Lift History Podcast Ep. 6 Should You Buy Vintage Weights? Are Old Weights For You? Why Buy?

Should you buy vintage weights? Whether you like the history or the old school look, there are many reasons you may like picking some old iron. But will it be the best fit for you? I'll explain my opinions in this episode of Lift History Podcast.
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[@chriscarle5837]

Use vintage York 1 inch standard weights. Primarly because these were the kind of weights I grew up with lifting in my parent's basement.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Nostalgia is valuable. That’s very cool. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! It really helps the channel.

[@carps_gym]

Riding with Rob!

[@vintageweightspgh]

Yeah buddy! Never stopping!

[@randybowman]

If your plates weigh under what they say I've seen people use stick on wheel weights before. I think they're available in 1/2, 1/4, and maybe 1oz sizes. I personally just don't weigh mine because I know it will be a chore that I don't feel like doing.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Haha. Ignorance is bliss. I just prefer to know. And sometimes they’re really off.

[@BasementGymRat]

I was fortunate to be handed down a full mint set of billard Olympic from my grandfather just like in the picture of the video what would be the value of the full set 4 45’s 4 25’s 4 10’s 4 5’s 4 2.5’s

[@vintageweightspgh]

Billard Olympic deep dish are collectable but usually affordable compared to other sought after deep dish. Here’s a video I made about them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6Slnq1tZZZlqassi=-5KxHSRVSDvkYqGj

[@misterflynn8981]

Great video. Enjoyed everything you covered. Some good comments with some interesting opinions.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Much appreciated!

[@keithhoneycutt2324]

Hi Rob! We bought them all, None left!

[@vintageweightspgh]

You probably have most of the milled Yorks lol

[@rocktheclock240]

I like your channel, but I don't agree with you about some of this video. I've been collecting plates, only since I began a home gym during the pandemic. There's nothing wrong with having a "museum," if you've got the room (say, a garage). I collect a lot of stuff -- books, antique photography, baseball cards (not any more, merely my little kid baseball card collection), a wooden mask collection from around the world that I'm using to "decorate" my home gym, folk art from places I've been overseas, and more. Including weights. Right now, I've got 36 different brands of weight plates (these are mostly very small, as examples -- most bought cheaply). I plan on having them up on the wall, eventually, as "decoration" in my home gym. To follow your "hate decorate" dictate severely, you should probably only have 300-400 lbs in plates. Most guys. Anything beyond that is superfluous. What's the point in rotating them, really? That's like -- if you could afford it -- driving different cars each day. It's sure not about practicality. Nor practical usage. A guy who has a 1912 auto, a 1932 auto, and a 1960s Corvette -- even if he drives them once every third Thursday -- has a museum, no? Once you decide on the best weights, say, per actual weight, what's the point beyond using different ones on different days, except leaning into the "museum" aspect ("Wow. These are cool.") , if only slightly? People collect old "strength" magazines. What's the practical purpose of this, once you look at them? Nothing, but reference wallpaper maybe. Right now, the old weight lifting thing is intriguing. It's new for me. I'm a pauper, but I find stuff for reasonable prices. And I own nothing that's historically mind-blowing. I've got, for example, on old Whitely chest expander, old Sandow grip dumbbells, and a York "health boot" AND an earlier "Iron boot." (You're guilty of encouraging my possession of those boots with one of your own videos.) Are you STILL using your iron boots? Or are they laying around as a conversation piece? Do I plan on using ALL this stuff? Maybe only occasionally. Maybe never. Also the "treasure hunt" at yard sales and flea markets and such is fun for most people. There's a case to be made for a spartan, empty room, minimalist meditation-style environment. But few of those people who are aiming for that lack of clutter in their lives probably have interest in weight lifting. There is the non-"material world," and then there is -- what? Going up in strength, and the appreciation of all the junk that comes with that.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Fair enough. Much like a wouldnt begrudge anyone working out; I think it’s great they’re training no matter the focus (CrossFit, body building, powerlifting, etc), I don’t wish ill will on anyone decorating their guy with weights. I guess it just makes me sad. I want to lift them! Haha. But I’d rather someone decorate with them then have them ignored and buried in a scrap yard heap. So I suppose there are worse things. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! It really helps the channel.

[@briankear8661]

Interesting thoughts and I definitely understand the thrill of the chase. I’m from the new school though and enjoy my Rogue barbell, Arnold deep dish, and Fringe Sport Savage bumpers… some blobs and or whole York dumbbells or a circus dumbbell would be amazing though. On a side note, I spent most of my childhood in Youngstown, OH. Were there any vintage plates manufactured in that area?

