Look Out For This Vintage Cookware Brand At Thrift Stores (It's Worth More Than You Think)

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CorningWare baking dishes are not just versatile, high-quality cookware, but also popular nostalgia items. If the name doesn't seem familiar, the look certainly will: Casserole dishes made of milky white, glass-like material, usually adorned with blue flowers or colorful produce. 

This grandma chic cookware was invented at Corning Glass Works, the same company that invented Pyrex, and it also has similar properties. Most pieces are made of pyroceram, a unique glass-ceramic blend that's extremely resistant to impact damage, rapid temperature changes, and direct heat — a rare exception to thinking twice before using glass on the stovetop.

Some vintage CorningWare is not made of pyroceram and will be marked as unsafe for stovetop use; these are not collectible. And since pyroceram pieces were popular for decades, most resell for low dollar amounts. But whole sets in excellent condition can sell for about $200 to $300, and some individual pieces from rare patterns can also be worth hundreds of dollars.

Pyroceram was accidentally discovered in 1953 when Donald Stookey, an employee in Corning's research division, accidentally overheated a piece of photosensitive glass and dropped it. When the glass bounced instead of shattering, the company knew it had something special.

Even though the line first debuted in 1958, vintage CorningWare can have a vibe matching any decade from the '50s to the '90s. CorningWare with earthen tones and produce designs is one of those '70's kitchen treasures you rarely see anymore, while the classic blue-on-white designs evoke the 1960s. 

In 1998, Corning Glass Works reorganized away from consumer goods and sold all its household brands. CorningWare is still produced today, but as less durable and non-stovetop safe stoneware. Pyrex suffered a similar fate, with the main difference between vintage and modern Pyrex also being reduced durability. However, also like Pyrex, if you have a vintage piece in good condition, keep or resell it — don't throw it away.