I got excited at the auction.

[Karen Mikolainis]

Might have over-did it on this #8 Griswold.  $80 for a pan?  Oops. 
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=31841979

I hope to bid on a #9 Griswold too.  Any tips on restraint if I've overdone it?

This is the #9 I'm eyeing up that would be my third pan if I win.
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=31878970


Thanks,
Karen

[Adam Hoagland]

[size=12]Everybody has a different stance on what cast iron is really worth, lately, and everybody who's weighed in has made good points.  If you want to do some reading, take a look at this recent discussion on the issue.

http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1468501722

My own opinion on your #8?  In short, if I'm going to spend that much on a pan, I want to inspect it in person first, and I can't do that with an internet auction.  Speaking only for my own practices, that's why I only buy cheap stuff on e-bay.  But, lots of people are comfortable buying rare and/or large items over the computer, so I guess I've the minority view on that.[/size]

[George Gardner]

Karen, best advice I can give you is be patient - there are a lot of cast iron pans out there.  You bought that #8 pan for a "top dollar" price, but you got a nice piece of history and a great pan to cook with - that's a Slant Logo with heat ring in case you didn't know - made around 1910-1925 or so. With patience and experience you will find the deals that are out there...

The #9 skillet is a Large Block Logo (LBL) smooth bottom - a newer pan compared to your #8.  I'm a "set" type of person who likes to have things that match, but if you don't mind mixing the various logo styles then this pan is another nice piece - not rare by any means, though.  Getting close to it's top current value IMHO, provided it sits dead flat with no damage.

Welcome to the hobby, but be careful - it's addictive.  Be selective and take some time to learn about the different CI pieces out there, although I've been at it a great many years and I am still learning.

My $0.02 worth....

[Karen Mikolainis]

Thank you for the replies.  I am buying the pans to cook with and I'm more of a homemaker than a collector.  I would like the #9 or maybe a #10 for larger cooking, and I might like a chicken fryer and a muffin pan. And maybe a smaller pan for just a couple eggs.

Don't really care about matching sets or anything like that, I'd just like a few nice pieces to work with in the kitchen.  I probably was a bit impatient with this auction.  It will be my first look at a Griswold pan.

Karen

[Stuart Lowery]

Karen,

  See my post in your muffin pan thread. You can have my #9 Griswold for well under the current bid shown here. Or maybe a non-Griswold #10 or #12 would work better for a big meal...
But, like George said, patience ;)
 

p.s. If you can't make it over to G.R. in September, I have a trip up to Northern WI on the horizon. I might be able to drop off a few things as I drive by

 
 

[Karen Mikolainis]

Thanks for the nice offer.  When are the dates?  I'm not sure if I'll make the travel, but it's an interesting idea.  Maybe I could bring a friend or two for a girls' trip.

Karen

[Stuart Lowery]

Thanks for the nice offer.  When are the dates?  I'm not sure if I'll make the travel, but it's an interesting idea.  Maybe I could bring a friend or two for a girls' trip.

Karen

here's the convention info...
http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1459208742

[Jim Glatthaar]

Karen, in one respect you are asking the wrong people.  We have all overspent on a piece we "just had to have" :o

George's advice is right on the money.  Patience is the key.  When I started if I saw a piece I "just had to have" I went crazy bidding on it.  Now, I wait.  Unless it is an unusually rare pan, more just like it will pop up. 

As a cook, you may find some slight imperfections acceptable.  My favorite pan to cook with is a #12 Erie first series (1880-1886) which has a heavily pitted cooking surface and I acquired for $40.00.  But I love cooking with it because it was made before any of my grandparents were born.  I've cooked with it so much the pitted cooking surface is almost completely filled in.

Cast iron pans are so great to cook with, but there are plenty out there so be patient and when a good deal comes up snap it up!

[Jim Glatthaar]

BTW, Karen, your title for this thread could be inscribed on all of our tombstones, especially our resident over-spender, C. Perry Rapier ;D

[C. Perry Rapier]

BTW, Karen, your title for this thread could be inscribed on all of our tombstones, especially our resident over-spender, C. Perry Rapier ;D

Hello Jim. Sad but true.  :-[ ;D

[Jim Glatthaar]

We all overspend.  I just forgive myself and move on ;D