HEALTHWAYS Standard Set

Bar and collars along with 

2x10

6x2.5

4x1.25

--

40 pounds of weights

Listed for $80.  I would be a buyer at $40, but really do not need another set.

Jackson 5 lb Dumbbells

After picking up a pair of 2 lb Jackson dumbbells from Robert Sully earlier this year for $75 shipped, I decided to go ahead and take these off of Benjamin Beaulieu's hands for $140 plus $16 shipping.  The price is fair and the 5 pound Jackson dumbbells are more distinctive than the 2 lb dumbbells.  I have no delusions of completing a pair of smalls, but I am still very interested in Jackson items if and when they pop up.  I am not ready to pay the $500+ and $1000+ some folks are asking for plates, but I am willing to pay for odds and ends.

Ivanko Chrome Dumbbells

These dumbbells are being offered by Grant Suggs in Centennial, Colorado for the amazing price of $500.  It includes the following pairs with either contoured (heavier) or straight (lighter) handles.

• 3 pound
• 5 pound
• 8 pound
• 10 pound
• 12 pound
• 15 pound
• 20 pound
• 25 pound
• 35 pound
• 45 pound
• 50 pound 

My math puts that at 456 pounds at just $1.10 per pound.  The 50's can retail for $500 alone.  ebay has several pairs listed at $3/pound.  For the lighter ones, the sold price on eBay is even stronger.

While I do not need these, I am tempted to pick them up.

Vintage Weights & Physical Culture

Swap 2/12/2026

Iron Grip Army Black Knights - $400 for pair of 45's; $150 for single

Jackson 10s Gen-3 - $600

York NFL 45's - $400

Fairbanks Scale Weight

Another fun toy found its way to my gym via Charlie Watts on Facebook Marketplace who listed this little guy for $60 and we met up at El Tapatio on the same day.  

I am starting to build a little collection and this fits in well with my HOWE and BUFFALO scale weights.

2 Pound Jackson Dumbbells

Robert Sully has been trying to unload these for the past 6 months on eBay and the Vintage Weights & Physical Culture Swap page.  Originally asking $120, then $100 and now down to $75 plus shipping.

While the price is likely fair, it is tough for me to add these just based on the handle shape and the lettering.  It is not that I do not trust Rob.  However, when selling, buyers should have the same suspicions that I do.

The bun head Jacksons are more distinctive.  

Decision time.

UPDATE: 3/6/2026

I eventually offered him $75 (including shipping) and he agreed.  We had some more exchange on how to tell if these are Jackson Dumbbells.

from Iron History

Dumbbells offered for Sale

Dumbbells offered for Sale

Dumbbells offered for Sale

Representative 3 pound Jackson Dumbbells

Representative 1 pound Jackson Dumbbells

Advertisement highlighting distinctive shape

"Hi, Sanjiv. Thanks for the offer. Yes, I can do that. First, let me show you how I came to the conclusion that these were Jackson.

If you’re on Iron History, you can go to Noam’s everything about Jackson globes post and see the write up. It’s extensive and wonderful. Noam is a solid researcher!

If you look at the smaller dumbbell on bottom right, it has the distinct features of the pair of 2s

Also in the post, Noam shares pictures of Jackson 1s and 3s from Efren.

Again the distinctive flared (some might say ergonomic) handle.

The saucer like heads and extreme flare of the handle aren’t a common feature of small buns in general, so in my best opinion, the 2s are Jacksons.

With 1-4 Jackson dumbbells, it’s very tough for 100% certainty. The 5s have the mushroom head and are easy. Higher globes are lettered and very easy haha. But given the distinct shape, I feel comfortable with these 2s.

Give it a look compared to my pics of the 2s and let me know if your offer holds. You’d asked before about them so I wanted to give you some background."

I decided to keep my maintain my offer and completed purchase. As more research is done and more collectors publish their holding, it will be easier to figure this out.

Jackson Weight Plates

Gen 3 1A plates being offered on Vintage Weights & Physical Culture swap page 1/19/2026.  I reached out to the seller who let me know that 2.5s are usually $700-$750 and 5s are around $400-500.  He was looking to sell both for $900.

#1 1930s, the very best, machined the backs, production ended in 11959

#2 and #3, not lathed for calibration

#4 set 1.5" bore, among the rarest

#5 started production in 1959, plates had a bore of 1-21/64" to fit the 1-5/16" sleeve perfectly, highest production numbers.

#6 same as #5, but with shorter bar

More Iron Plates?

90% of the time, I would not have even bothered looking at this listing, but Riker tipped me off to the BFCO Deep Dish 35's being offered for less than $1/pound.  Then I noticed some of the plates read "Olympic" rather than "Standards" and I decided to reach out to Hart Wise over at Rocky Mountain Athletics.

They were cleaning out iron plates as they mostly used bumpers.  $80 for a pair of 45s and $60 for a pair of 35's was a great price if I decide to get rid of them in the future.

BFCO weigh 36.15 and 36.30

Olympic Standard weigh 44.25 and 45.15

Anvil

I have been in the market for an anvil on and off for about a year.  My interest is strictly in filling out my repertoire of vintage strength & grip equipment.  Lifting an anvil by the horn was a sign of an incredibly strong grip.  This was especially true as the anvil in question approached 200 pounds.  

Unlike the Thomas Inch dumbbell, there is little standardization in the way of anvil feats of strength.  They all have different weights and shapes.  When tested, they usually appear in grip medleys.

