No... Just no. - You Cannot Retire and Buy an Island on Corning Ware Sales

I was going to just let this all run it's course as I usually does; because this happens just about every year in January.  This year, however, the rumor mill seems to have whipped an absolute frenzy of insanity. I have received upwards of 400 emails from people asking about their grandmother's or mother's million dollars worth of Corning Ware...

Just STOP.

People that I know with items listed on Facebook Marketplace are being harassed (by non-collectors) about how they aren't doing proper research and need raise their prices...

Just STOP.

People, who I don't know, are listing the most common place Corning Ware pieces on eBay for thousands of dollars.

Just STOP.

NO piece of Corning Ware is worth 10,000 dollars...

Just STOP.

This all started with a news article written back in 2014, that referenced a phone interview with a glass collector and, consequently, misconstrued some of the information given by said glass collector.  The $7,000 eBay sale referred to was for Pyrex Painted Opal Glass.  An item which just happens to be manufactured by Corning Glass Works; just like Corning Ware and Corelle and Pyrex clear baking dishes and measuring pitchers.  People mix up Corelle, Corning Ware and Opal Pyrex all the time. (Even collectors can make mistakes)

Just STOP.

The article is currently making the rounds on Facebook and various other social media outlets, radio stations and even local news channels.  This has spawned a plethora of crazy people, who have done no REAL research, to list "common as old shoe" Corning Ware pieces on eBay at exorbitant prices in a desperate attempt to catch a sucker.  

Just STOP.

I have been collecting for almost 20 years and I guarantee that your grandmother's Cornflower casseroles will not make you rich.  You will not be able to retire to your very own Caribbean island...

Just STOP.

Trust me, if they were worth that much, I would have sold my entire collection and would be typing this blog post from my Chalet in the Alps.  Alas, I am just cold and wet as I trudge back and forth from home to work and back again in the soggy Pacific Northwest...  Typing on my soggy laptop on my soggy desk in the soggy bedroom of my soggy house in soggy Troutdale, which is outside soggy Portland city limits, at the mouth of the soggy Columbia River Gorge, in soggy Multnomah county in soggy Oregon; all while wearing my soggy shoes...  Did I mention everything is depressingly soggy here? 

I really wish it were worth the supposed millions promised by that news article, trust me.  I would be a full fledged billionaire. I have so much "stuff" to sell that I could purchase a chalet in every alpine country.... Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy and Austria.  Heck, I could even throw in a couple Caribbean islands in case I get bored with snow. 

Alas no chalets, no islands, no nothing cause my Corning Ware collection isn't worth 3.5 trillion dollars.

Just STOP.

If you are seriously curious about the value of  any Corning Ware pieces in your cupboard, check the SOLD listings on eBay.  This will give you true picture of what things actually sell for, not what eBay sellers "think" they can get for something.

This is a PERFECT example of how social media propagates misinformation.

Where is your Corning Ware?? 

Hopefully not listed on eBay for 20,000... Just sayin'
~~

Mysteries of Corning Ware - Bistro/Cafe Pattern on P-43

I don't really have a whole lot to say about this mysterious pattern.  It seems to only have been available on the P-43-B and no other pieces.  The official name has not been verified, but "Bistro" and "Cafe" are a couple of the names that people often use when referring to it.  I have even seen it called "French Coffee Shop". 

One thing to note, however, is the flat topped lugs. 

This dates the piece to after 1996, which was the point when Corning Glass Works flattened the lugs of the P-43, as is evident for later patterns like Lyrics, Fruit Basket, Fresh Cut, Friendship and Oceanview.

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Mysteries of Corning Ware - The P-102? Teapot/Cream Pitcher

Since it is somewhat traditional, at this point in time, to reminisce about the previous year, I would like to focus on the biggest Corning Ware mystery to surface in 2017.
 
It took a bit of luck to secure one of the four that have appeared on eBay over the last 6 months, but I finally succeeded.  Of course, because Murphy is my Uncle, I promptly found a damaged one in a thrift store 3 days after the eBay seller had shipped the one I purchase.  So now I have 2 of them, or 1 4/5 of them, depending on how you look at it.

