras, but it had flashcubes and the box, so I got it. I've actually got quite a few cameras in my collection now. I'm going to save them all up for a later post.





I got this Kodak Automatic from the Second Chance thrift in Springdale - if you go back in the posts, it's where Leilani got a shot of me in the chrome of that vintage toaster. :) Not a bad find for $4.



This is my first piece of Pyrex that I thrifted in the box! I got this crazy Bake-A-Round from Second Chance as well, for just $3! It has some very delicious-sounding bread recipies on the paper insert that I want to try. It cracks me up - it's an old "As Seen On TV!" product.





More finds from the Springdale Salvation Army (which has definitely surpassed Fayetteville's). First are the Spring Blossom Pyrex sugar and creamer. I wanted the sugar bowl, and was considering buying it on eBay, but I actually thrifted it first, woo hoo! Only $1 per piece. When I went to the counter to buy the Pyrex, inside the case I saw the autograph book. It's never been written in. A $2 spur of the moment purchase. :D





This is a find from Springdale's Samaritan thrift shop that I found a while back and forgot to photograph. Mmmm, icing and cookies.... It still had all it's pieces. I think I paid about $5 for it.



I also found this Tupperware at Samaritan. I love the big orange container, it's a perfect lunchbox. I want to start packing Jason's lunch in it. :) All the pieces were sold together, $5 for the lot.





This dish is a little rough around the edges (literally), but I picked it up from Samaritan anyway. It's a 'Maid of Honor' casserole. This is the first one I've seen at the thrift. I've only seen one other Maid of Honor brand dish, at an antique mall. The glass on this dish is really thick. Picked it up for $5.



I picked up this unmarked milkglass mug at Samaritan also. The graphic is pretty crazy - if you can't tell, it's a bull. It's actually a zodiac mug, with information on Taurus on the other side. The Tupperware cookbook is from the Council of the Blind in Fayetteville. Just $2, and it has a bunch of good recipes and pictures of all kinds of Tupperware.



More Tupperware! I found these at Peace at Home, just $4 for all 8 pieces. I was really excited to find these because I have the canister set in yellow. Now I have the small canister too... and 3 extras! Hehehe. I've noticed lately that I'm deviating from my yellow/aqua/jadeite kitchen color trifecta to include orange accents. Which leads to my last find...



... a Toastmaster ice crusher in vintage orange from the Springdale Council of the Blind. Only $5, and it still works. I love the vintage appliances...



Now for some of my naughty internet buys... The yellow primary refrigerator dish I actually thrifted, but on the rest I broke down and got on eBay. My favorite way to buy is to get the cheap auctions where they sell misc. dishes in a big lot. People don't bid on them, you get a couple of good pieces cheap, and the rest you can resell or give as gifts.



This little refrigerator dish is from the same misc. eBay lot that I got the primary blue dish from. Initially I was going to get rid of it, but Jason wanted it. I gave him one of the chipped lids that came with the lot, and now it's his candy dish for his nasty black jelly beans. :P



I'm SO happy - I finally managed to complete my yellow Desert Dawn set! I had the hardest time finding the 2 quart round casserole. I searched for months on the internet, apparently they're pretty rare, but I found one on eBay Express in the end.





I also got another Pyrex dish with it's serving basket. I really like this dish, it's a very convenient size, and it's a gorgeous deep blue color. I've used this dish for baking several times already, I'm glad I invested in it.







Last but certainly not least... my aqua promotional Pyrex sickness. I just can't resist them. I got the Bluebird, Meadow and Balloons this past week. The Balloons chip and dip set is definitely my favorite. I'd been wanting to get it for a while, but I wanted to wait until I could find the bowls in good condition that actually still had the bracket. There were a lot of bidders, but I won in the end. :D