A Griswold #8 skillet, the size most people own, is worth about $30-70 with the small block logo and about $60-200 with the earlier slant or large block logo, as of October 2026. Flat, uncracked pans in the scarce sizes bring far more: #2 skillets sold for $850-1,400 and #13s for $2,100-3,300 at a February 2025 cast iron auction, and the rare ERIE spider skillet has reached $10,000.
Griswold made cast iron in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1865 until the Erie plant closed in December 1957, and its pans are the most collected American cookware. The logo on the bottom dates the pan, the size and pattern numbers identify it, and condition decides the rest: a crack or a warp takes even a rare Griswold down to a fraction of its value. For a general look at unmarked pans, Wagner and Lodge, see our guide to old cast iron skillet value; this page goes deep on Griswold alone.
Quick answer
- #8 or #10 skillet: small block logo about $30-70; large block about $50-150; slant logo about $80-200; early ERIE about $100-250.
- Scarce sizes: #14 about $550-800, #20 hotel skillet $850-1,550, #2 about $850-1,400, #13 about $2,100-3,300 at 2025 auctions.
- ERIE spider skillet: $4,000-10,000 at recent auctions, depending on condition.
- Cracks, warps and heavy pitting cut value by half or more; rust and old crust do not.
How to identify a Griswold, step by step
- Turn the pan over. A Griswold logo is a cross inside a double circle with GRISWOLD written across it. Older pans may instead say ERIE, GRISWOLD'S ERIE or VICTOR.
- Read the logo style. Slanted, italic GRISWOLD is the slant logo. Big straight capitals filling the cross is the large block logo. A noticeably smaller logo near the center is the small block logo. The table below dates each one.
- Read the line under the logo. "ERIE" alone under a slant logo, "ERIE, PA., U.S.A." under a slant or large block logo, and "ERIE, PA." under a small block logo. A Griswold logo with no ERIE at all was made after 1957 at the Wagner plant in Sidney, Ohio.
- Find the size number. The large number is the size, from old stove eye sizes, not inches. A #8 skillet measures about 10.5 inches across the top, a #10 about 11.75 inches.
- Find the pattern number. A smaller three or four digit number near the handle, often followed by a letter, is the pattern number. It confirms the piece and size: a #8 skillet is pattern 704, a #2 is 703, a #13 is 720, a #14 is 718 and the #20 hotel skillet is 728. A mismatch is a warning sign.
- Look for a heat ring. A raised ring set in a little from the edge of the bottom is Griswold's inset heat ring, found on many slant and large block pans. Small block logo skillets never have one.
- Check it is sound. Set the pan on a flat surface and press each edge for a rock or spin. Shine a light along the rim and around the handle for hairline cracks. Look for pitting inside.
- Price it by logo, size and condition using the tables below and sold results for the same pattern number.
What do the Griswold logos mean, and how old is my pan?
Griswold's marks changed several times, and the eras overlap. These dates come from the trademark history published by Cast Iron Collector and the company history on Wikipedia.
| Mark | Approximate years | How to recognize it | Heat ring |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERIE (block letters) | Late 1800s to about 1905 | ERIE and a size, no Griswold logo | Varies |
| GRISWOLD'S ERIE | About 1905 to 1906 | The words in place of a logo | Yes, inset |
| Slant logo, "Slant ERIE" | 1906 to about 1929 | Italic Griswold, ERIE underneath | Yes, inset |
| Slant logo, "Slant EPU" | 1906 to about 1929 | Italic Griswold, ERIE, PA., U.S.A. underneath | Usually; smooth bottoms are rare |
| Large block logo | About 1920 to 1940 | Straight capitals, ERIE, PA., U.S.A. | With or without |
| Small block logo | About 1939 to 1957 | Smaller logo, ERIE, PA. | Never on skillets |
| Late block logo | About 1955 to 1957 | Medium-size logo, ERIE, PA. | Only on #12 and larger |
| Griswold made in Sidney | 1957 to 1973 | Logo without ERIE, on Wagner castings | No |
| VICTOR | Early 1900s | Text only, Griswold's economy line | Varies |
What is a Griswold skillet worth?