The mystery piece I am speaking of is this 2 cup "teapot" with the aluminum lid.

I placed "teapot" in quotes, because it really looks more like a cream pitcher, to me.  (like this metal one)

Especially with the way the lid is attached.

 (It hooks over a wire embedded in the Bakelite handle)

I kind of wonder if this is a product of the same phenomenon as the H-7 au Gratin/Deep Pie dish piece.

Which was really a Hospitality Industry item, but they do show up from time to time with Cornflowers emblazoned upon them, instead of the standard plain white.  Likewise, these cream servers/individual teapots may have also escaped their hospitality destiny to be flocked in blue flower.

I am guessing that they might be a P-102... But they could just as easily be an H-102 or just an H-2. Heck, they could have even been PL-102 if they were intended for the airlines.  Who knows.  I only have access to 2 documents regarding Hospitality items.  One document focuses on the warming buffet style servers and the other is about the H-7 individual pie dish (seen above).  As far airline items are concerned, I got nothing.  So your guess on this piece is just as good as mine.

Then again.....  It looks an AWFUL lot like the individual Pyrex carafes that were produced from 1958-1960ish.

Ponderous.... 

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Corning Ware Electromatic Percolator Cords - What You Should Know

There seems to be some confusion out there about replacement cords for Electromatic items.  Hopefully this post will shed some light on the subject.  I am going to focus primarily on Electromatic Percolators, however, cord replacement on the P-54 Warming Tray will be included as well.  But first, it is imparative that you know which percolator model you have, for not all cords are created equal.

There are 4 models of Electromatic percolator (2 of which are basically the same, just different cup sizes).  You must MUST MUST know which one you have.  I cannot stress this enough...   Percolators usually are not marked with their model numbers, but there is a simple way to determine your immersible heater module.  Look at the top.

                                 P-80-EP/P-6-EP       -       P-23-EP          -         E-1210


This is the top to the P-13-EP (Trefoil) P-23-EP (Cornflower) and W-23-EP (Wheat) percolator.  There is a black plastic version with no chrome, but the shape is unique - that is the important part.  Other patterns show up in this model, but they are generally designated as P-23-EPs (Ducks being one of them)

This heater module takes a standard appliance cord that you can purchase at the hardware store (#30123) for about $3.99.

This heater module is the ONLY one that will take that cord.  NONE of the other 3 models can use this cord as a replacement.

Now let's take a look at those other modules...........

This is the P-80-EP Heater Module (the P-6-EP module looks the same, just a little smaller).  This module was also used for the P-480-EP & P-406-EP (Platinum Filigree) and the W-80-EP & W-6-EP (Wheat) as well as the P-280-EP & P-206-EP (All White).  Other patterns appear in this model of percolator as well, though they are generally just P-80-EPs or P-6-EPs.  (Green Wheat, Morning Glory, Early American, Floral Bouquet, Avocado Medallion and, of course, Cornflower)

This is the E-1210 Heater module.  All patterns of this percolator are designated as E-1210. (Spice o' Life, Country Festival, Floral Bouquet, Blue Medallion)

I will type it again..... These 3 percolator models (P-80-EP, P-6-EP and E-1210) will not work with the same appliance cord (30123) that can be used on the P-23-EP models.  These 3 models have a proprietary plug that used a special cord.  (P-6-HC/E-1210-HC)

They can be found on eBay, ranging in price anywhere from $20.00 to $42.00, depending on how money hungry the seller is.

Incidentally, the the prong spacing is the same as that of the P-54 Warming Tray, thus cords are swap-able between these items.

