Buying free weights..

FightTest

Anyone have any good places/suggestions for buying free weights? I got sick of the tangling cables in my corner plate station and only have 130lbs of free weights for my old bench set. I need around 300lbs total but looking around it seems like, for some dumb reason, free weights are fucking expensive. Do I really need to pay $1 per pound for weights that people say aren't even necessarily accurate to what the weight is supposed to be? I guess I could swallow $1/lb but it's annoying when they're given 2-3 star reviews saying they're 2-3 pounds off either way.

TLDR: Is there any place to buy cheap free weight plates, and if not cheap, at least reliable to the marked weight?

Dark Moon

Any gyms in your area closing? Downsizing? Might be worth a few phone calls. If not, local classified listings. Provided you are in at least a medium size city, there will be a steady stream of folks selling good, brand name plates (York, Troy) for cheap. As long as there aren't any obvious chunks missing from the plates, the marked weights should be accurate enough for your lifting needs. Check your craigslist, kijiji or used______.com, in order of your city's classified preference.

One other thing to consider: Is your bench set up to snuff for heavier bars? If it only came with 130lbs of weights, it may be put together with bubblegum and dreams - which you'd rather not have fail when it's holding 300lbs over your face.

FightTest

Ah, good call. Didn't even think of craigslist since I live in a small town and never bother checking. Just looked and literally today a gym just over the state line is apparently liquidating a bunch of stuff. And that's on top of everyone's home gyms. Thanks.