Values for common sizes are typical sold prices for flat, uncracked pans with light wear as of October 2026; the rare sizes are realized hammer prices from the February 2025 Air Works consignment auction reported by GriswoldCookware.com, which exclude buyer's premium.
| Piece | Pattern | Small block | Large block | Slant logo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 to #7 skillet | Varies | $25-60 | $40-120 | $60-175 |
| #8 skillet | 704 | $30-70 | $50-150 | $80-200 |
| #9 and #10 skillet | Varies | $35-80 | $60-150 | $80-200 |
| #14 skillet | 718 | Not made in this logo | $550-800 (2025 auction) | $700 (2025 auction) |
| #20 hotel skillet | 728 | Not made in this logo | $850-1,550 (2025 auction) | Not made in this logo |
| #2 skillet | 703 | Rarely seen | $850-1,400 (2025 auction) | $1,050 (2025 auction) |
| #13 skillet | 720 | Rarely seen | $2,100-3,300 (2025 auction) | $2,500-2,600 (2025 auction) |
Common-size figures are drawn from eBay sold results summarized by tool and kitchenware guides, and from the prices restorers ask, so treat them as a range to check against sold listings for the same logo and pattern. The rare-size figures are single auction results; a pan in better or worse condition will land elsewhere.
Which Griswold pieces are rare and worth the most?
Size is the biggest driver after condition. The #8 was made in enormous numbers; the #2, #13 and #20 were not, and they sell for twenty to fifty times as much. The ERIE spider skillet, with a spider in its web cast as the logo on the bottom, is the top of the market: GriswoldCookware.com reports one sold for $10,000 at an August 2024 auction and another, with pitting and wear on the spider, for $4,000 in February 2025. Lids are rarer than the pans they covered, and a fully marked #13 skillet lid brought $6,750 before buyer's premium at an August 2025 cast iron auction in Indiana, as GriswoldCookware.com reports.
Other strong sellers at the 2025 auction: a #0 toy waffle iron at $2,700, #13 Tite-Top Dutch oven and baster bottoms at $1,700 and $2,500, a large block loaf pan at $1,300, and a set of five fully marked Victor skillets, #5 to #9, at $1,100. Everyday Griswold pieces sell for much less: most Dutch ovens, griddles, waffle irons and muffin pans run tens to low hundreds of dollars.
Condition and what changes the price
| Factor | Effect on value |
|---|---|
| Flat, uncracked, smooth cooking surface, crisp logo | Top of the range |
| Light surface rust or thick old seasoning | Little effect; buyers know it cleans off |
| Slight wobble | About 10-25 percent off; auction listings call it a "1-card" or "2-card" wobble |
| Spins on a flat surface | About half off or more |
| Pitting in the cooking surface | About half off |
| Hairline crack | Most of the value gone; a wall hanger |
| Red, flaky fire damage | Most of the value gone |
| Ground or sandblasted surface | Large deduction for collectors |
| Nickel or chrome plating | Collectors pay less, except for clean plated rare sizes |
How do you clean a Griswold without hurting its value?
Clean it gently, and never with heat or abrasion. Collectors strip old crust in a lye bath (oven cleaner sprayed on and sealed in a bag for a few days does the same job) and remove rust with electrolysis or a short soak in a 50/50 white vinegar and water mix, checked every half hour so the vinegar does not etch the iron. Then dry it right away, oil it thinly and bake on a few thin layers of seasoning. Wear gloves and eye protection with lye.
Do not put a Griswold in a self-cleaning oven, a fire or a burn barrel: the heat warps and cracks pans, and the red fire scale it leaves is a permanent deduction. Do not grind, sand, sandblast or use a wire wheel on the cooking surface or the logo, because collectors pay for the original machined surface and crisp markings.
A worked example
Say you inherit a 10.5-inch skillet with crusty black buildup. On the bottom you find a large logo with GRISWOLD in straight capitals, ERIE, PA., U.S.A. underneath, a big 8 and the pattern number 704 with a letter. There is no heat ring. That is a large block logo #8, made roughly 1920 to 1940. You set it on the counter and it sits flat; a flashlight along the rim shows no cracks. Cleaned and seasoned, it is worth about $50-150, most likely around $80-100. If the logo had been the small one with ERIE, PA. only, it would be about $30-70. If the number had read 13 and the pattern 720, it would be a pan to send to a cast iron auction rather than sell locally.
