The Book of Griswold & Wagner: Favorite * Wapak * Sidney Hollow Ware (Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Paperback]

David G. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2007 | Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors

The Book of Griswold & Wagner, referred to as the blue book by collectors is the most complete, accurate, and widely used reference and is coveted by collectors. It is now back in its 4th edition with even more pictures, updated values for cast iron cookware and kitchen collecting enthusiasts, and expanded charts. This definitive, encyclopedic guide details durable cast-iron antiques, including cornstick pans, griddles, Dutch ovens, gem pans, coffee grinders and roasters, trivets, molds, broilers, teapots, and much more. Nearly 1,000 photographs document variations of shape, size, dates, moldings, finishes, hardware types, catalog numbers, and markings. There are comprehensive histories of the manufacturers Griswold, Wagner, Sidney Hollow Ware, Favorite, and Wapak, as well as patent lists for meticulous researchers. This is an essential reference for anyone wishing to invest in these timeless treasures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing; 4 Rev Exp edition (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076432246X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764322464
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #976,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great photo reference for Griswold Collectors, August 5, 2006

By 

A. Bettik (Catawissa, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book of Griswold & Wagner: Favorite * Wapak * Sidney Hollow Ware (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)

I'm just getting started collecting Griswold cast iron, and I bought this guide recently because I wanted some sort of reference point for assessing cast iron at auctions, flea markets, antique malls, etc. I'm not a dealer, and (so far, anyway) I don't purchase or sell any cast iron on-line.

I really like this guide, since it's descriptive, inclusive, and has photos and illustrations which are more than sufficient for determining what you're looking at when you're standing over the vendor's table. The major complaint that I've read about this guide is that the prices haven't been updated. That's true - it says right in the front of the book that the prices were gathered in 1995, even though this is the fifth edition and has supposedly been revised a few times since. But, I get the impression from what I'm seeing in the marketplace that, whether due to this book itself or due to the market for cast iron, the prices quoted are still fairly accurate for most pieces. At any rate, it still serves as a great relative pricing guide, to tell you how the various pieces compare to each other. People have said that the prices quoted in here are not reflective of on-line auctions for cast iron, though whether they're generally lower or generally higher, I don't know. Since I'm not buying or selling on-line, I can't really comment, but I do know that on-line bidders have a tendency to go haywire sometimes. These seem to me to be accurate prices for antique malls or flea markets, though. A few people have complained about the quality of the photos, but I think that this is a baseless complaint, since the photos and illustrations are very clear and easily sufficient to distinguish one piece from another. The authors even show a few select counterfeits, and do a side-by-side comparison of the genuine piece versus the counterfeit. They also included a nice informative blurb about the history of each company which is represented in this guide, and a list of part numbers for each line which is invaluable if you're trying to tell just what it is you're looking at. I wish I could give it four and a half stars - it deserves the extra half. I'd give it a fifth star if they'd put a little more effort into detailing some of the diagnostic features typical to pans of a specific vintage - I'm still a little in the dark about just which handle is the "old handle" and which handle is the "new handle," given that I've seen at least four or five handle styles on these pans, and I'd like to know a bit more about some of the skillets which were manufactured by Griswold but don't say "Griswold." such as Victors and Puritans, etc. The authors do give full pricing and photograhic information for those makes, but they don't really give any information about why they exist or why they don't say "Griswold" on them.

By the way, this review is mostly focused on Griswold. I don't collect Wagner, Favorite, Sidney Hollow-ware, or Wapak. On the whole, I would say that even though I don't collect these brands, this is a very good guide for Wagner as well, and an alright guide for the other three brands. Favorite, Sidney Hollow-ware, and Wapak don't get nearly the attention that Griswold and Wagner get in this book, but I get the impression that those companies weren't as successful and didn't have quite the diversity of products in the first place that Griswold or Wagner did.

Very pleased.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A collector's guide, January 30, 2010

By 

Irish "Ray" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book of Griswold & Wagner: Favorite * Wapak * Sidney Hollow Ware (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)

If you collect cast iron skillets this is more or less a must have guide, price of skillets in the book are out of date but very good at what's what and who's who, Amazon had this on sell for 19.95 good buy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book of Griswold & Wagner:Favorite, Wapak, Sidney Ware, August 28, 2010

By 

B. Price "B. Price "advertising buff"" (Matthews, NC) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book of Griswold & Wagner: Favorite * Wapak * Sidney Hollow Ware (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)

I have been a serious collector of cast iron skillets, particularly Griswold for a number of years. This is the best resource book that I have found. It helps me to know which items are more rare thus worth more. I am delighted to own it.