The Vintage Kitchenware Piece You'd Be Thrilled To Find At A Thrift Store

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Vintage kitchenware items are among the most sought-after pieces in thrift stores, especially those by well-known brands like Le Creuset. Cast iron, too, is popular owing to its near indestructibility and the fact that you can use it to cook just about anything. While brands like Lodge and Made-In offer well-made new cast iron, there's one vintage cast iron maker that you'd be thrilled to find at any thrift store: Griswold.

Founded in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1865, the Griswold Manufacturing Company quickly established a name for itself as one of the late 19th century's best cast iron cookware producers. They produced skillets, pots, and numerous different types of bakeware in cast iron, as well as enamel-coated and electric cookware in the 1920s.

The reason Griswold cast iron is coveted is because of its quality. While modern cast iron skillets are heavy with relatively rough surfacing, Griswold cast iron is known for its smooth finish, excellent thermal qualities, and ergonomic handle. It's also lightweight, making it easy to cook with. Certain rare models, such as the Erie models from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are very valuable. One skillet, with the rare Spider logo stamped into it, sold for $4,000 in February 2025. As such, if you find one for cheap at a thrift store, you will be walking away with a quality cookware brand that could increase the value of your haul!

It is incredibly important to know what to look for when shopping for any kind of valuable vintage kitchenware at thrift stores. Such is the case with Griswold cast iron skillets. One of the things you can look for immediately is the finish and shape of the Griswold pan. Any cast iron that is well cared for is going to have a smooth finish and a nice sheen to it. Griswold skillets also have distinctive, ovular handles, which, on some models, can have numbers or markings engraved underneath.

However, you need to look on the underside of a Griswold in order to assess its true authenticity. Most Griswold cast iron pans can be identified by the clear, cross pattern "GRISWOLD" trademark stamped in the center. Earlier models will have a Selden and Griswold Manufacturing Co. trademark, which is in reference to the Selden Brothers and Matthew Griswold partnership that started the company in 1865. Another rare marking is the aforementioned Spider, which will have a very distinctive logo of a spider on a web stamped into the bottom of the pan. Other markings will include model numbers, patents, and an "Erie, PA" made-in stamp. If the pan you are looking at does not contain any of these things, it is likely not an authentic Griswold.