Why did the Griswold Manufacturing Company sell its waffle irons with two different bases – a high (tall) base and a low base? I’ve seen this theorized here and there before, and the theories all made sense, but here it is right from the mouth of Griswold’s marketing department in 1921! “The Griswold Heart-Star Waffle…
Griswold Vintage Cast Iron Skillet Price List – Current September 3, 2025
I have prepared a 3-page .pdf that shows sale prices for vintage and antique Griswold black cast-iron skillets, sizes 0-20. The data in the table has been compiled from five auctions that were held between February 17, 2022 and August 24, 2025, as well as eBay sold listings from late May 2025 – September 2,…
Determining the Age of “ERIE” Skillets
You have an antique cast-iron skillet marked “ERIE.” How do you determine its age? I recently published the Roy Meadows article entitled”‘ERIE’ Skillets,” to the blog. This article is very useful for identifying and dating antique cast iron skillets marked “ERIE.” The timing was good for me, as I recently acquired two antique Griswold skillets:…
The Origin of Griswold’s Erie Spider Trademark
The Griswold “Erie” Spider trademark skillet is among the most sought-after by collectors. What is the origin of the spider trademark, you ask? Bulletin A of Griswold’s “general catalogue” (1904) (left) gives us a pretty solid clue: The back of Bulletin A shows the spider trademark, and states: As the little spider brought success to…
Don’t be Misled: This Match Holder was not made by the Griswold Mfg. Co. of Erie, PA!
Just after posting Larry O’Neil’s slideshow about fakes and repros, I came across an interesting item up for online auction on July 26, 2025: a vintage cast-iron match keeper or holder marked “GRISWOLD” on the back. It’s Marked Griswold – is it Griswold? The auction house describes it as: Stamped Griswold match keep made of…
Fake and Reproduction Griswold and More, by Larry O’Neil
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…
Harold R. Henry, Cast-Iron Collector
Preface Harold Henry, of Hamilton, Missouri, passed away on June 8, 2025, at the age of 90. He was a delightful storyteller, a hardworking farmer, and a retired auctioneer of cattle. Harold was also an avid collector of cast-iron cookware. He was my friend. Harold had a deep affection for Lodge cast iron, both for…
1911 Griswold Bulletin A6 Available for Download
While I was nosing around re-finding the public access site for the Griswold catalog no. 45, I ran across this Griswold cast aluminum product bulletin dated September 1, 1911: “Cast Aluminum Oven Ware and New Safety Tea Kettle.” It is in the public domain and is available for free .pdf download. CLICK HERE to access…