Which brand is better/more valuable: Griswold or Wagnerware?

Adrienne Low

New member
Now that I have learned a bit more about CI from this wonderful site, I've decided to replace my nonstick pans with vintage CI. Which brand to look for though?

Although I'll mainly be using them myself, would like to collect some with re-sale value. Which brand is better from a collectors point of view?

Thanks!
 
I don't think you can go wrong with either, as long as we're talking pre-1957. Both made fine pieces in their day, as did a handful of other name brand manufacturers. If you ask most collectors to choose one over the other, however, Griswold will probably be the answer in the majority of cases.
 
A single Griswold pan has sold for over $12,000 but I don't think any Wagner has approached that by a long shot. I'd pick Griswold over Wagner on the whole but there are some really nice Wagner pieces and some Griswold ones that aren't all that great. Both are good makes- probably the best two but there are other makes and individual pieces that are equally as good and valuable. Get what you like.
 
Please don't fall into the Griswold/Wagner rut, there is so much more out there. I'm a huge fan of Piqua Ware and Wapak, single notch Lodge, old BSR, pre 1900 gate marked, you never know what might turn up that's equal to the finest Griswold. Griswold is just a name that demands top dollar, while poor Wagner gets distant second fiddle. You want quality then go for a certain era, not a certain name.
 
TyHiggens is correct in my opinion. Wapak is my favorite and it readily compares to Griswold and Wagner in weight and cook surface. But, I don't "collect", what I have are all users.
 
Yes, Ty is correct. I, however, never cared for the poor casting and finishing quality of Wapak and later iron just doesn't do it for me such as post WWII iron from anyone other than Griswold who continued to make excellent quality right up to the end of 1957. Each of us has our own likes and it's so true that most companies did made items that stand out. Those are the ones you may want to look for. Highest price paid that I know of for a piece of iron cookware was $21,000 for a Favorite double loaf pan. Only on that one auction day was that piece worth that much. Subsequent ones sold for less than 8K I think which is still a lot of dough.
 
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