Picking Hattiesburg, MS

Doug D.

Administrator
Staff member
Another trip to Hattiesburg. Actually got too early of a start and ended up finishing up everywhere we wanted to go in Hattiesburg proper before the restaurant we wanted to have supper at opened. So we drove a little farther north and found 3 or four more spots to look. All with no luck. Saw a lot of the same cruddy, rusty unmarked iron we have on two previous occasions, and also the same unpriced, fire damaged, warped #10 Griswold Tite Top DO with trivet we saw last time, this time marked at $165. Sheesh... There was actually a nice #12 1960s Lodge DO at a flea market in Magee the seller was asking $40 for, but I passed. Also saw a #10 WWSO smooth bottom skillet at an antique store marked $52, but it was warped. :(

Ironically, we saw no worthwhile iron until after we got to supper, at the Movie Star Restaurant on the west side of Hattiesburg. The proprietor, who I first met in the 1970s and ultimately worked with in the 1990s, was a picker for many years, in addition to his regular vocations. Most of his collection consists of porcelain advertising signs which now cover the walls of the restaurant, floor to ceiling, and the outside as well. But right up in front, there is an old ladder suspended high up, like a pot rack, that has quite a bit to see. Up there hanging, there appears to be a full range of smooth bottom Griswold LBL skillets, and several with HR, too. A toy #0 all the way up to a #14. Also several LBL handled griddles. But when you get to the other end, you see the full set of Wapak Indian head logo skillets-- very impressive. And they're all for sale (mostly, I was told, at "I don't want to sell them" prices), but I did see some tags that I would say were no higher than eBay sold-for prices I have seen. There's a picture in the slideshow at the top of http://www.moviestarrestaurant.com/ but you can't see the Wapaks. The ones in the foreground, you can't see the bottoms, but they are all Griswold large TMs.

On the way out the door, I realized there were several more miscellaneous pans on the wall near the exit. A Griswold #7 LBL smooth bottom caught my eye, and I whipped out my new LED flashlight (just bought at Tractor Supply) to inspect it thoroughly. No cracks, no pits, minimal utensil marks, no wobble, and pretty much already clean. $50. Not outrageous given its condition. I needed it to complete a set. I bought it.

A half hour in the electro tank took off a little remaining crud on the TM, a little vinegar scour evened out the residual dark spots, and it was oven time. The results:
Image Image Image
 
Nice find! Someday I hope to have a complete set of Griswold skillets. I wish there were more "picking" opportunities around here, but most places with any cast iron selection at all wants top dollar for their stuff.
 
Back
Top