If you're going back to the future, get yourself a cast iron skillet or two. You can still buy an American-made one at the local hardware store. It will cost more than the same skillet did back when I last bought one, but it will last. We cook now and then with a skillet that belonged to my wife's grandparents. I'd be surprised to hear that it's less than 75 years old. They require very little maintenance.
There's also thrift shops and garage sales. ("Who wants Grandma's old, clunky cookware?"). Just be comfortable that you're not buying one that some ignoramus used to melt lead or who knows what.
