Joannie Baldini Joannie Baldini and her late husband Joe, of Erie, Pennsylvania, are two of the six founders of the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association (GCICA), a national vintage and cast iron cookware collectors’ club. She and Joe began collecting vintage cast iron in 1988. Joannie’s interest in vintage cast iron Joannie has a…
Griswold Cookware
Collectors and Collections,
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Griswold, Lodge, Wagner, Favorite, Wapak, and More!
“Griswold” Pup: Authentic or Reproduction?
How can you tell whether a pup marked “Griswold” is authentic or a reproduction? Griswold pups have been widely reproduced. With just a little knowledge and education, you can quickly determine whether a pup marked “Griswold” is authentic or a reproduction. I spent time with Joe and Nancy Zawadowski of Durham, North Carolina, in September…
Antique Trader Cover Story: Joseph Zawadowski and his Cast Iron Pups
My little ditty about Joseph Zawadowski and his cache of cast iron pups was the cover story for the February 27, 2019 edition of Antique Trader. I’ve written a bit about Joe’s pups and snuggle pups as well as the infamous “Griswold” “silver” pups, how to identify a reproduction Griswold pup, and current values for…
Vintage ACCO Cast Iron Pup
Jennifer M of Livermore California wrote to me to ask a question about a vintage ACCO cast iron pup via the “Contact Mary” form. She wrote: “I was going through a few boxes of my grandparents special items. I came across the little orange puppy and remembering it sitting on my grandfathers side table. I…
The O’Neil Home Collection: Kitchen and Dining area
I have had the pleasure of spending some quality time with Marg and Larry O’Neil, both at their stunning residence in Tacoma, WA and at their meticulously curated pole barn private cast iron museum situated on farmland in the outskirts of Tacoma. Every visit to the collection is a journey of discovery, as I continue…
Litters of Pups
LITTERS OF PUPS by Doris Mosier Pup collecting began for me in 1989 with a $30 green no-name purchased on the route 5 NY trail of antique store hopping. Since then, I’ve seen that these little 1-5/8 inch guys command more than a second look among iron miniature collectors. Made as advertising paperweights, probably by…
Joe Zawadowski and his Vintage Cast Iron Pups
Joe Zawadowski is a vintage cast iron pup collector. He is also a turtle champion, wood carver, bog hunter, dog judge, and skull seeker. I had wanted to see, learn, and write about Joe’s vintage cast iron pup collection for quite some time. The visit that Linda and I made to Joe and Nancy Zawadowski’s…
The “Griswold” Silver Pup Scandal
How a small silver pup caused an uproar in the Griswold cast iron collecting community.