Many moons ago, Larry O’Neil prepared a presentation of some fake and reproduction Griswold and other poorly cast pieces that had crossed his path. Larry O’Neil, of course, is the movie star collector from Tacoma, Washington who – along with his so-not-shrinking-violet spouse Marg – has a ginormous private cast iron museum.
Larry and Marg are two of my most-written-about people (in fact, they have their own category on this site); their collection seems never-ending, and I learn something new every time I spend time with them. They are two of my all-time favorite people.
I recently ran across Larry’s presentation and asked him if I could share it with you here.1 He has graciously agreed. I made a few minor edits and added the watermarks, but the photos and content is otherwise Larry’s.
Larry asked me to let you all know that he prepared the document many years ago (Larry is now 90 years young), so some details may have changed, and of course, additional reproductions and recasts abound.2 If you have notations you believe should be made, please note it in the comments or contact me.
You always need to watch out for reproductions when you are on the hunt. Here are some to watch for, along with photos to help you identify recasts and fakes. Hint: always watch for crude and sloppy casting! If it’s sloppy casting, it’s not Griswold.
Also take a look at my other posts about identifying fake Griswold Santa cake molds, skillet racks, and pups. And, of course, read about the infamous “Griswold Silver Pup” scandal!
Hit the “play” arrow to start the video!
- Larry also prepared a comprehensive article about reproduction Griswold Santa molds; you can find the synopsis here.
- You can see many more reproductions at the Wagner and Griswold Society website, here.
