The Extremely Rare 1960s Pyrex Pattern To Search For At The Thrift Store

There's a certain charm that seems to accompany vintage Pyrex. With colorful patterns that look right at home in your grandmother's kitchen, these timeless, classic dishes have become prized thrift-store finds. If you're looking for unique, vintage Pyrex items in your local secondhand shops, the Blue Dianthus pattern is one to keep a sharp eye out for.

More than 150 Pyrex patterns were introduced between 1945 and 1983, but the general consensus among collectors is that the Blue Dianthus pattern was first produced as a sales test in 1963. These pieces are so named because they feature a floral pattern resembling the Dianthus plant and are light blue. Some Pyrex pieces, like the classic Bluebird design, are valuable and rare because they're limited to only a casserole dish. While several pieces of the Blue Dianthus line exist, the pattern is rare in its own right for its design and color scheme.

Known Blue Dianthus items included a four-piece Cinderella bowl set (known as the 440 series and marked by the numbers 441, 442, 443, and 444) and a three-piece casserole set (known as the 480 series and marked by the numbers 473, 474, and 475). Thrifters will note the blue flowers against a white background, but both sets have an inverted piece with white flowers against a blue background.

Blue patterns and Pyrex dishes seem to go hand in hand, especially within the four decades mentioned earlier, with offerings like Old Town Blue, Snowflake Blue (both 1972), Horizon Blue (1969), Brittany Blue (1967), and Multitone Blue (1966) introduced. But the Blue Dianthus appears to be in a class of its own among collectors and can be tricky to spot with so many blue and floral patterns found on store shelves.

For those who are lucky enough to find — or own — just one piece of the Blue Dianthus dishes, it's likely worth big money. Individually, the Cinderella bowls or casserole dishes fetch around or over $1,000, so anyone who can find a complete set is sitting on a piece of culinary history — a very valuable one.

For avid thrifters and collectors, vintage Pyrex dishes are just as exciting as coins or comic books. There are plenty of old sets that can add an unexplainable warmth and longing for simpler times to your kitchen, not to mention that Pyrex lasts a long time. But for those on the hunt for rare Pyrex finds, there's plenty to be found and enjoyed — or sold — if you know what to look for.