Spent $40 on a 'rare' Pyrex bowl at an estate sale and it shattered in my hands

I grabbed this vintage Pyrex bowl at a sale in Bellevue last Saturday. Paid $40 because I thought I was getting a steal, it looked perfect in the light. Got it home, tried to wash it by hand with warm water, and a huge crack just ran through the middle. Turns out old Pyrex can have micro fractures you can't see. Has anyone else gotten burned on supposedly collectible glassware at these sales?

2 comments

2 Comments

webb.val1mo ago

Oh do I have a story for you. I bought a "rare" Fire King mug at a thrift store in Portland for like 15 bucks once, and when I got home and poured hot coffee in it, the handle just fell right off. I was SO mad. It's weird how these old glass pieces look fine but they've got hidden damage from years of use. My grandma always said to never put hot things in cold vintage glass and vice versa, but I didn't listen. Now I just stick to displaying them on a shelf and never actually using them for anything. It's a shame you can't really test them without risking a shatter.

jesse_barnes371mo ago

Man I dunno, Ive got a few Fire King mugs from estate sales that I use almost daily and theyre totally fine. Maybe its just luck but I think a lot of people overhype the fragility of vintage glass.