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Tea... Apparently, it's For The Birds - Corning Ware Game Birds

Very little is known about this "pattern", if one can actually call it that, since it's really a set of 4 patterns.  It appears to have been very popular.  So popular, in fact, that many companies were using these "game bird" transfer patterns.  Not just similar ones, but the exact SAME ones.  This menagerie of Canada Geese, Mallard Ducks, Partridge and Ring Necked Pheasants can be found on many completely unrelated items from Hall China, Crown Staffordshire Bone Chine and, of course, Corning Ware.  (or I would not be writing this post)

Crown Staffordshire English Bone China teacups flanking a Hall Teapot (New York shape)

Schumann Arzberg Coffee Mug

I suppose it is not at all surprising that Corning Ware would follow this game bird trend as well.  What IS surprising, however, is the time span between these items that show up with these bird prints.

The TK-2 - Cookmates flat ground bottomed version of the P-57 Deluxe Teakettle...  Produced at some point between 1968 and 1973.

Featuring the Canada Geese and Partridge.

and  matching lid.

The P-23-EP and P-80-EP Electromatic Percolators also feature a very similar design of flying mallard ducks without the cattails in the background.

The P-104 Teapot. 

 An classic exercise in over-achievement, since it contains all 4 prints on 1 piece..

Though the 6 cup P-104 teapot was produced from 1960 - 1987, the mark on this teapot is extremely telling.
It's a Block Mark from the early 80s.  Seven years after the last possible production point for the TK-2.

This piece is also adorn with the later brushed steel lid. (also from the 80s)


There is also a Centura 10 oz Coffee mug (production date unknown)

This particular one in my collection features the Mallard Ducks, but all 4 patterns were available (see decorative plates below)

Then there are the Corning Ware Pyroceram Decorative plates...

And last but not least.... the original Sidekick (P-140) which was known as the PL003 in it's previous life of airline service.

(this one was made for United Airlines)

There are several other items, not in my personal collection, that I know exist.......

The B-10-B  Corning Ware Round 10 inch skillet (featured the partridge) Sorry, I do not have a photo of this one

The P-80-EP Electromatic Percolator - Ducks

The E-1210 Electromatic Percolator - Pheasants

Related Patterns

Though not from the above set of 4 game bird prints, but still in the same venue, there is the ever elusive P-32 Hibachi setup.. Yep, there was a Corning Ware Hibachi, featuring Mallard ducks.... (this piece is a P-2 1/2-B size with grill, ash screen and grill with a modified wood handled cradle - there was also a wooden tray, originally)

and the D-33 Chaffing Dish (P-2 1/2-B with an all White P-17 and a fancy metal legged alcohol burning stand that is very similar to the black plastic legged candle warmer stands)

as well as the 1st generation Electromatic Percolator (P-23-EP) which appears to be the reverse of the hibachi pattern.  Apparently on print is migrating North and the other is migrating South. 

Then there was this set that I found on Flickr.  Featuring the P-2 1/2-B, from the Hibachi set up, a P-16 skillet with running pheasants and swimming ducks on a P-19 broiling/serving platter.

There is also a strange P-2 1/2-B with a different set of flying ducks.  I believe these are Green Winged Teals, as opposed to the more commonly used Mallards...

This is by no means all of these mysterious game bird piece that are out there, cause lord knows there are bound to be more popping out of the woodwork in the future.  This is merely an attempt to record the ones that have been found so far.

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Bitter Sweet Wheat - W-57 Deluxe Tea Kettle

This was another one of the "difficult to verify" pieces.   Unlike the W-23-EP percolator, however, I actually knew this one existed.  I guess that would make it more of a "difficult to get my grubby hands on" piece.   Posession of this piece has taunted me for years.  I had been SO close; and yet so far.  I had no idea how many were floating around out there.   I discovered the existence of this piece on eBay in May of 2014.  It was located in Wisconsin, but I went ahead and purchased it (shipping was a little cheaper back then)  Sadly, the trip to Oregon did not go well....

at...

all...

 (sigh)

Even though the seller issued a full refund, I was very depressed about it.  I would much rather have had the piece.

After much searching (almost 3 years of searching), another one finally appeared... This one only had to travel from Lacey, Washington and arrived completely intact.  WHEW!

