Iron Hunting

[Doug D.]

A Sunday outing to an antique district in Denham Springs, LA. One store had quite a bit to see. A table just inside the main entrance had several Griswold dutch ovens. Although there were a few pieces throughout the store reasonably priced, most were at "antique store prices" vs. "flea market prices". Everything was in cleaned/restored condition, but some I had the feeling had been sand or bead blasted.

The individual areas appeared to be dealer booths, although not clearly so-marked. One had a fake Griswold #262 stick pan for under $20, while another had the same for over $80.

[Doug D.]

Another Sunday road trip, this time to Bay St. Louis, MS. There are a few antique stores in the "old town" district. One had a large shelf full of reasonably nice pieces, primarily Griswold, but nothing under $75 that I saw and nothing I couldn't live without. The last time I was there, they had a Wagner #14 pie logo recast in aluminum with a high price on it. It had apparently sold.

Another store had a dealer booth type set-up, one of which had a stack or two of skillets and a few stick pans. Among them I found a WWSO #6 smooth bottom skillet (cruddy but cheap enough to take a chance on), a lesser-marked inset heat ring Victor #8 (reasonably clean, unpitted, and very flat), and an aluminum open frame Wagner 9-cup Little Gem. There were a total of three Little Gems, but two looked like recasts-- I bought the good one. The dealer wasn't there, but was running a 30% off regularly marked items sale, so I was able to get all three quite reasonably. The only other iron I saw in the entire place was another #6 Wagner skillet ("$38 firm") and a #8 BSR dutch oven.

[Doug D.]

Stopped by an antique mall store in Ponchatoula, LA last weekend, and found a new dealer with a bunch of iron. All of it cleaned very well, though a little on the sticky side on the seasoning. Cheapest Griswold and Wagner pieces were $75, with a #4 slant EPU heat ring skillet priced at $150. Another rack with Lodge and BSR pieces was less expensive, but still high for what it was, even after the posted sale discount.

[Brad Woods]

I picked this up at the scrap yard today for $2.00.A #8 Oneta with outer heat ring.

[Doug D.]

Went to Houma and Thibodaux, LA on Saturday, and hit a few places in southern MS on Sunday. Not much luck.

West Main Antiques in Thibodaux was going out of business with a 65% off sale, but no iron to be had. Further north, Angela's was already closed for good. A shopper at West Main said the flea market on Tunnel in Houma was also going out of business, so we headed there.

On the way, we spotted Imperial Flea Market on the bayou side of West Main, and stopped. Some rough Magnalite, but that was about it.

Continuing on to Uptown Antiques Downtown Flea-Market, we found it well on the way to being gone. One vendor took my $5 offer on an unmarked but nice senior size corn stick pan. Another told us a vendor who had a lot of iron had already vacated the day before.

First on Sunday was Menge Ave Flea Market in Pass Christian, MS. Only one vendor with any iron, mostly Lodge and imports. A crud covered smooth bottom skillet looked like it had potential, large pour spouts, early style handle, so I risked $10.

Down the road a couple miles was Iron Magnolia Antiques. A couple of pieces, but only one of interest, a #7 Griswold Iron Mountain long griddle, very clean, nearly mint. Tag read, "$120 book, $65 firm" I hadn't brought my BB and RB, so I didn't even ask, but $65 seemed high. When I got home, latest BB confirmed $35, so was glad I passed.

Heading north to Highway 49 Flea Market south of Hattiesburg, where I thought had potential, proved disappointing. Mostly a lot of junk, and only one vendor with any iron. An arc logo Lodge #8 skillet was the only piece of interest, but it was badly warped.

Decided to head back south via I-59, but continued on towards Hattiesburg, and saw Marketplace Antiques, so decided to stop. The place is so huge, you could spend a couple of days looking at everything. A few pieces of iron here and there, mostly rusty, all overpriced. Wagner Junior size corn stick pans $38; Wagner Sidney -O- #3 skillets $25. One unmarked Wagner DO lid made from the old Griswold low dome pattern was tempting, but $12 seemed better saved for something else.

[Doug D.]

North of Lake Pontchartrain to Mandeville, Covington & Lacombe on Saturday.

Bayou Moon Antiques, in Lacombe, looked promising but was closed both attempted visits hours apart. Stopped at the nearby St. Francis Consigment Store, but found no iron there.

Stella's, in Mandeville, was more of a boutique type antique gift store, with one iron piece, an unmarked 12-cup closed frame turk's head pan, priced at $95. Nearby, Mae Antiques, housed in a small raised cottage, proved more fruitful, with a 1950s vintage #10 Lodge skillet and a Wagner Ware junior Krusty Korn Kobs, both rusty but with good potential, for $10 each (and they both cleaned up extremely well). On the same street as Mae, White Elephant Trading had a few small and medium size older Lodge and BSR skillets priced at $10 and $20.

Wasted valuable time trying to find Doodle's Wholesale in Covington, listed as an antiques dealer, only to finally find it closed, as in defunct, with a for lease sign out front. A last ditch swing thru old town Covington brought us to Copper Rooster, Walker House Collectibles, and Cottage Antiques, all in the same block, with not much to be found in the way of iron at any.

[John C.]

you can't win them all Doug.

[John C.]

went to a couple of small flea markets over the weekend.cold. not much iron. did find a john c. johnson combo cooker skillet top in good condition. also bought a # 3 that was really covered with crud.put the 3 in the lye bucket. had to look today.can see most of the martin stove and range logo.upside down like the one on page 205 in the red book. i like that old alabama iron.

[Doug D.]

You found a "Monday Morning" skillet! I have one, too, but a flea market find would have been preferable. Interesting in that they are small, as #3s go, and are the same size as Wagner #2s.

[SarahC]

Doug what is to high? If its a grimy piece that needs work let's say a #8 Griswald ?