My Vintage Pyrex Collection │ What Does it Cost to Thrift Pyrex?

Because of the uncertainty of TikTok, and whether or not they will be banned from our phones, I wanted to answer a question that I know many of my Pyrex TikTok fans want to know: 

How much money have you spent on Pyrex?

I officially started collecting Pyrex in March of 2021. It began when I wanted to collect something for myself. Having sold vintage clothing for 11 years at that point, and selling 99% of the items I thrifted, I wanted to treasure hunt something I could hold onto. 

But it had to be something I loved.

It was a way to spark the humdrum attitude that had pervaded my thrifting routine. I loved vintage clothing; I loved selling vintage clothing; I couldn't imagine doing anything else (other than writing or blogging). But after so many years of it, the joy was diminishing. And I didn't want it to.

So I began on my quest for hunting Pyrex. I had always held off on collecting it because I had a Fire-King collection. But it wasn't that large, and I knew I was going to sell off some pieces one day. So, if I was going to collect something, this something had to be an item I could both love and use. 

It needed to be a utilitarian collection. Sure, clothing is utilitarian, but I wanted something different than that.

From the first piece I picked up at a thrift store by my house (it was actually three pieces, three of the smallest casseroles to the Autumn Harvest pattern) I began to keep track of every dime I spent. I also had a rule of not spending more than $15 per piece. (If it’s a rare piece, I will spend a little more but it doesn’t happen often.)

On average, I spend $6-$8 per piece. Sometimes it’s $10-$12 per piece and sometimes it’s $3-$5 per piece.

I knew there was a rise in the popularity of Pyrex, but I also wanted to challenge myself: I wanted to see if I could amass an entire (or nearly entire) collection of vintage Pyrex all thrifted, or at least, mostly thrifted. I wanted to defy the odds: to work my butt off and get out there and thrift for those pieces. I knew they were out there because I passed them up all the time!

While thrift stores do price gouge these pieces sometimes, oftentimes actually, they miss pieces! They can't see everything, and sometimes if they do, they don't care. Yes, there are some outrageous prices. I laugh at them and tell myself, "I will find this one for cheap somewhere else." And guess what, I do.

I firmly believe in the power of working hard and believing in what you want. I wanted to find these pieces, so I thrifted like crazy (20 thrift stops or more a week) and mentally envisioned myself finding them. And sure enough, they began to appear. Now, it's not all "law of attraction"  but it is definitely a manifestation.

When you look for something, you will find it. You can manifest nearly anything from friendships to groceries to money on the ground or Pyrex. 

What you focus on becomes what you find. So be careful what you focus on and what you ask for.

Numbers

So here's the good part, the numbers part, the part you've been waiting for.

I tallied my three years' worth of purchases at thrift stores. They equaled $2050 for all three years.

That $2050 divided by three years (March 2021 to March 2024) comes to $683.00 per year.

That 683.00 per year divided by twelve months is $56.94 per month spent on Pyrex.

I spend, on average, $57 a month on Pyrex. That's less than $2 a day. You can't even buy a plain cup of coffee for $2 a day.

So for anyone who doesn't think thrifting Pyyrex is affordable, it really is. Choose what you're going to buy. I gave up my Starbucks coffee to only one a week (rather than three times a week) to pay for my Pyrex addiction.

What do I get back after that cup of coffee is gone? Nothing but a headache and wishing for more caffeine. Pyrex is actually worth a few dollars, stays with me, and is something I find pretty that I can use.

It's an all-around win for me.

Including lids, I have about 300 pieces. And because I have so many pieces, it's getting rarer to find ones I don't have. But that's fine.

Even if I only thrift one piece a month, that still brings me such happiness. It's the thrill of the hunt that keeps me going.

If you want to collect Pyrex and are willing to hunt for it and ignore the high-priced thrift stores, you will find them. As I always say to my followers, it takes a lot of persistence, patience, and the willingness to believe you will find them. They are out there. You don't have "worse" thrift stores than me. We all have good and bad thrift stores, and they all miss things!

Pyrex Passion Book

So there you go. A thrifted Pyrex collection costs (me) $57 a month, or about $14 a week.

Thank you for reading, my vintage friends! Comment below if you want to share your latest find or have a question.

And remember, anything is possible if you believe. Even the thrifted vintage Pyrex. ♥

-Heather

PS. I post semi-regularly about Pyrex. If you're looking for a new outlet to see my Pyrex, check back often, or sign up for a free blog post subscription at the sidebar of my page. I post about all things vintage here.

Reference book:

This book is the BEST book I've ever seen on Pyrex. I use it constantly. I highly recommend it if you're looking for all of the patterns in one place - it's worth every penny. I can't live without mine. 

Reference Website:

A fantastic and mid-century perfect website about Pyrex is Pyrex Potluck. Beautifully written by the Corning Museum of Glass (Pyrex producers) and displayed, the information is wonderful to browse through.