The best place to estimate the current value of anything is typically by searching completed ebay auctions. Condition dictates value, as well as original intact features. The waffle iron you have has wooden handles. Great care needs to be taken with those. You can’t just throw them in the lye bath to clean the iron. I don’t know how the handles are attached, so I can’t immediately give any feedback on cleaning that piece.
As for finding a free online database, people put time, effort and money into creating the books that list this information. It is not like wikipedia, which is crowd funded donations.
That’s one of the reasons why we encourage people to become dues paying members, to help fund the database of knowledge people here collect and archive.
According to the Blue Book (one of the authors being a WAGS member), the base on the waffle iron should be marked 173, not 178, but it may not be easily read with the level of oxidation on the piece.
Thank you for posting a photo. If you have trouble posting more, just let someone here know. We can post emailed photos if you have issues posting them.
Hammered Griswold is not a common piece to find. Restored, your piece of ‘50's Griswold could be worth several hundred dollars if properly restored. Improperly restored or dirty and rusty examples are worth considerably less. Please take good care of that waffle iron.
Post any more photos, comments, or questions you may have.
