My local finds Griswold No. 12 skillet

EdP

Member
I found a Griswold No. 12 skillet the seller wants $135. I haven't seen it yet but will soon. Is this a fair price? Your thoughts?
 

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Seems to be in pretty good condition, I think $135 is fair. You'd probably pay double on ebay, and could find it cheaper locally if you were really patient.
 
Get it you won't find cheaper on eBay. Or letme know where is it at I take it:whip2:

You are right about that and it is a nice specimen from the pics he provided... but it's just that I'm not yet convinced yet that Griswolds are worth that much (caveat-not saying they are undesirable/bad iron), but I shall see when I pay him a visit. I personally think BSR are better and more desirable (to me anyway) because they are a wee bit thicker/heavier which makes them a little less susceptible to warping or such. Btw, here is the other pic I forgot to post.


Let you know where it is? :laughup: :icon_rofl:
 

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There can be a difference between what something's worth and what it's worth to you. I was at a flea market a few weeks ago and had a small Griswold in my hand (I can't even remember, I think it was a #2, if those exist) that the guy told me was extremely rare and wanted $150 for. He may have been right and he may not have been, but even if he was right, it wasn't worth $150 to me.

Now, the Wagner #14 I had in my hands at another booth that was marked for $100...I'm still kicking myself for not buying that.
 
$135 is not out of line (these days) for the Griswold #12 LBL HR if no damage or defect. One always likes to pay less if one can.
 
I agree with you EC Price that a thicker BSR is more desirable in some ways than that Griswold. While on the Griswold you may find similar iron thickness and surface smoothness to a late unmarked Wagner which would be much cheaper ( I got mine for $22). However if you are desiring even heating and don't have an especially wide burner/heat source, a clunky Century series BSR is going to outperform either thanks to it's thickness. That said, I'm not convinced if any #12 is going to resist warping if your not careful about overheating/heat shocking.
For $135 I'd probably buy it and get rid of my Wagner for purely aesthetic and investment reasons... Nothings better for roasting 4 pounds of oven potato wedges at once!

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------

Thinking about it now, I suppose my dream skillet would be a pre-automation No. 12 BSR Red Mountain... Perhaps we should both hold out for a couple of those to come along! :)
 
I agree with you EC Price that a thicker BSR is more desirable in some ways than that Griswold. While on the Griswold you may find similar iron thickness and surface smoothness to a late unmarked Wagner which would be much cheaper ( I got mine for $22). However if you are desiring even heating and don't have an especially wide burner/heat source, a clunky Century series BSR is going to outperform either thanks to it's thickness. That said, I'm not convinced if any #12 is going to resist warping if your not careful about overheating/heat shocking.
For $135 I'd probably buy it and get rid of my Wagner for purely aesthetic and investment reasons... Nothings better for roasting 4 pounds of oven potato wedges at once!

---------- Post added at 12:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 PM ----------

Thinking about it now, I suppose my dream skillet would be a pre-automation No. 12 BSR Red Mountain... Perhaps we should both hold out for a couple of those to come along! :)

Yes, BenjaminO you're spot on. I have 2 BSR's in my collection: An #8 skillet BSR I inherited from a late grandmother (from a post I made in April) that a whole lot of fried chicken-n-taters were fried in that has a very smooth interior finish and patina and a 11 1/4" breakfast griddle from the 1970s with a pic here. This griddle is a champ for pancakes/griddlecakes. :glutton:
 

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That's a nice looking Gris. It's probably worth the asking price if it's what you want. I'm still a bit new in collecting and too cheap to fork out that much on a skillet. The most I've spent is $50 on a #9 LB Gris with heat ring. It has some minor pitting on the bottom. We cook with it almost daily.

Followed an ebay listing over the weekend on a #13 LB Gris dutch oven lid. LID only now. Sold for just under $3100. That's a serious collector.
 
but it's just that I'm not yet convinced yet that Griswolds are worth that much

This and Doug's response below your post is where I'm at...

I wouldn't pay that much for a Griswold, but I'm not really into them. There are a few other brands that I've paid more for, and would do it again, no regrets. It's all about what YOU want..

Personally there are three brands I would blow cash on before even considering Griswold. Do I buy it when I see it cheap at a yard sale/thrift store/flea market? Hell yes, but I'm building a collection. My focus may lie elsewhere.

If you're just going to cook in it, I would head to Target/Wal-Mart and buy a $30 Lodge. They make great cast iron, and a wide variety of it. I'm a collector and a user so my needs might not necessarily be yours. Wanna' get fancy, buy a new Finex 12" cast iron skillet and be the envy of your neighbors, and me. :)
 
This and Doug's response below your post is where I'm at...

I wouldn't pay that much for a Griswold, but I'm not really into them.

Yea...kinda leaning that way too, but this one appears to be a good find.

If you're just going to cook in it, I would head to Target/Wal-Mart and buy a $30 Lodge. They make great cast iron, and a wide variety of it. I'm a collector and a user so my needs might not necessarily be yours. Wanna' get fancy, buy a new Finex 12" cast iron skillet and be the envy of your neighbors, and me. :)

Yea, I have a couple of pieces of Lodge and use them some...rough surface though, but Lodge iron is ok. But I use my vintage iron more often because of the smooth surface of my #8 BSR skillet and #5 Wagner skillet and the newly acquired #10 Wagner skillet. But I do want some Finex stuff. :biggrin:
 
Yea...kinda leaning that way too, but this one appears to be a good find.

If you want it, just get it. I've passed up pieces that I thought too much about, went back later and I was too slow. Already gone.

Yeah, the Finex skillets are pretty cool, but I keep thinking about what great vintage iron I could get for the same price. They need to come out with a dutch oven.
 
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