new collector advice

[C. B. Williams]

   I want give some advice as an old time collector. (1) When I got interested in this hobby, I thought. Why am I interested? Well, the answer is, I like quality (anything) and Griswold answered that. (2) I like cooking, so I decided to collect only cooking related items. (3) I learned enough to know that I couldn't collect it all. I decided that I would only collect Griswold cooking related items. (3) I knew enough about collections that quality is everything. (I had dabbled in coins a bit)
   With all that said, that was over 40 years ago. To this day I don't anything but Griswold cooking related items. I don't own a piece that is cracked, pitted, or warped. If it's not very near museum quality, I am not interested. I don't have the biggest collection, by far, (only about 300 pieces) but what I have I'm proud of and glad to display it. Even my "user" pieces are really nice.
   I don't think I can give any better advice to the new collector. I see questions all the time about what a damaged piece is worth. In my opinion, nothing.
   I'm not here to say, do it my way. That is up to you.

[C. B. Williams]

A second thought to this post. I think I was in my late 20's and I bought about my 3'rd or 4'th piece at a flea market. It was a Griswold square "breakfast skillet". I got home and looked at it. It had been over heated (you know that red look) and was warped. I had only paid about $5.00. The next day, I dug a hole in my back yard and buried it and swore I would never make that mistake again.

[Trevor Lawrence]

Good Advice. As a younger collector its hard to pass up a cheap item, especially when you don't see a lot of stuff in the wild.... but it is usually in bad shape. I have def started to learn that condition is everything and to pass if its not in good shape. I do have a few pieces that are not perfect, but i don't know if I will ever find them again. Guess ill replace them when i find them.

[Robert Hynes]

Good Advice. As a younger collector its hard to pass up a cheap item, especially when you don't see a lot of stuff in the wild.... but it is usually in bad shape. I have def started to learn that condition is everything and to pass if its not in good shape. I do have a few pieces that are not perfect, but i don't know if I will ever find them again. Guess ill replace them when i find them.

That's my problem, it's hard to find good cast around my area so when I find anything it's hard to walk away. There's more of taiwan and japan made than anything and the prices are high for the most.

[Mike Turcotte]

That's my problem, it's hard to find good cast around my area so when I find anything it's hard to walk away. There's more of taiwan and japan made than anything and the prices are high for the most.

I know the feeling. Very limited availability of cast here, most is either asian, warped, out painted, and what is good is priced through the roof. Have to resort to eBay a lot, and that costs a lot too, even the good deals still cost a small fortune to ship to Canada (Canadian sellers of cast are few and far between)

[Raymond Dube]

I agree wholeheartedly CB...I'd rather have a few prime examples than a bunch of so-so pieces...