Cast iron – Big Red Barn Blog

My husband and I have owned a moderately successful small business for more than 20 years. In the late 1990s, we started a small antique business and it has grown year after year. We started as M&J Antiques, but are known around Stillwater, Oklahoma, as the Big Red Barn or the barn people. I am often asked by rookie entrepreneurs for advice or pointers on small business ownership. Here are a few of the top suggestions.

Be Flexible! The antique & collectible business has changed considerably in the last twenty years. When we started, Fenton glass, Fiesta dishes, and carnival glass, for example, were king! These items fetched top prices at auctions and sales. Now, you can hardly give away some of these items! Change seems to occur somewhat slowly in this business, but it’s important to recognize change in trends and interests.

***From the Stillwater Antique & Collectible Mall***

You’re Buying for Someone Else. This was one of the hardest things for me. Many items that I really DON’T like sell really well! And, just because I like something, doesn’t mean anyone else will. Which leads to my next tip.

Research, Research, Research. You cannot spend enough time researching, reading, and investigating business trends. I spend a lot of time looking through EBAY, ETSY, Pinterest and other social media websites to see what’s trending in my business. You need to know what types of items are popular.

Recycling and upcycling are currently red hot. I may not sell your completed item, but I can sell you the base or bones for your project. I am always surprised when people tell me some of the projects they plan for the items I sell. For example, using old wooden ladders to make a Christmas tree, old windows for the tops of a table, and (don’t really know how this turned out) but an old army cot was going to be made into a couch!! Turning an upright dresser into a quilt rack, using a wine cooler for a vase, and making side tables out of old luggage.

We had a sale this weekend at the Big Red Barn in Stillwater, Oklahoma. We had a lot of customers come out to find items for their new projects, search for treasure, and enjoy country life!

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Know Your Staples. There are some antiques & collectibles that have maintained their popularity and price over the years. For example, cast iron, Pyrex, Fire King Jadeite, costume jewelry, and doilies & embroidery. In fact, many items continue to enjoy a steady climb in value.

Know Your Limitations. People think that just because you’re in this business, you know everything about, well everything. There are many items we almost never buy, because we just have no interest or knowledge. For example, we almost never buy toys, stamps, coins, or ephemera. We also don’t buy heavy furniture, just getting too old. And, one rule of our business is pianos and sleeper sofas are marriage breakers!

Hope I’ve given you some ideas that might help you launch your own small business. It’s very rewarding and fun.

Jackie

There’s nothing like cooking with a piece of vintage/antique cast iron. I use my Griswold cast iron skillet several times a week. It has a lid that you can use as an additional skillet, or as a cover if you need to finish cooking an item in the stove or on the range. I also have a small Griswold Dutch oven that I use for beans, stews, and soups. You cannot beat the taste of anything cooked in cast iron. These were probably made in the 1930s or 1940s.

My husband and I buy, sell, and keep a lot of cast iron. It is a primitive collectible that has maintained it’s value and actually continues to grow in popularity and price. I cannot keep enough in stock at my booth in the Stillwater Antique Mall.

The two biggest manufacturers of cast iron cookware during the late 19th and 20th century were either Griswold or Wagner Ware. Both made great cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens, griddles, roasters, corn pans, scotch bowls, monk pans, bread pans, sauce pans, and more!! Take some time to look up these pieces of cast iron to see how they were used. I prefer Griswold, because I think it has a slight edge in the casting process.

I am often asked how you can tell old/antique cast iron from newer pieces. Honestly, you can just tell by looking at it and feeling it. The casting in old pieces is very smooth and not pitted. Look at how smooth the inside of the skillet(s) are below. Also, the exterior of the cast iron pieces provide a lot of information. The numbers, logo, and descriptions provide a lot of great information. You can look on Google or in reference books to find more about your piece.

There were also several lesser know cast iron manufacturers who made equally impressive pieces of cast iron. Favorite, Martin Stove Company, and Crescent come to mind. In my opinion, their pieces are just as well made as the “big two” and are priced similarly.

I make fajita meat, blackened chicken, fish, steaks, pork chops, and pretty much everything in my cast iron skillet. I love that you can cook something on top of the stove, then just place it into the oven to continue the cooking process.

A cast iron skillet must be well seasoned and cleaned. My husband is an expert in cast iron cleaning/seasoning. He takes the grittiest, dirtiest, piece of cast iron and it comes out as smooth and clean as the day it was made.

See if you can find an older piece of cast iron to use and try some of your favorite recipes. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome!

Jackie

Tag: Cast iron

Picking and Selling Through the Big Red Barn, Oklahoma

Cast Iron Cooking