Tell us about your goals for your collection

JaredS

Member
TL;DR - Do you collect a particular class of iron or will you collect anything you deem collectible?

I'm interested in everyone's approach to collecting iron.

When I first started collecting, I would buy just about anything, mostly for gaining experience in restoring the pieces. However, I quickly settled on one kind of goal for my collection. I've in the past always looked for pieces that are older than the most recognizable, stylized trademarks of Griswold and Wagner. My focus has been mostly on Erie branded pieces, but I've also found and kept some early Wagner pieces and the like. I've also found myself interested in gem pans recently, again mostly looking for the older stuff, but unashamed to own a newer piece or two if I find them particularly attractive.

I bring this up because, as I showed in another thread, I recently acquired a LBL #10 with heat ring. I've never had any desire to collect this series of Griswold, as it is one that everyone is after, so my intention was to move it along via auction. However, after having it in hand, I am reluctant to let it go. Not because I have a desire to try and put together that skillet series, but just because I know they are hard to get and if I should want another some time down the road I will probably end up paying a significantly higher price for it.

So question: Do you collect based on a tightly focused idea for one class of iron (either by type, time period, manufacturer, etc.), or do you collect anything that you feel is "collectible"? I'm curious how others do it.

By the way, I'm excluding here a plethora of other pieces that I don't really consider my "core" collection, any more than I consider my modern Lodges to be part of my collection. I have and will continue to purchase good users when deals come along. I'm more interested on the things I guess that you think of when you go looking to add to your pieces.
 
I tend to collect unusual pieces of cast iron - not just cast iron cooking utensils. Not meaning to be critical (just observant), I thought this forum was about the "cast iron collector", not the "cast iron cooking utensil collector". I have learned plenty and am still learning, but I want to venture past frying pans and dutch ovens.
 
Actually, as the subtitle of the website and forum above indicates, the focus is indeed on cast iron cookware. There are, of course, items which are associated with that, such as the other related items produced by the major hollow ware manufacturers listed on the main website, but there is no intent to stray off into areas like farm implements or architectural pieces.
 
I'm more of a user collector and mostly look for items I want to cook or bake with. I'm not really stuck on a brand name but I lean towards the Griswold type. And there are certain ones I'm looking for.
 
I also only purchase items I intend to use; that's not really what I am getting at. I have a wall of early Wagner, Vollrath, and Erie branded skillets and I use them all regularly. Intentionally even. Same goes for the dutch ovens and gem pans in my collection. However, I still differentiate my core collection, the items that I prominently display and point out when I have guests over who show interest in the iron, vs. the pieces that I use but wouldn't have any remorse with replacing by something else.

I guess when you run across a piece that is fairly priced (but not a steal), what factors excluding monetary ones make you decide to purchase vs. leave, or do you just grab it all?
 
My interest is in finding pieces that would be fun to cook with. I also like to find skillet sizes I don't have.
 
Spider skillets and pig eared, flanged lid dutch ovens. Gate marked examples. The prices of these, hard to research ovens, has increased as much as 100%+ since I bought my first matching set in 1996. My goals are to acquire more lids to wed with an oven. I cook using ovens over one hundred years old. All over open pit coals. No need to count bagged briquets. I have some Griswold, Wagner, old Lodge we use in the house. I also never pass up a good trade item.
 
Spider skillets and pig eared, flanged lid dutch ovens. Gate marked examples. The prices of these, hard to research ovens, has increased as much as 100%+ since I bought my first matching set in 1996. My goals are to acquire more lids to wed with an oven. I cook using ovens over one hundred years old. All over open pit coals. No need to count bagged briquets. I have some Griswold, Wagner, old Lodge we use in the house. I also never pass up a good trade item.

I like this. Would be an interesting collection to see.
 
I have been buying spider skillets and have found some great deals.
Mostly I like to find Erie which I have a few. If the price is right though I will pick up 3s to give away as gifts at Christmas
 
I think the biggest reason I don't really get into the collecting very deep is I have three other hobbies that can be expensive at times. Even some of the reference books for two of them can be over a $100. But those same books have made me $. And then there's the old car I can't seem to finish restoring.

I think in another post I mentioned if I had what I would like to have, I could count about 15-20 pieces plus or minus three, and I think that would do me. Now when it comes to price I'm a bargain shopper and and will wait for the more common ones. There are three odd ball ones I may have to trade or hope I'm lucky finding. A cheap Griswold oval roaster comes the mind. And last thinking of storage space and weight of CI.

Who knows I may later change my mind and sell my other junk and do CI.

Steve,
 
I started out buying pans for cooking . After much reading up on who made good pans I settled on Griswold . More specifically the small logo pans as I didn't want to pay collector prices . I'm in Canada , so these pans are not just laying around everywhere in large numbers . So the search began .

I settled on the "early handle" ones made 1939 to 1944 as they where most like the large block logo pans . Over a few years I gathered up a 3 , two 6's , two 7's , 8 , 9 and a #9 griddle . Plenty for cooking right ? But then I fond a large block logo pan at a good price and then another and soon I was hunting for those too (still just for cooking of course :-D ) . Now in Large block logo I have a 3 , 7 slant , two 8's , 10 , #7 griddle , #9 griddle , breakfast skillet and a #8 Dutch oven . The early handle small logo pans have been passed to my daughter .

However , I seem to have an attraction to the old straight sided pans and when I see one I usually buy it . Again , these are considerably harder to find up here . I now have a #9 ERIE , #9 Favorite Piqua "smiley" , #9 Favorite C&C (Chown & Cunningham) , #9 Wagner Sidney O , #7 Wagner Sidney O , #8 Vollrath and a #3 Vollrath in straight sided pans .