On the front range, I have seen them listed for around $2-$5 per pound and are scooped up quickly on Facebook Marketplace.  Part of my problem, is that I really do not want a 100+ pound paperweight that will be part of the puzzle game I implement every time I work out.

Seth Morrow posted this little gem on Tuesday night for $100 and I was fortunate to be one of the first people to contact him.  I could not determine the weight from pictures, but offered to stop by his shop the same day.  We ended up meeting the next morning and I was pleasantly surprised.  I was also relieved that he marked it as pending for me.  Apparently he had 30 more inquiries after we messaged.  With that being the case, I did not even consider haggling with him.

It is marked II & B Co (Illinoi Iron and Bolt Company) and 5 indicating it is a 50 pound anvil.  They were in production from 1875-1969 and I will be curiously looking for a year stamp tonight.  It is not in great shape with the horn being misshapen and years of use.  However, it is perfect for me.  I could nearly pick it without a warm up or chalk and should be able to enjoy it in the gym for feats of strength.

Iron Man Barbell Co Set

Edgar Chavez listed this on Facebook Marketplace yesterday and I reached out 7 hours after posting around 7:00 PM.  He said we could meet the next day (Saturday) and I got antsy and asked if I could come over that night.  He was not at home and I decided to take my chances.  About 30 minutes later, he marked them as pending, saying that he was getting other inquiries and just wanted to work with me, since I contacted him first.  I originally wanted to stop in at 2 PM, but the comp was running late and I pushed to 3:30 and eventually got to his place at 4 PM.  The plates were exactly as advertised with pairs from 25-15-10-7.5-5-2.5 (130 pounds total) plus a bar with some kind of rotating sleeve and standard collars.  I was thrilled to complete the transaction.

I asked about history and he just picked them up at an auction.  I assume he got a good deal.  He mentioned that he had interested parties from Chicago and other places out of state willing to pay whatever he wanted to package and ship the set.

Iron Man barbell were the first vintage plates I ever purchased in January 2022.  I got the pair of 25s for $60 and was super excited as the swap group had them selling for $4/pound.  I have rarely seen them in the wild since.  I secured a single 15 in June 2024 and a 7.5 in October 2024.  Having a full set is an amazing find for me that I look forward to playing with and displaying.  I expect it is a $500-$800 set in the hands of the right collector.  I will list my spare 15 and 7.5 on the swap page and will hopefully find something interesting that makes it worth shipping these.

Scale Weight

I need scale weights, like I need a hole in the head, but I could not walk away from this for $40 being offered 10 minutes from the house.  I need to do some homework, but have never seen these from the Buffalo Scale Company.

York Roundhead Journey

"Salesman Sample" novelty dumbbell

1-6 & 15-50

7-12

I purchased my first York Roundheads from a fellow about 45 minutes away for $2/pound.  I was then the proud owner of 20-20-25 pound dumbbells.  I was also bit by the vintage iron bug.  This was January 4, 2022.  That year I was fortunate to find a number of dumbbells locally and bought and traded on the Vintage Weightlifting Swap group page.

In 2023, I liquidated my heavies.  It was difficult to pair them up.  I was not using them and was tired of moving them around the gym.  The handle diameter leaves something to be desired as well.  I got a fair price and they found good homes.

In 2024, I took a break, but still managed to find some ROC-MO plates and also purchased some Nebula Dumbbells from the new Vintage Weights & Physical Culture group.

In 2025, I finally completed the 1-50 collection (hat tip Riker Johnson) and even added a "Salesman Sample" for $150.  I did not track this with equipment as it is not really equipment.  My 1-50 set is a mix of USA stamped and pre-USA stamped dumbbells.  The 15s and 30s are blues.

Between buying and selling the "net" cost of the set ended up at $182.  I also have $78 in extras (1-9-15-15-15).  Further, I have $282 in other vintage dumbbells (buns, globes, Nebula, Healthways; total 153 pounds).  Finally, I bought some smalls to use as awards $75 for 1-1-2-2-3-3.

I could still be tempted to buy some globes or unique dumbbells, but aside from flipping, my roundhead journey is completed.

45 Pound York Roundheads

The long lost 45s have finally been added to my York Roundhead collection.  Straight handles, tight heads, no USA stamp.  It was a long drive to Colorado Springs and back, but worth it.  The seller knew what he had but priced them fairly at $140 for the pair.

Al Gerard Trap Bar?

Donald Seward listed the trap bar for $50 and I decided to make the trip to Castle Rock to pick it up.  The diamond shape had me suspecting it to an Al Gerard or knock off.

After doing some research on the early trap bars, there are a few things to look for.  

• Collar (Donut) indicates John Wood, Smooth attachment indicates Al Gerard
• Lathe hole at end
• Smooth Sleeve

Original Al Gerard - Total Sleeve all the same, knurl does not go to end  of handle

John Wood - Sleeve has a "donut" on the end

It is obviously not 100% original as it was painted black at some point in its life.  Donald said he bought it 15-20 years ago used.

Most information I could find was on Vintage York Barbell Owners and Vintage Weights & Physical Culture.  There was a good article on Physical Culture Study.

UPDATE 12/28/2025 - John Wood version posted on Facebook Marketplace by Maria Moran for $50 in Littleton.

York Roundheads in Vail

Victor Marquez has listed these for $550 in Vail and at $1.05/pound it is well worth the drive up there.  I do not need them and have no interest in flipping them

2x15

2x20

2x30

2x35

2x40

2x45

2x50