Cast iron skillet debate: is the $15 lodge from a thrift store better than a $200 new one?

Last month my daughter moved into her first apartment in Columbus and I gave her my old 12 inch cast iron pan. It was my grandmother's, bought sometime in the 60s, and the surface is smooth as glass from decades of use. She went out and bought a brand new enameled one for $180 because she thought the old one was too scratched up. We cooked side by side at her place last week. Eggs, cornbread, a steak. The old pan did everything better. No sticking, better crust, easier to clean. The new one chipped on the rim after one drop in the sink. I told her to take the old one back and she said she feels weird using something that looks so rough. So here's the question: when is the age of a pan actually a selling point? I see people dropping serious money on heritage brands and vintage finds. But I also see newer cast iron with rough surfaces that need constant seasoning. Is the $180 pan a waste if the $15 thrift find does the same job? Has anyone else talked a younger person into using an old pan, or did you give in and buy new?

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