Is it a collection ? It's not supposed to be , but if you looked in my cupboards you might argue with me lol Maybe my collection should be #9 straight sided pans :confused:
 
I have a range of cast iron. From a gate marked griddle/skillet that belonged to my husbands great grandmother, another Wagner DO that belonged to his other great grandmother. Then I have new Lodge skillets. I have a favorite DO, a Grizwold DO. My very first cast pan was a Lodge 10 skillet my husband and I bought our first week of marriage. That was 30 years ago. For our 30th Anniversary this March he bought me a Chuckwagon style fire box, it was made by a blacksmith and is amazing to cook outdoors on. I use wood to cook with on this. I am guessing I have about 30-40 pieces. I have no certain brand, I just buy what I like and will use.
 
In the last year or so, I've gathered up CI without much real collecting focus. As I've learned more, my interest in BSR Red Mountain has increased, SIGNIFICANTLY. I'd like to find RM 3 and 5 skillets, and a Sportsman's Stove which are in the budget; the stove will take some real hunting to find one which fits that limitation.

My family is from Alabama, and at this year's reunion I was interested to inventory the iron at our homeplace, built in the early 1900s. 3 of 4 pieces were BSR RM, which sharpened my interest/focus. Further, the RM era (pre-1958ish) synchs well with my non-CI interests. Mom's "user" CI (which is now mine) is Century series.

The fact that I'm a student w/o much disposable income also helps that BSR has my emotional attachment, since it is both very useful and inexpensive. I don't mind putting in the elbow grease to bring a nasty piece back to user status; this past summer I got a BSR RM 8 for $5 which took 2 weeks of fairly focused effort, but it's now a great user, and the price couldn't be beaten.

This is an interesting thread!
Steve
 
Steve T
I too am a big fan of BSR RM. I don't yet have a complete set but I'm working on it. I may never find that elusive #4.

I am responding to your post mainly to let you know that Lodge is still producing the Sportsman Grill. It is available for $86 and I have seen it as low as $69. Delivery is free to your local Wal Mart.

Happy hunting

Jack
 
It, Smart Brockville for me.
I have a complete set....or so I think of the pans from the diminutive salesman sample that I use for a handful of nuts up to the number 10.
Plus the fairly rare breakfast griddle....
I found a wooden handled No. 8 that is being used a lot and this week TWO Dutch ovens, No.9 and No.8.
I used the number three just now for a nice sirloin hamburger, I found two other 3's, by Griswold and they have been gifted.
Can anyone tell me if Smart made a No.4 ?
 
So since I started the thread, thought I'd post a few pics. I've been actively collecting for about a year and a half now. Here are what I consider my two "core" collections:

image by twillightkids, on Flickr

image by twillightkids, on Flickr

You will notice some overlap. The first is what I consider my main collection, and consists of pieces that predate (or at least don't have) the most recognizable trademarks of the major foundries. Mostly Erie branded items, but I am also always on the lookout for early Wagner, Wapak, Favorite, etc. The second reflects my recent interest in gem pans; the "collection" is small, as I've only began to focus on them in the last month or so, but it is still focused. I am still mostly interested in items not marked with the recognizable trademarks of the foundry, though I am less concerned here that the pieces predate the use of those trademarks, as several of the pans do not.

I also own several pans like the following:

image by twillightkids, on Flickr

These are certainly collectible, but they do not fit into my focus for my collection, and as such will probably be moved soon. I guess that I have at least twice as much iron as I've shown here; some I intend to sell, some are my users, but these are the pieces that I consider my collection. And yes, I use each of them often (with the exception of the flat bottom kettle, as I only have had it a day).
 
Like most, I started with "just a few pans" for cooking. Of course that grew into having "just a few more pans" and picking up some corn bread pans, trivets, etc. I collect mostly griswold and wagner and have recently picked up some piqua ware.

Yesterday, I found a couple Erie pans in decent condition in addition to a really neat waffle iron.

I think I'm going to start looking to collect an entire Erie set now. And maybe waffle irons. I really don't need any more cast iron, but I just can't help myself when i see a nice piece :chuckle:
 
Collecting is a disease, an addiction. And a forum like this, y'all are a bunch of enablers... ;)

For the past few years I've been on another forum (and still am) that is also full of enthusiasts and collectors of a particular thing. I see the pattern repeat and repeat - people join looking for some information, get caught up in the community and enthusiasm, wowed by others' massive collections, and get bitten by the bug, start growing their collection way beyond they would have ever expected when they first joined.

Over there it happened to me, too. I had a clear goal when I first joined and now I'm way beyond it, around 50 pieces with an average value of around $300 each, of an item most people only have one or two of, and usually much cheaper examples. If I told you what they were (and I'm not going to) y'all would think I'm crazy (like some outsiders might think CI collecting is crazy) and y'all would probably be right. And my collection is still very modest compared to some others.

It's not like you just run out and drop $15K. You get a piece here, another there, and before you know it you're standing in front of a display case crammed with items thinking, "this is insanity..."

That said, as a newbie here I have no goals for my CI collection, I came here for information and maybe some community. But will I get bitten by the bug? Time will tell.

I will say this - I did just buy my first additional piece of cast iron since joining here, will post it this weekend, hopefully. Would I have bought it had I not joined up? I don't know. Maybe, eventually. And, though there are a number of available examples of this item, the one I bought, I bought because of some markings that make it, to me at least, of more collectible value.

We'll see how it goes. It might be too late already...:covri:
 
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