Alfred Andresen Heart Design Waffle Iron

[Roger Muse]

Picked up this piece, with the misspelled Minneapolis on one side.  Wood handles are hardware store dowels, no originals.
It doesn't have the 999 or 981 marked on the plates.
It has a Griswold 8 short base with 975 C on the bottom.

The Blue Book has a similar one made by Griswold listed as $75 - $100

[Tom Neitzel]

Those pattern numbers should be there, but very tiny, only 1/4" tall.  They would be about where that #4 is hand written in your first picture.  Could be worn off though.   I think the price written on that first picture would about be the top of the market, to me anyway.  Made by Griswold for Andresen, it is an acorn hinge, variation 2 of those made by Griswold for Andresen.

I've attached pictures of the numbers.  They are missing on most irons that have had much use at all.

Tom

[Roger Muse]

Upon close examination moving each iron under the light, I can just barely make out the tiniest hint of numbers.
Knowing that they are 999 and 981 allowed me to decipher what they are, but would have guessed 089 and 001 without a reference.  The number marks are almost totally gone.

[Tom Neitzel]

I believe they are more often than not pretty much gone if the iron has been used much at all.  That area seems to take quite a beating and the numbers are faint to start with.  I went for years thinking they were not numbered until another WAGS member pointed them out to me.

Tom

[Ken Davis]

Is the mis-spelling of "Mineapolis" on the 981 paddle common?