"Rare" ?

[ysageev]

According to my "Griswold Cast Iron Price Guide" -- the orange book published by GCICA, the following skillet is listed as "Rare" with no value or other rarity indication. Is this really "rare" or is this a mistake in the book?

It is a #4 Griswold 7 inch skillet.  Probably very late model. Has "4" on the handle and the rim reinforcement they mention.

[ysageev]

Rim

[Steve_Stephens]

These are fairly plentiful pans and the book in question was wrong in their advice.  The publisher of the book you mention was L-W Book Sales and not G&CICA who had nothing to do with the L-W books.   The cover color seems to have changed from printing to printing unlike OUR favorite books from Mr. Smith which keeps the same color (but a different shade) and the page numbers always have been of the same content from the beginning.  That's reallly helpful in referring to a book and page or item.  When the L-W books were written they were done by a woman who knew nothing about iron cookware.  Solicitations were sent out for pictures and information and then L-W put the books together.  Volume 1 at least was printed before being properly proof read.   Since I helped on Vol 1 I know about it but not about Vol.2.  Nice books to have but with a lot of mistakes and a poor layout.  Good for the pictures which are not of the greatest quality.

By the way, the skillet you mention is of such 'rarity' that I will not buy one at any price.  I just pass them by even for $5.  Might buy one at up to that amount though just to sell in my mall space as an inexpensive user.

Steve

[Scott Sanders]

I questioned a seller on ebay about where they got their "book" value for a piece they were selling.  I had looked this piece up in both the Blue Book and the Red Book and it was listed for almost half the value.  They wrote back and said the exact piece was shown in the Orange L-W book and stood by their price.  I thanked the seller, wished them good luck, and said I'd watch the auction.  My question is.....Which series of books seem to have the more realistic values??  Are there more mistakes or misinformation in the L-W books??

The pan in question in this thread looks to be made after Griswold was sold.  I don't see any ERIE, PA    Correct???

Scott

[Jerry Cermack]

Is this really "rare" or is this a mistake in the book?

This should add to what Steve said about this RARE #4.

[ysageev]

Thank you Jerry (and Steve).  

Sorry about the misattribution -- IIRC the other club  had a big full-page ad in the beginning of mine so I got confused.  

[Steve_Stephens]

Scott, the red and blue books by Dave are much better books than the L-W books which have quite a few mistakes in them.  I think Dave's books are likely to have more accurate pricing but any of the books is only a basic guide to pricing on most items.

I hear the term "transition piece" often and do wonder if that is a good term to use.  Was that No.4 skillet something made while Griswold and Wagner were "transitioning" to another company?  Not really.  Both Griswold and Wagner had already been bought out by different companies when the company that bought Wagner bought Griswold from the company that had bought Griswold.  More of a case of both companies ending up in the same ownership and production at the Wagner foundry.  

That No.4 skillet is really a Wagner pattern (design or style) with a style of "Griswold" tm that Griswold never used.   It's just a later production piece from the company that owned both Griswold and Wagner.  Maybe the "rare" value was applied since Griswold No.4 skillets had the reputation of being rare.  Ebay has changed that so No.4's are only uncommon but still rare in block heat rim versions.  The ERIE No.4 pan is a very rare pan.  What?  An ERIE No.4?  Yes, at least one exists but it is toy size with a nice "4" on the bottom.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

So Steve, let me get this straight? The book with all the mistakes is the one you helped with? ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

So Steve, let me get this straight? The book with all the mistakes is the one you helped with? ;D

Yes Perry and fellow WAGS members, I helped L-W with the first volume of their Griswold books by providing photos (not all of them), and some captions and prices.  Then L-W put the book together, may have sent me some info to look over and comment on and, then, before I knew it my free 10 copies arrived at my doorstep.  Well, they hadn't been properly proofread and I had no idea that they had been printed.  I was very disappointed in the outcome.  The second book I had nothing to do with nor with any other L-W publications.  I think, to do a good book on any hobby, it takes a person IN that hobby to write or do major collaborations on the book as well as to proof read the final copy.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

Steve, I do see how that can happen, and of course you know I'm just messin with you.  ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

I know that Perry but nice of you to confirm that so I KNOW.  I've got a mess here, too, of uncleaned pans because I haven't yet put your beautiful SS barrel to use for electro yet.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

I know that Perry but nice of you to confirm that so I KNOW.  I've got a mess here, too, of uncleaned pans because I haven't yet put your beautiful SS barrel to use for electro yet.

Steve

I'll tell you one thing Steve. I have had a lot of people ask me about gettin one when the gettin was over. So don't say you got one that ain't bein used too loud, somebodys liable to come out there and steal it from you. When you finally get it going Steve you'll be kickin yourself in the pants for not doin it sooner.

[ysageev]

I would love to help out with a new book just on Griswold skillets.  All books are very incomplete, especially regarding handles.

I'm planning to put together a "Griswold Skillet Matrix" which gives handle variations like Haussler (G1, G2, G3...).  Handles are the 3rd variable which I think needs to be formalized along with EPU, OHR, IHR, Slant, Block, Large Logo, etc.