12 Secretly Valuable Items In Grandma’s Kitchen

Whether you look back fondly on favorite Thanksgiving dishes served out of retro Corningware, or you remember your grandmother always sipping a 5 p.m. martini from her gilded coupe, kitchenware carries some of the strongest memories in the home. If the kitchen is the gathering place, then it’s also the holding place for nostalgia.

And, while nostalgia is, of course, valuable for its sentimental meaning, sometimes it also has monetary value (especially when the buyer is trying to chase those timeworn memories!).

From sought-after pyrex patterns to high-quality cast iron, there are functional items hiding in your Grandma’s kitchen that could actually be worth a pretty penny. You just have to know what to look for. And, as Jade Joyner, co-founder and principal designer of Metal + Petal in Athens, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, says, “Don’t sleep on the little things—a well-worn butter mold, a hand-carved dough bowl, or an old-school hand-crank egg beater. These aren’t just kitchen tools; they’re pieces of history.”

Here are the 12 vintage kitchen items that might actually be valuable for more than making an old family recipe.

Midcentury Barware

Gilded barware is as glamorous as it gets. It’s Mad Men meets mahjong. It’s well-designed and so chic. And it’s often tossed in the uppermost cabinet in Grandma’s kitchen. If you’re the lucky one to find it? Don’t let it out of your sight.

Willow Wright, owner of Urban Redeux in Alexandria, Virginia, explains, “Hands down the Imperial Glass Golden Shoji Glasses are a great find! These are a mid-century collectors dream with their 22K gold detailing and limited availability. If grandma has these in her cabinet, grab them!”

Corningware

You may not know the name of it, but you’ll recognize Corningware as soon as you spot it. Whether your grandmother loved the harvest colors of the Spice of Life pattern or preferred the calming blue and white of the Cornflower Blue series, Corningware was a must-have in vintage kitchens.

Today, these glass-ceramic baking dishes are often easy to find in antique stores, but they can command a high price tag, particularly when collectors are looking to pull together a complete set.

Antique Copper Pots

As a metal, copper has inherent value, so it’s not surprising copper pots are one of the most valuable items you’ll find in Grandma’s kitchen. “Vintage copper is stunning to style in a kitchen due to their ornateness. These can even be used as cookware so long as the lining is in good condition and if not, style with it,” says Alexandra Clark, co-founder of Ashdown Studio in Charleston, South Carolina.

Fiestaware

The vibrant colors of Fiestaware first debuted on the dinnerware scene in 1936, and they graced the tables of families across America throughout the middle of the century. It was discontinued in the 1970s and, while it was later reintroduced, those pieces from the original run are incredibly in-demand.

“Fiestaware is often worth more than something you’d sell at a garage sale,” says Reyne Hirsch, owner and fine art expert at Dallas Auction Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

Sterling Silver Dinnerware

Receiving silver as a wedding gift was more commonplace for previous generations, which is why you might find stray sterling silver dinnerware and serving pieces floating around your grandmother’s kitchen. Of course, anything that’s actually sterling silver will carry value, even if it’s a one-off piece.

Cookie Jars

Is there money hiding in the cookie jar? Depending on what’s in Grandma’s kitchen, maybe! Hirsh explains, “Pottery cookie jars from the 1940s through 1960s can be quite desirable among cookie jar collectors. Some of them can sell from a few hundred dollars to thousands.”

Look for cookie jars in pristine shape with particularly unusual shapes or characters—these are often the most sought-after.

Cookie Cutters

While you’re checking to see whether the cookie jar is worth anything besides chocolate chip memories, take a second to look around for cookie cutters, too. If you find antique tin cookie cutters, you might have stumbled on to a gold mine (or at least something worth a few dollars). Animals and vintage Christmas cookie cutters are typically the most valuable.

Griswold Cast-Iron Skillets

Everyone knows their grandmother’s cast iron has value, particularly when they’re making her famous cornbread recipe. But, depending on the brand, cast iron skillets could be worth actual dollars on the secondhand market. “Cast-iron skillets, specifically Griswold. Cast-iron skillet owners often take pride in the upkeep. These can be found in beautiful conditions and something you can continue to use and pass down to future generations,” says Clark.

Pyrex Nesting Bowls

Pyrex is still manufactured today, but vintage pyrex is a favorite of collectors, particularly if you find it in a rare color or pattern. “Those pastel Pyrex nesting bowls, especially in pink or turquoise? Instant collector’s items,” says Joyner. Ideally, it should be in mint condition, even if it dates back to the 1950s.

Fire-King Jadeite Dishes

The milky green glass of Jadeite is one of the prettiest colors you’ll find in a Grandma’s kitchen, and that’s exactly why antique enthusiasts love it. Joyner explains, “The most valuable vintage kitchen finds are usually the ones hiding in plain sight—things our grandparents used every day without a second thought. Jadeite dishes from Fire-King? Worth a fortune now.”

Depression Glass

Depression glass was an affordable alternative to cut glassware in the 1920s, and its charming raised glass and molded patterns are no longer simply a cheap way to add color and shimmer to a table. Today, Hirsch points out, depression glass is a valuable collectible, particularly in its prettiest pastel colors.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset costs a pretty penny today, so it’s no surprise that vintage Le Creuset is similarly desirable. If you can find Le Creuset hiding in your grandmother’s kitchen, it’s worth trying to polish it up, regardless of whether it’s in your favorite color.