Your Grandma's Rare Pyrex Dish Might Be Worth A Small Fortune Today

Not only is old school Pyrex the best way to prevent glass cookware from shattering in the oven, but some units are actually rare collectibles. While Corning Glass Works – the owners of Pyrex — have no shortage of extremely valuable pieces, your grandparents' old "Lucky in Love" casserole set may be worth a small fortune.

Between 1953 and 1983, Corning Glass Works released over 100 decorative sets of cookware, usually based on a seasonal or holiday theme. Lucky in Love was released in 1959, but unlike other sets, this one seems to have had an especially limited run. Decorated with green clovers and pink hearts, it wasn't the most intricate piece the company ever released, but it has immense value thanks to its sheer rarity. In 2015, one dish sold for over $4,000 on eBay, but Pyrex collectors are reluctant to give up their own collection, so the price only increases as the years go by. In 2022, another Lucky in Love container sold for $22,000, a new record for Pyrex collectibles.

While younger generations may question china sets, Lucky in Love uses opalware glass, a much more durable material that mimics the same milky white color and smooth texture. Since Pyrex later re-released the same design, but on clear glass, this is the most important distinction to make when hunting at thrift stores. If you happen to find a one-quart, opaque casserole dish, be sure to snatch it right away to own a piece of cooking history.

Retro kitchen items are making a comeback, and Lucky in Love isn't the only Pyrex product you can cash in on. Whether it's shape, color, or design, a lot can go into determining a Pyrex dish's value, and even the smallest difference can result in a huge payday.

The rarest of the rare are test pieces, ones produced by Corning Glass Works as a proof of concept before they were redesigned and sold on the marketplace. Oftentimes, they were just taken home by an employee, only for someone to rediscover them decades later once their value skyrockets. The color scheme of the final design can be almost anything, but test pieces most often come in warm colors like orange and brown. If you find a piece with a design you recognize, but a color you don't, and no Pyrex stamp on the bottom, chances are you've found a highly sought-after collectible.

Like any antique, old school dishes only become more valuable when sold as a set. For some, this means matching bowls, different-shaped dishes, and original lids. For others, this can also include metal cradles and warmers, and even variant printings, like ones with different color schemes. Matching original pieces can easily double a single unit's value, especially if they're in mint condition.