How to sell Griswold cast iron
Sort by size and logo first. Common skillets from #3 to #10 sell one at a time on a general marketplace or locally, since a flat #8 with a large block logo at $50-150 is worth its own listing, and buyers search by logo and pattern number. Cracked, warped or fire-damaged pans go together as a lot of wall hangers. Small block logo pieces and everyday Dutch ovens, griddles and muffin pans can go as a cookware lot if each is worth only tens of dollars.
The pieces that belong at a dedicated cast iron auction:
- a #2, #13, #14 or #20 hotel skillet
- any ERIE spider piece
- early ERIE and toy-size pieces, and fully marked lids
- complete runs such as a set of Victor skillets
A cast iron collectors' group or WAGS members can confirm a logo and pattern before you consign.
A Griswold buyer needs the bottom straight on with the logo, the line under it, the size number and any heat ring clear, plus the pattern number near the handle. Show the pan on a flat counter at eye level, the cooking surface lit from the side for pitting, and the rim and handle joint close up. Say whether it rocks or spins, and how much.
Wrap each pan in bubble wrap and box it with padding, since iron is heavy and a dropped pan can crack.
Do not call a pan sound or flat without checking, say if it has been ground, sandblasted or plated, and do not call a logo without ERIE an Erie pan.
Common mistakes
- Pricing a #8 like a #13. Size drives price as much as the logo does, and the #8 is the most common size Griswold made.
- Burning off crust in a fire or self-cleaning oven. It warps and cracks pans and destroys the value.
- Missing a crack under the seasoning. Check the rim and the handle joint in strong light before you price.
- Assuming every Griswold logo is old. A logo without ERIE was made in Ohio after 1957, and imported fakes copy the large logo.
- Ignoring the pattern number. It confirms the size and catches fakes and mismatched lids.
- Sandblasting. It removes the original surface collectors pay for.
How WorthPic reads Griswold photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From a straight-on photo of the bottom, it reads the logo style, the line under the logo, the size number, the pattern number and letter, and whether there is a heat ring, which together date a Griswold piece and identify it. It reads the cooking surface for pitting, the finish for plating or fire scale, and the casting for the blurred letters and rough texture of a reproduction. It then gives an honest value range for that logo, size and condition, with a most likely figure. What it cannot know from a photo is whether the pan sits flat or has a hairline crack hidden under seasoning, so it asks for a side photo on a flat counter and a close look at the rim. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The bottom straight on, in even light, with the logo, numbers and any heat ring clear.
- The pattern number near the handle, close up.
- The cooking surface, with light from the side to show pitting.
- The pan on a flat counter at eye level, to show whether it sits flat.
- The rim and handle joint, close up, where cracks start.
- A ruler across the top, for size.
When to get it looked at in person
Common-size Griswold skillets do not need an appraiser; a cast iron collectors' group or a dealer can confirm a logo in minutes. The pieces worth a specialist's look are a #2, #13, #14 or #20, any spider piece, early ERIE pieces, toy-size pieces, waffle irons with unusual bases, and full sets or lids. The Wagner and Griswold Society (WAGS) is the collectors' club, and The Book of Griswold & Wagner by David G. Smith and Chuck Wafford is the standard reference for pattern numbers and variations. The rarest pieces sell best at dedicated cast iron auctions. If your Griswold came with other cookware, our guides to Wagner cast iron, vintage Le Creuset and enamelware cover the rest of the kitchen. Our collectibles hub lists every cookware, tool and household guide we publish, with the same sold-price approach used here.
Sources
- Cast Iron Collector: The Griswold Trademark: logo eras and years, the ERIE, PA. change, heat ring use by era, and the end of the mark after 1973.
- Wikipedia: Griswold Manufacturing: founding in 1865, the 1957 sale to Wagner's owners and the Erie plant closing in December 1957.
- GriswoldCookware.com: Top prices realized at the Air Works auction, February 2025: hammer prices for the #2, #13, #14, #20, spider skillet and other rare pieces.
- GriswoldCookware.com: Cast iron auction results, August 2024: the $10,000 ERIE spider skillet.
- GriswoldCookware.com: Prices realized, day 2 of the August 23, 2025 cast iron auction: the $6,750 #13 skillet lid.
- Wagner and Griswold Society: the collectors' club for Griswold and Wagner cookware.