A woman in the US picked up a small cast iron pot at a thrift store for $15 (£11), assuming it was a Le Creuset knock-off, but later discovered it could be a rare vintage piece made by Cousances, a French brand acquired by Le Creuset in 1957.
The shopper, who shared her find on Reddit, said she was charmed by the pot's appearance and bought it on a whim. It was only when she got home and examined the markings on the base that she began to suspect it was something more valuable.
Rare Vintage Cousances Find
In her Reddit post, she wrote: "I picked this up today at the thrift (no lid) for $15, assuming it was fake but still a cool find. Upon further research of the markings on the bottom, I found out it's a Cousances, likely made before 1957 when Le Creuset acquired them."
She added: "But I'm super curious if there's any way to pinpoint exactly what year it's from, and its worth? Does anyone know more about the history? It looks to be in incredible condition if it's from the 50s. I feel like I won the lottery."
Expert Appraisals and the Missing Lid Debate
Commenters on the thread were enthusiastic, with most valuing the pot at between $40 and $50 (£29–£36), more than triple what she paid. One user wrote: "40-50 bucks. I was reselling LC [Le Creuset] stuff for years. This isn't anything that would really get too much more than that, unless you want to sit on it for months to get an extra 20."
A second simply replied: "About $40 USD."
However, a self-described collector of vintage cast iron cookware said they would personally pay as much as $80 (£58) given its condition. They confirmed the pot's origins, writing: "I can confirm that this is a Cousances from the maker's mark pre-1957. I could write a whole paragraph on that, but I'll spare you. But it's rare to find one with no chips on the rim. Especially given how someone has clearly gone to town with a metal utensil in that beauty. Excellent score."
The collector added: "I collect vintage flame, so I probably know an embarrassing amount about it. But if I were in the market (I'm not), I'd say $80ish USD (£60) is reasonable given its stellar condition. A more rare colour like Elysees or Paris Blue would go for 3x that."
Either way, the woman's £11 gamble appears to have paid off handsomely.
