In every thrift store, antique mall, and estate sale, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll come across an eclectic assortment of pots, pans, and baking dishes. With so many vibrant colors, timeless patterns, and intriguing brands to choose from, where do you start? Whether you grew up enjoying your favorite meals baked in your family’s CorningWare or are only now diving into vintage bakeware, it’s time to learn a little bit more about building your collection.
Why Do People Collect Vintage Bakeware?
Everyone deserves a beautifully decorated kitchen that reflects their style and interest; collecting vintage bakeware is the way to make that happen. Whether you swear by and collect a specific brand of vintage bakeware and dinnerware or love mixing and matching designs to create the maximalist kitchen shelves of your dreams is up to you—that’s the fun of it!
Whether they become an antique dealer at a vendor mall or sell individual pieces online, many collectors are in it for the money. Certain dishes, from rare CorningWare designs to antique baking pans, can fetch anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars!
Others are driven to collect vintage and antique bakeware by nostalgia—and how could they not be? There’s nothing better than baking your favorite dessert in a dish your grandma used to use. When you take the time to collect these pieces, every treat you bake and meal you make feels extra special.
Popular Vintage Bakeware Collectibles
When you shop in an antique mall, you’re sure to spot these items (and more!):
Casserole dishes
Pie dishes
Baking tins
Mixing bowls
Bundt cake pans
What to Consider When Building a Vintage Bakeware Collection
Whether you’re stocking the kitchen of your first home from scratch or looking to add one or two CorningWare dishes to your China cabinet, there are a few elements you should consider as you shop:
Material
Pattern
Uses
Material of the Bakeware
Vintage bakeware was often made out of strong, durable materials. Between CorningWare’s unique thermal-shock resistant glass-ceramic to the sturdy tempered glass of Pyrex and more, each brand designed pieces to last you a lifetime of use. As you shop, pay close attention to the type of material it’s made of.
Pro tip: Do your research on a dish before you buy. Plenty of antique brands used paints, glasses, and metals that we no longer consider safe, so understanding which vintage bakeware is safe to use and what should just be for display can save you in the long run.
Vintage Bakeware Pattern
The key to curating your collection of vintage bakeware is finding patterns you’ll love for years to come. Whether you collect one brand in a rainbow of colors or different dishes within the same design is up to you! Match the pattern with your salt and pepper shaker collectibles, or find ones that complement your vintage table linens. When you find a bakeware pattern you love, you create your own timeless collection!
Uses of Vintage Bakeware
As you grow your collection, consider how you would use each dish so as not to waste precious storage space. Many items, such as CorningWare casserole dishes, can be used for anything from lasagna to brownies, while others are specifically designed for one purpose.
What’s the Difference Between Antique and Vintage Bakeware?
Antique bakeware is at least 100 years old, while vintage bakeware has been around for at least 20 years. Both can be extremely valuable, either sentimentally or monetarily!
3 Vintage Bakeware Pieces to Search For
Between searching for the missing piece of your family’s passed-down China and starting a collection from scratch, there are plenty of vintage bakeware pieces waiting to be discovered. Keep an eye out for these three to make your collection stand out:
Rare CorningWare Patterns
Pyrex Dot Bowls
Antique Embossed Baking Pans
1. Rare CorningWare
Even if you don’t know the name, there’s a high chance you’ve seen a CorningWare piece in your lifetime. This company has produced beloved vintage bakeware items for decades, with a long list of beautiful, nature-inspired patterns to choose from and classic silhouettes that never go out of style. If you spot any type of CorningWare dish in the wild, consider scooping it up and taking it home with you.
Valuable CorningWare Patterns
Cornflower Blue – the white background and bright blue floral design was CorningWare’s trademark pattern for decades.
Spice O’ Life—with a garden of earth-toned vegetables, including mushrooms, garlic, and artichokes, this is the second-most-produced pattern.
French White—this classic, creamy white design was released at the peak of America’s fascination with French cooking.
Starburst—with a small, star-shaped pattern, this design remains popular with mid-century modern buffs.
Blue Heather—similar to the Cornflower pattern, this limited run featured five-petal blue flowers and vines covering the sides of the dishes.
2. Vintage Pyrex Dot Bowls
Pyrex has been around for over a hundred years, with its early pie plates, loaf pans, and measuring cups becoming an instant hit with people everywhere. While there are plenty of Pyrex pieces to be found at antique malls and Illinois vintage events, keep an eye out for the incredibly valuable and always stylish Pyrex Dot Bowls. First released in 1968, these bold-patterned bowls were released in orange, yellow, blue, and later, green, featuring a band of mesmerizing dots around the outside of the bowl.
3. Antique Embossed Baking Pans
If you’re a baker, you’ll definitely appreciate an embossed antique baking pan in your collection. These metal pans feature an impressed shape at the bottom, perfect for both pressing a pattern into your baked good and adding a personal touch to your bakeware collection. From baking shortbread cookies with holiday-patterned pans to cooking with specialized shapes, such as hearts, these are fun to search for in a Florida vendor mall, regardless of brand.
Whether you’re searching for a thoughtful gift for the passionate bakers in your life or have been considering hunting down the rest of a matching set, there’s a vintage bakeware design for everyone. Who knows—it could be waiting for you at America’s Antique Mall! Stop by one of our vendor mall locations today and start curating your one-of-a-kind collection.