This piece is more often found in Blue Cornflower but, surprisingly enough, appears to be the most common in the Cookmates version (TK-2) with the flat ground bottom.  Don't ask me why.

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Early American - Corning Ware, not Pyrex

Most of us that collect anything even remotely connected to Corning Glass Works are familiar with some of the Pyrex patterns.  Early American Pyrex Ware, in it's lovely shades of Brown, White and sometimes Gold was a fairly common pattern in it's day. (1962-1971).

There was, however, another Corning product by the same name, though not nearly as common nor well known.  Corning Ware also came in an Early American pattern.

Granted a much simpler pattern, featuring a lone bald eagle in black, and devoid of superfluous accoutrements like weather vanes, cats, coffee grinders, bellows, kerosene lamps and ears of corn.

Very little is known about this pattern, but thankfully some of the original boxes have shown up, so the correct name has been verified.  All the pieces seem to be unmarked, however, the saucepans have P-series handle lugs, so production was prior to 1972.  The fact that there are 2 percolators in this pattern (P-119 and P-116) suggests that date should be lowered from 1972 to 1970, because Corning discontinued the P-119 in lieu of the P-149, which made it's debut in the Renaissance Limited Edition Gift Line from 1970.  Recent developments have also revealed the existence of a P-23-EP (1st generation Electromatic Percolator)... Since these were discontinued in favor of the P-80-EP model in 1966, this firmly places this pattern to a 1962-1966 production window.

There is a variation on this pattern where the eagle has a solid black head.  (As seen on this MW-11 piece)

Whether it was a test pattern or not remains a mystery.

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

More Sweet Wheat - Wheat W-23-EP Percolator

As I have mentioned before, the old story about "Wheat" being the initially intended pattern for Corning Ware, and how the pattern was not ready for production so the Cornflower was used instead, has long been shown to not hold any water.  (because there are blue wheat prototypes out there - it's possible the enamel color wasn't "ready")   The "limited number of pieces" claim has also been refuted several times.  This percolator's existence only backs up the fact that "small number of pieces" is completely false.

Though I admit, I have been searching for some trace of it's production for several years....  3 actually showed up within a 1 month span on eBay....   So it's not a "one of" scenario.   Just as the W-53 Self-Timing saucepan proved that Wheat had been in production from at least 1963 (the only year those were made); the existence for the 1st generation Electromatic Percolator W-23-EP (Along with its other 1sts gen brethren; Trefoil P-13-EP and Cornflower P-23-EP) proves that wheat could have been in production as early as the fall of 1961.

Though not as common as the latter model (P-80-EP and P-6-EP from 1966-1972) let it be known that these older percolators DO, in fact, exist.

Please note, that the cord to this percolator is not original.  Unlike the later P-80-EP, P-6-EP and E-1210 percolator models that have proprietary cords, these 1st Generation models (P-23-EP, P-13-EP & W-23-EP) used a standard appliance cord that can be purchased at just about any hardware store, even today - Part # 30123

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~

Sweet Wheat - Avocado Wheat P-80-EP Percolator

Percolators are abound in the Corning Ware universe.  Things we never dared to dream existed, will suddenly appear out of nowhere.   This is what happened with this Wheat Floral (AKA: Harvest Wheat, Green Wheat, Wheat Sheaf, Avocado Wheat) P-80-EP Percolator.  

I feel very fortunate to have this in my collection.  There is an added bonus, in that it gives us some precedent for dating the pattern.   P-80-EPs were released in 1966 with Platinum Filigree gift line, and since the rest of the cookware pieces are of the P-series era, then spring of 1972 would be the pattern cut-off date.  

Other than those facts, nothing else much is known about this pattern; including the name, since no original boxes have been found as of yet.

Thanks to Tony, a member of the Corning Ware collectors group on Facebook, an packing insert has been found which points to this being called "Avocado Wheat" and being an exclusive offer to Atlantic Richfield Company Credit Card holders (that's ARCO gas).

Where is your Corning Ware??
~~