Customer Reviews

Pyrex: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Now in a newly expanded second edition featuring an updated price guide, Barbara Mauzy's Pyrex: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide continues to be an amazing resource for the dedicated hobbyist, collector and dealer. This superbly presented guide is filled from cover to cover with full-color photographs, careful descriptions, and prices for Pyrex brand ovenware, flameware, technical glassware, and much more. Pictures of the elegant, modern, sleek and functional cookware featured makes Pyrex: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide resemble a sculpture artbook almost as much as it is a solid and recommended reference for Pyrex collectors, buyers, and sellers.

With every book on collectibles people will say or write they couldn't find what they were looking for. This is true with antique and collectibles books but we need to determine if a book of this type is relevant to our needs.

As a seller of antiques and glass collectibles I find the Pyrex "Unauthorized Collector's Guide" has a wealth of information, if you will, a cornucopia of Pyrex history, excellent pictures, descriptions and range of valuation, which should serve the most discerning individual.

I would prefer a hardcover book and that is my only complaint but that's being too snobbish. The glossy pages fill your eyes with cookware, flameware, ovenware, Pyrex colors, glassware and even takes on some unknown patterns. I discovered so much more about Pyrex than I ever expected.

Identification of merchandise is of utmost importance for my online store and the customer should expect that. I am a stickler for accuracy and in a very short time this book has help me merchandise my Pyrex inventory for sale and has encouraged me to look for much more and not be afraid to make future Pyrex investments for my store.

This book will now accompany me on my antiquing journeys and will come in handy when it's time to identify, value, and purchase. It should serve you well in your library for collecting your favorite Pyrex. Indeed!

First, I want to point out that except for one other of the 7 reviews before mine, all were written previous to 2008--the copyright date of this book. So those reviews DO NOT pertain to this edition; they pertain to earlier editions. I have been using the previous (2002) edition of this book, so I was delighted when I discovered that a 2008 edition was coming out. It has a nice, new updated cover--very appealing. But it looks like that's about all that's changed. From what I can tell, the inside of the book is exactly the same--same pictured items, with no changes that I can see. I assume the prices are updated, although I can't really tell because I can't compare them with the old edition (which was from the library). Even though I got the book on sale, it was a big disappointment and not worth my money--I can go back to the library and get the same old thing!

MY WIFE AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK AND WE ARE ORDERING IT AGAIN SINCE WE LOST EVERYTHING WE HAD IN A HOME FIRE IN AUGUST INCLUDING ALL OF OUR PYREX. WE MUST HAVE THIS BOOK AGAIN AND WILL START OUR COLLECTION ALL OVER AGAIN. IT IS SUCH A COMPLETE BOOK OF INFORMATION ON PYREX.

There is some good info in this book, but there is so much more info that I constantly look up and can't find. I would say it would be a pretty good book for a beginning pyrex collecter.

I utilize glassware references often and already own PYREX: The Unauthorized Collector's Guide, 3rd edition. I purchasd the new 4th edition only to be disappointed. Page for page, the 4th edition presents the same information found in the 3rd edition, except for the addition of a few new photos. Author Barbara Mauzy missed the opportunity to create a 'must-have' supplemental with new information identifying unknown patterns, including dates of production for known patterns, and updating values, for example. Save yourself the expense, and buy a good-used 3rd edition.

This is a good reference for the collector of vintage pyrex. It also includes an interesting history of the company.

This book is full of misinformation! For instance, she attributes the Butterfly Gold pattern to the 1960's, when it wasn't released until 1972. There are patterns listed as "unknown", when they really are known. There is an advertisement for some Flameware items and Flamingo Pink and Lime items that she has attributed to the 1940's, which is wrong! Although Flameware was produced then, the Flamingo Pink and Limeware weren't produced until 1952. Furthermore, I'm skeptical of the values she assigns to many of these pieces, as they appear to be hugely inflated. After all, pieces are only worth what the market is willing to pay for them.

This was a wonderful disappointment. While loaded with great high quality photos it lacked content for the serious collector. There was no guide to understand the makers marks. Nothing explaining the dates specific items were made only generalized groupings. How many were produced in which factory or other pertinent info. Though i can say it is loaded with good photos. It does not cover ever item Pyrex has made.

This guide has a lot of great information about the history of Pyrex, and the price guides have been invaluable when haggling with dealers at flea markets and antique malls over the price of a particular piece.

However, I work in printing/publishing, and I was surprised that so many of the photos in the book are poorly lit or, worse, poorly toned. It makes it difficult to distinguish between prints and patterns, especially if you're a devotee of the Spring Blossom/Crazy Daisy pattern(s).

My largest criticism of the book, however, is the organization. Most of the people I know who collect Pyrex do it by pattern-type, not piece-type. This is a much better resource if you're interested in collecting Pyrex in general, instead of all the pieces in a particular pattern.