Vintage Weight Plates from Canada
Generally, weight plates made “overseas” are seen as lower quality from the perspective of United States collectors. The shift from Made in USA to overseas production in the 1970s caught up to even the largest of fitness companies such as York Barbell, which moved the majority of its production overseas by the 1990s. As usual, there are exceptions to the negative connotation. For example, Ivanko weight plates are well respected and collectable even though they were made in Asia. The biggest exception would be the European companies, some of whom inspired American production in the first place, such as Berg and Eleiko. Their weights are highly collectable. Then there are the Canadians.
From the perspective of someone in the United States, Canada isn’t overseas. Maybe its over-lakes. They’re our friends to the north. Bill Irvine’s York Barbell of Canada produced some of the weight plates in my recent video, and his company eventually owned York Barbell USA.*
International Canada deep dish weight plates, especially those with the bullseye on the back, are Moderately Collectable in my opinion. They’re worth more than the average olympic weight plate on your local used market, and they are a wonderful entry-level vintage deep dish plate with distinct qualities even more seasoned collectors can appreciate such as the right angle hub fit for hub lifting and the bullseye markings on the backs.
Canada York deep dish are much thinner than USA York deep dish. They’re closer in thickness to International Canada deep dish. However, what they lack in thickness, they hold in appearance. The double York lettering and simple 45 lb numbering give a clean three spoke face appealing to many. I’d also call them Moderately Collectable.
And then there is Thor. Arguably the rarest of the plates featured in the video above, a Collectable weight plate, the Thor plates are wonky in the most charming of ways. Their lettering seems to trail downward as if the designer left for lunch break while making the mold. Lower weight increments often have subtle differences. 25 pounds will be lb on one plate and lbs on the other. They are rife with casting flaws, the 45s are the annoyingly slightly smaller diameter similar to USA stamped Yorks, and they’re lower quality castings. Why the love? Because they’re rarer, they have a recognizable name people adore because of Marvel, and some believe they were produced on the sly. Supposedly, York USA didn’t know York Canada were making the Thor plates and weren’t happy when they found out. I’ve heard this story from several collectors, but I haven’t seen concrete evidence of it. With that said, I don’t doubt it.
The missing Canada plate from this video that will be featured in a future video is the 1950s Weider deep dish olympic plate. Other than deep dish Weider, the only other Canada weight plate that I’d classify as Extremely Collectable would be Atlas. I haven’t had the chance to see Atlas deep dish in person just yet, but they look well made. I wouldn’t pass on a pair!
