Fork in the Road: Do I Become a Kettle Collector or a Kettle Flipper?


 
Chris Kug said:
Go over to Weber Kettle Club Forum and purruse there for a while and decide if you are up for that sort of collection.

I would sell it to a collector. I like grills. I like grilling. I don't see the point of a grill I can't use. If I were "collecting" I'd collect a few crazy colors and cook on a bunch. However, even that doesn't appeal too much. Once you got a good charcoal grill, a good smoker, a good gas grill.... be happy and cook. You can look into better versions,but the appeal of an old kettle that you don't have history with, and you can't cook on is small to me.
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Chris,
I try to rein myself in by directing thoughts along what you said. I guess I have been a collector since I was a kid, coins, models, baseball cards. I like grilling, too, but it's maybe a little like old cars. I have always said I wish I could have one old 50's car - maybe a Hudson, Nash or Studebaker - but one less than perfect that I could DRIVE and let kids clamber in the back seat to see what they were like back then. I don't have money to support that wish, but those who do tend to then want another and then a "trailer queen" that gets carted to car shows but which no one can touch or enjoy.

Grills like a Weber or maybe Broilmaster, PK and few others are something special just in how they have been designed and the history behind that. Next thing I know I am wanting a "museum" of classic grills to have a place to save and show the history of grilling. The more you learn the more unusual examples there are to wish to collect...You are right, though, that grills are really meant for GRILLING. So, I will always be torn!
 
I do like colorful kettles and gassers in my backyard. But I don't collect. Mine are all in use and always outside. Rain, hail or shine. For me these are "vehicles" to cook food. Nothing else. I brought an ivory Smokey Joe from Germany last year because I liked the color and thought a small charcoal grill would be a good addition for small cooks. But I did not like the performance of the Smokey Joe Premium with the vents on the side. The coal kind suffocates with no vents at the bottom. So I sold it again. If I can't use it I won't keep it. However what I would like to add to my personal grills is a non black 26" or a CharQ. But they never seem to show up in my area.
Otherwise I will flip grills when I find a cheap decent grill. Or convert it into something completely different.
 
Weberitis, the disease of the back yard griller. My strain is gassers although I only have five of them it's only because I have a small backyard. Only have three kettles a SJ, performer and the rare one a propane powered 22 1/2 silver kettle which has a Weber propane gas conversion not sold in the US. It's our whole chicken cooker, really does a nice job of cooking chickens.

100_1046 by Richard Dahl, on Flickr

100_1025 by Richard Dahl, on Flickr
 
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Barb and I helped a forum member Stephen R who lives in Australia get a lot of parts for his grills. Even with the really expensive shipping costs he saved a lot of money buying them from the USA.
He sent the conversion kit which as far as I know it was only available in Australia as a thank you for helping him get the parts. We really appreciated it and use it almost weekly.

I tried to register it with Weber they gave thier pat answer of Weber dosent approve of making modifications to thier grills and it isn't available for sale in the USA and if you do modifiy your grill your warrenty is void. Well on a $25 dollar used kettle I wasen't too worried.
 
Rich,

That's a great story of helping a fellow grill enthusiast halfway around the world and their very cool return of kindness. That's an item to enjoy for sure! Maybe someday you could post a picture of it in action.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone! I haven't made a final decision, but I'm leaning heavily towards flipping it. First, I have to finish the Genesis 1000 restoration that I started last October, then I will likely clean up this kettle using the guidelines on WKC. My reasons for flipping are that I really do not have a place to keep it and I am not interested in collecting kettles. I would rather have $200 of good quality meat in the freezer than own this little grill that should never get used. I cooked on an 18" last summer on vacation; they are nice little cookers for two. But this little cooker has never been cooked on, so I am not going to be the first. When I get to the cleanup, I will likely seek advice here and WKC as to how far to take it; for instance, the top damper is rusted shut. Thanks again for all the helpful feedback!
 
A few weeks ago the WIFE and I purchased a new Weber Performer Deluxe Grill from a Costa Rican Authorized Weber Dealership in which WE also have a WSM 18" "Classic", Weber 22" Mastertouch Grill, and a Weber Smoky Joe. We use part of a small covered patio area to store these and all my BBQ Accessories which are stored in two large plastic Boxes. Due to our advanced years WE now mostly do direct Grilling and when WE want to go "Low and and Slow" WE Use the "Slow N Sear Insert". To make room for a future puchase of a Weber Q 1200 I plan to either sell or give-away my WSM "classic" that I purchased new in the year 2008 and which I have not used for the last couple of years.

The small Weber Smoky Joe with the daisy wheel in the bottom with custom Grill Grates is my go-to Kettle when cooking just for me and our dog "Manchas".
 
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Sounds reasonable, I’d smoker and the Performer. I do things for just the two of us on that most of the time. My wife does not grill anymore, nor much of ANY of the cooking. When we first started living together I told her I’d never dated a woman I could not “out cook” so, she basically said “Here are the keys to the stove, drive to your hearts content!” We’ve never had a food argument in 35 years!
I have the double barreled overperformer in my avatar, and will finish the dedicated “Pizzaque” rig come spring. That’s the regular working equipment. Occasionally, I use my little old cast iron hibachi. I have an unused Smokey Joe Gold and a Go Anywhere also unused, plus the ‘97 maroon Genny which seems to be a fairly flexible as to its use.
 
Some of the discussion on this thread leads me to thinking Who is really purchasing new/used WSM's and are they now a somewhat "dated" way to BBQ due to the increased popularity due to the more ease-of-use that Pellet Grills,SlowNSear Insert, Gas Grills, etc, etc. provide.

For many of us that are Senior Citizens the use of the WSM has the syndrome of "To much work" which becomes a less enjoyable BBQ experience. Back in the "old days" I really enjoyed doing a long Brisket Cook in my WSM "Classic" of 8 hours or so drinking a beer or two around every couple of hours. Now that I only drink one beer a day on the weekends this would not suffice me for those "long" BBQ Cooks.
 
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I have messed around with a number of grills, kettles and a few smokers, but I have never owned or used a WSM. I do see the appeal, but I have let my Green Egg carry that duty and admit that now my Rec Tec pellet grill most often gets the call. I have seen more used WSMs for sale (and not many new ones in the stores) and the used prices do seem to be dropping somewhat.

I respect the WSM and especially those who have mastered the art of using them well. I suspect I won't become one of those persons anytime soon, though.
 
You can have my WSM when you pry it from my cold dead hands! :wsm:

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Jon Tofte said:
I have seen more used WSMs for sale (and not many new ones in the stores) and the used prices do seem to be dropping somewhat.

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Jon; to add to your comment above; I have Read a bunch of comments on this Forum relating to new and well-conditioned used WSM's being bought On-the-very-Cheap and my question is Why?

I bought my WSM 18" "Classic" new in the year 2008 for around $300 off Amazon(And Another $100 to ship to Costa Rica) and at that time it fit all my BBQ needs and still will do a great cook if I put-in the right effort.

Just recently I posted on this Forum that I wanted to purchase for the first-time a gas grill due to more ease-of-use. What turned-out was a purchase of a new Weber Performer Deluxe(WPD) thet is charcoal based but with a propane ignitor and I plan on adding a Weber Q 1200 to my BBQ Arsenal next month. The wife and I can't beat that cook-with-charcoal steaks is the main reason for the purchase of WPD
 
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