The refrigerators of the 1930s were a far cry from their 2020 counterparts. There were no special drawers to keep vegetable crisp and fresh, and no doors with water and ice dispensers; just a simple box with a minimum of shelves. They had one purpose, they kept foods cold. As we entered the 1940s a small freezer compartment with ice cube trays was added and by 1950s the “modern” refrigerator was a staple in kitchens across America.
The major glass companies of the U.S. saw the opportunity to get in on the popularity of this new innovation in food storage and production of “refrigerator sets” was soon under way. Over the past decade we have seen a growing interest in these sets of usable collectibles. Selling for a few dollars originally, sets from Federal Glass, Hazel Atlas, Anchor Hocking and Pyrex are currently garnering top dollar through online sales and auctions.
The Federal Glass Company of Columbus, Ohio was one of the first to enter the marketplace in the early 1930s. Their clear, molded glass storage containers with embossed fruit on the lids were an instant hit. They quickly followed this with the popular Criss-Cross pattern and sales soared. Both were substantially mass-produced and as such are easy to find and will be to the low end of the pricing scale. If you prefer colored glass, both their Depression era green and their Golden Amber refrigerator dishes are readily available on eBay and Etsy. You will find Federal Glass pieces marked with an “F” inside a shield, making them easy to identify.
Hazel Atlas fans are showing a strong interest in refrigerator dishes made of uranium glass. Produced from the late 1930s until the beginning of WWll, these highly collectible pieces were made by adding oxide diuranate to the glass mixture before melting. Some confusion arises to the difference between Depression green glass and uranium glass. Uranium glass will be a yellowish-green and can be verified by holding it under a blacklight, where it will glow. Also of interest to collectors are the individual refrigerator dishes made of a form of milk glass known as Platonite. Manufactured in the mid-1930s, they are Art Deco in style and often trimmed with black and red stripes. Not all Hazel Atlas glass is marked, but the piece which are will say HA on the bottom.
Anchor Hocking released their line of ribbed refrigerator sets in 1932 as a part of their popular Fire King line. Jadeite pieces in the Philbe pattern are seeing prices as high as $45 for the 5”x3’ dish and $65 for a single 9” loaf pan/storage dish. If you would like to add a 4 piece set to your collection be prepared to lay down $250-$350. Much less expensive is the Philbe pattern in sapphire blue glass which will run you in the $35 range for a full set.
Pyrex introduced their primary colored (red, yellow, green and blue) 4-piece opal ware “Oven-Refrigerator” sets in 1947 and carried them in their catalogs through 1967. They consist of two small dishes and one medium dish sized to stack on top of a large dish. Pyrex extended their pattern selections throughout the 1970s with many of the lines including oven/refrigerator sets. Collectors also watch for 1970s sets in Autumn Harvest, Gooseberry, Snowflake, Spring Blossom, Sandalwood and Butterfly Gold. Color variations and the style of the lids will vary on many of these so make certain to match the back stamp on each piece if you are assembling a set.
COLLECTORS NOTE: Pyrex refrigerator sets are currently appearing on eBay in what sellers are referring to as the “Citrus” pattern. No such pattern exists. These are compiled of yellow, green and orange pieces from Daisy, Verde and Multi-color sets. So beware! Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates. She is currently not taking new clients.