[@vintageweightspgh]

I’m not too far from Youngstown. I’ll have to give that some thought. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any plates made there. However, Ohio has a rich history of equipment companies and I feel like I remember one being near there.

[@briankear8661]

Thanks for the reply and keep up the great work! I have spent plenty of time in Pittsburgh area as my Grandfather was from Ambridge, PA.

[@LexGrossman]

Hot take on your in hand and on bar experience with the mid sized deep dish in the 1.6-1.7 inch depth? Inter-National, Billard, Ivanko labeled or not. Watching your videos they all seem very close with minor differences or compromises. Price point also seems close in the 1.3-1.7 per pound.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Hot take is that they feel just about the same. When you get into the deeper deep dish that are closer to 2” thick, you feel the difference. However, I still love any deep dish over non-deep dish. 😆

[@LexGrossman]

I have some Le Master 45s on the way. Need the deep deep dish. Some day vintage 45s when true deep dish pop up. Next up is finding a deep pair of 25s. Thinking vintage for those. These will be paired with Weight it out. Keeping the plates in on the collar while benefiting from the balance of the deep dish.

[@Humpty-Dumpty-1962]

Hey Rob, another great video! I have a set of BEN deep dish that I picked up with other Jackson plates I sought after and have kept the BEN just in case as I had never heard of them, have you found any history on BEN?

[@vintageweightspgh]

Not too much. I’ve only had some Ben 25s. I really liked the curved lip. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! It really helps the channel.

[@Humpty-Dumpty-1962]

@@vintageweightspgh thanks! …the BEN 45s 35s are same lips and will continue to hang on till I get a definitive background on them and being deep dish helps the retention factor. After I ditch my crutches I will weigh them for accuracy and let you know on the higher plates. Are your 25s accurate ?

[@justin3993]

Debating on two milled 45 Yorks stamped USA for 150 right now. Not sure if I should lull the trigger.

[@vintageweightspgh]

It really depends on your location and prices of used weights. In some places, that would be way too hard go for USA stamped Yorks. In others, a great deal.

[@justin3993]

@@vintageweightspgh Thanks! I ended up picking up a single 35 for $45 that was milled yet not stamped instead.

[@mrpink6022]

When the prisons got rid of all the pig iron where did they go?

[@vintageweightspgh]

Great question! I’ve seen several pieces of equipment for sale on used market that came from prisons. Recently there was a bench press with fixed weight. So my best guess is that prisons did what universities often do: they held a sale and just got rid of it all.

[@Grendelbc]

I don't see any point in searching out rare plates or equipment unless you are a collector. I've got a couple tons of Oly and standard plates I mostly found on craigslist before the pandemic when used stuff was dirt cheap. Some of the stuff is fairly rare, like standard plates in 7.5, 12.5, 15, 35, 40, and 75lb sizes . I did grab them just because I wanted to have every size every made. So I guess I am a bit of a collector. I do use them all at various times. I never sought out 'rare' brand names. I don't think any of my Oly plates are anything special. A few are deep dish. Most are not. The 100lb Oly plates only showed up on craigslist a few times. I have 4 and only use them for deadlifts. Think I paid $70 each for them. I would have to go look to know the brand names. I've never worried about slight discrepancies in the actual weight of plates. I've weighed maybe half of my 45s on a good scale. I think the heaviest was 46.6 and the lightest was 44.5. Not enough for anyone but a competitive lifter to worry about imo. I have to say I really had fun going on missions to buy my used equipment. I'd take my son or a buddy and make a day of it. Stop somewhere on the way back and have a steak. There's still some equipment I'd like to have (reverse hyper, leg press, 4 way neck machine) but I've really run out of room, hehe. One entire floor of my house is crowded with the stuff. Also, buying any weights or equipment today, new or used, just seems wildly expensive.

[@vintageweightspgh]

Interesting points. I love the hunt for weights. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! It really helps the channel.

[@darrellmcneil6215]

I came across a pair of 35s and 25s pacific deep dish plates never heard of them before do you have any info building my vintage collection would they be a good addition?

[@vintageweightspgh]

I don’t know any specifics on the company but they look very similar to some other plates. Most likely made overseas. I’d pick them up for $2 a pound or less. Probably more like $1.50 a pound.

[@darrellmcneil6215]

@@vintageweightspgh OK thanks for the feedback will definitely snatch them up!!