Tuesday, May 21, 2013

No Pain, No Grain - Wonderfully Winsome Wheat

So you may be wondering, at this point, if I am purchasing all the pieces I have been photographing in the thrift stores.  No.  My kitchen is not nearly big enough to house a collection of that size.  Neither is my pocket book large enough to support amassing a collection of that size.  Thus, mere photographs shall have to document the patterns I have come across in my rummagings.

There is one pattern though that I cannot resist purchasing, when found.  That would be my precious Wheat pattern.

It's somewhat rare, but it does crop up from time to time.  And I purchase EVERY single piece I find.  As is the case today.  A Saucemaker presented itself to me and, well.....  Veni, Vidi, Visa!

OK, it was really my Visa debit card, so technically it was "veni, vidi, checking account", but that just doesn't have the same ring to it.   Am I right?

The Saucemakers are kind of a strange anomaly.  I have 3 now... Two 1-quart models (seen below) and one 2-quart model in Cornflower.

NONE of mine have model numbers on them, they simply have "Saucemaker" printed on the backside under the handle tab.

Interestingly, if you look on eBay, some of them DO have numbers printed on them.  However, while the 1 quart models seem to have 2 different numbers (P-55 or P-64), the 2 quart model seems to be only a P-65.  Sometimes there is a "B" afterwards on both sizes, sometimes not.   It's inconsistent and very confusing.

To top it off, the Wheat pattern pieces do not start with a "P" (original) or "A" (post-1972) like most of the standard shaped pieces (French White is another story).... The wheat pattern pieces begin with "W"...  I don't know why the Wheat pattern has it's own beginning letter.  As a result of this, my guess is that this piece, being a 1 quart model, is either W-55 or W-64.  I have no idea which. 

Identity aside, I am extremely happy with this find.  It cost a little more than I am usually comfortable paying for pieces, that is for sure.  After all, for me, half the fun of collecting is getting a bargain.  In the grand scheme of things, however, I can think of many other things I could have spent $10 on and had nothing to show for it in the end.  Instead, I have a beautiful, and sligthly rarer piece of the elusive Wheat pattern to go with my Broil and Bake tray (W-35-B), 4 quart Dutch Oven (W-34-B), my 6 cup Drip-O-Lator (W-104 with P-114-U) and my Pie Plate (W-309)

So few pieces when compared to the amount of Blue Cornflower I have.  Must keep looking!

Where is your Corningware??
~~

4 comments:

  1. I would love to have the coffee dripolator in wheat, or just the 6 cup pot as I have the dripolator part already. I will pay big bucks. Will you sell me yours? Or give me direction to find one?
    Thanks so much,
    susan Mulderry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI I was just looking up info on the wheat 6 cup drip-o-lator
      Because I happen to have one I'm trying to post. I have looked everywhere even worth point and cannot find ome that had been sold. Any ideas do you know the model number a also wanted to let u know because u want one thx

      Delete
    2. All wheat piece model numbers begin with W, instead of P... So a 6 cup pot is a W-104... However, the drip globe still carries the regular model number of P-114-U (for Upper bowl)

      Delete
  2. Your best bets are eBay and etsy. You will probably have to buy the pieces separately though. The plus side is that it makes for a little safer shipping, cause the upper bowls are a little more delicate than the teapot, so you don't want them banging together in the box (I only say this cause a lot of eBay sellers don;t seem to know how to pack their wares very well)

    I got lucky and found the drip bowl at the Goodwill while I was living in San Diego... They are out there, but it may take awhile to find one. The 6 cup Wheat teapot I have was purchased off eBay for 7.00 back in 2009.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.