Wagner Ware collecting

T

Tony Gilliam

Member
Up until now I have been mainly a user of CI, I have a few go to pans that I love to cook in. Over this past year I have bought pans that are wall hangers, and now have settled on a style/ brand to collect. If I come across an odd piece I will still buy it but mainly have settled on Wagner Ware Sidney -o- high logo smooth bottom (1935-1959).
Looking through the vintage advertisements, I have found they were available in 5 sizes. I have the #3,#5,#8, and an ashtray / spoon rest with the oval WW logo which doesn't seem to be collectable.
I am wondering what the other sizes are that I need, the ads don't give sizes, and also are these ads for a smaller than full line set like a starter or wedding set?
Thanks Guys and Gals
Tony
 
That's an interesting question . I buy and sell allot of cast iron and I have only ever seen a #3 , #5 (I think) , #6 , #8 and #10 . I'm in Canada though , but still I have seen MANY Wagner Ware of those sizes and never seen a #7 , #9 or #12 .

I found one of those ashtrays a couple of weeks ago and bought it . Very well made little piece .
 
The handy thing about the pieces you are looking for is they have catalog numbers on them which eBay sellers nearly always put in the title or description. Smooth bottom Wagners were also made in #s 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 with c/ns 1056, 1057, 1059, 1061 and 1062, respectively. A smooth bottom #2 also exists, but not one with a c/n. Also #s 13 and 14 exist (1063, 1064) but have heat rings.
 
Cool, Thanks for the info.
I settled on this style/ brand because it is fairly common in my area and I'm more likely to find pieces in the wild to complete my set.
Thanks guys.
Tony
 
Tony I also recently decided on a maker and time frame to put together a set of users.
I have a couple BSR and smooth bottom Griswolds A couple of months ago I come across a large slant Griswold with the heat ring. Although it's not cleaned up yet to use it got me thinking and decided that's what I wanted for a small set.
I've always liked the heat ring on the BSR's and the older Griswolds fit the bill for me.

I've found a couple Wagner's for the roommate and that's what he likes, He dosent like the looking or the hunt but wants me to find him a couple more of the same.

If I find a few neat odd TM's cheap they may stay to hang on the wall, at that point you guys may of finely tuned me into a collector:)
 
Steven, My users are a real hodge podge. I have an old gated, new lodge, "wagner", favorite smiley, unmarked, grizwold. I love these pans, they are great users, but not very common in my area, so the thought of getting a whole set is hard to imagine.
My wall hangers have a couple wapak's, couple grizwold's, favorites, Chicago, O'Brien. I guess my wall hangers are hodge podge also.
Time to direct my energy I guess.
Tony
 
Tony my users are a bit of a mix too. My neighbor pick me up a nice unmarked Wagner shallow skillet griddle I couldn't be happier with. I had been looking for the Griswold 109 and this will work till I find one. The surface is finished as well as a old ones and after restoring and a few breakfasts now the roommate wants one just like it.

The only new one I have is a new Lodge grill pan from yard sale, cooks well and does what it's supposed to but a pain in the rear to clean. That one may go down the road.

I'm not to picky with DO and other things I'll use. I like the hammered Chicago's and other neat item's. I do also like the look of the fancy handle ones. Wow i just now realized I'm going to need more wall space :covri:
 
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My wall hangers have expanded from my kitchen into the dinning room and now the garage. Well its time to paint the dinning room and I'm looking for a color to go with my CI. No I don't have a problem.
I'm sure my family is planning an intervention soon.
Tony

---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 PM ----------

Now that I have decided on a direction for collection, I spent the day on the web and have more questions than answers. Please help me out!
Most of the sites I clicked on sent me right back here. Doug that's props to you!
I have no doubt that I'm in the right place to get answers.
I think that the c/n numbers are confusing me, Because I have found the same pans with differing numbers, like a 3B compared to a 1053. Same pan different numbers. I can only speculate different years.
I also saw a couple references to a 1060 wagner. I don't have the books but am thinking the c/n's carried on past 1959???
Also the #2 without a c/n #, is that part of the line I want to collect or is it prior to it?
Ok one last question for now, A 1059 with a heat ring, prior to, same time, or later than, the smooth bottoms that I'm collecting?
Ok one more question, Whats up with the lids, glass -vs- cast, when did each happen.
Sorry but now I'm committed to a collection
Tony
 
A pan marked 3B and one marked 1053 (and some letter) are both #3 regular skillets, just the one marked 3 was made before catalog numbers were used. Catalog number usage preceded the switch from heat ring to smooth bottom, but the numbering convention remained the same, so you will see heat ring skillets size-marked both ways. #2 and #3 are a bit of a bad example because there were never heat ring versions of them by Wagner. There is a #2 with a c/n, but it is the pie logo.

Wagner at some point after 1960 or so stopped putting c/ns on the pans, instead opting to use the descriptive diameter markings, e.g. "6-1/2 INCH SKILLET".

A #9 heat ring marked c/n 1059 would be 1924 to about 1935, before the switch to smooth bottoms.

Glass lids were sometime in the 1950s.
 
Doug, you just explained it better than a days worth web searches, I'm sure I will have more questions about my collection. Thanks for being there buddy.
Tony
 
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