Building their own home gyms is something that many people are considering. The necessity of visiting a gym is all but eliminated thanks to YouTube workout resources and online trainers. However, you’ll discover that weights are expensive when you build your own home gym. You might decide to go to the gym after all because of it.
However, why are weight plates so pricey? The price of weight plates is influenced by a variety of variables. This guide was created after a thorough examination of the key variables influencing weight plate prices.
Raw Materials
In order to make weights, a lot of raw materials are required. The primary materials employed in their production are iron, steel, and plastic. The cheapest of all is plastic. Both are easy to form and abundant. Sand or another type of filler is typically used in plastic weights to give them weight.
Prices are low because of cheap materials. If you use iron or steel, the cost goes up. The cost of using an iron to make weights is the second-highest.
The iron must be obtained by the manufacturers themselves or from a third party. They will have to purchase the iron in large quantities because they are mass-producing weights. In order to use it as a weight, they will then need to shape it into the proper shape. Earth contains plenty of iron.
But mining is still expensive. Additionally, it might be harmful. Weights made of iron cost more because of the expenses related to iron mining. Steel is the priciest substance used to make weights.
Although steel lasts the longest, it requires more processing steps than either iron or plastic. Steel weights are more expensive because of the increased production costs. The price of the weights is greatly influenced by the type of material used to make them.
The Weight
The actual weight of the weights is a significant contributing factor to the price. It costs more to ship items that are heavier. That’s because delivery companies base their costs on the weight of the packages they deliver. If a heavy package is on a truck, it adds weight and raises the cost.
They must make weigh-in stops at specific intersections if they are traveling on particular highways or through specific states. They might have to pay a tax or fee to use the highway, depending on the weight. The state is making an effort to raise money for handling highway repairs. Vehicles that are heavier than lighter ones damage roads more. Delivery trucks must recover the cost through shipping fees since they are required to pay those fees.
The weight of the gym equipment also affects the cost because it makes the truck travel more slowly. Due to its weight, the truck generates more road turbulence. It needs more fuel to move it farther down the road. The cost of the delivery service is increased. As a result, they raise the shipping charge.
Weight manufacturers charge a higher price to make sure they can cover shipping expenses and still turn a profit.
Due to their low weight, plastic weights are the least expensive. Because plastic is a lightweight material, even heavier plastic weights will be less expensive. However, because of their weight, iron and steel weights are more expensive. The substance is weighty in and of itself. As a result, the cost is high.
Cost Of Shipping And Storage
The space required to store weight plates is significantly greater than the space required to store, say, the same number of pencils. Because of this, the cost of transporting heavy-weight plates to the factory will always be higher than that of transporting lighter materials.
The shipping, handling, and storage of these weight plates come at a high cost due to their size and weight. From the moment the weight plates leave the manufacturer until they arrive at a warehouse for gym equipment, there are several steps in the process.
Desperate Consumers
Although gyms eventually reopened, many people didn’t want to go back because they had gotten used to working out at home. And it’s clear to us why. The advantages of training at home are numerous. exercising at your own pace, on your own schedule, and in the security and privacy of your home.
The supply and demand equation, however, became unbalanced as demand for weights and other fitness equipment grew. Due to this disparity, consumers were required to pay exorbitant prices in order to access home gym equipment like weights.
Due to the restoration of these items’ production and manufacture, the situation improved somewhat. But many consumers continue to pay inflated prices for goods like weight plates because they lack knowledge.
Greedy Retailers
Starting at the manufacturer, where they are shipped to warehouses and stored, your weights travel a long way. They eventually reach the retailer, who increases the price to reflect their profit margin and then transfers that profit to you, the customer. However, some retailers have a reputation for having outrageous prices.
Home gym equipment has become out of reach for many customers due to dishonest retailers who are greedy for profit in the face of high demand. Regrettably, some producers and merchants increased their profits by exploiting the lockdown’s shortage of home gym equipment. Our narrative starts here.
Due to the dearth and rising costs of gym and fitness equipment during the lockdown, we founded Factory Weights. Additionally, we have maintained the affordability of our products and the affordability of our pricing.
High-quality Product
Dumbbells must be a premium item. If they’re of poor quality, they may be dangerous. When used, a poor-quality dumbbell may break. If that occurs, it might fall on you, ricochet and hurt you, harm your house, or all three.
Manufacturers make significant investments in the procedures used to make dumbbells so that their products ensure injuries are minimized. The most effective resources are employed by them. To guarantee that their dumbbells leave the production line defect-free, they invest in machinery and other processes.
There is a cost associated with those investments and quality control measures. As a result, dumbbell prices increase.
Foreign Tariffs And Taxes
China exports a lot of dumbbells. They are therefore subject to tariffs and taxes when they are brought into the nation. Tariffs may become expensive in certain circumstances. An additional tax on imports from another country is known as a tariff. They are implemented for a number of reasons. The first is to assist the nation in recouping a small financial loss.
The workers and businesses in that nation received the funds because it was their country that handled the product’s manufacturing and shipping. Because local businesses and workers were let down, the government was unable to recoup its taxes from the sale. A tariff is used to cover the difference.
During a political uprising or economic conflict, countries may also impose tariffs. A government body may decide to increase the tariff rate in order to punish another nation. As a result, the foreign nation finds it difficult to make a sizable profit because the tax reduces its revenue. It might no longer be profitable for them to trade with the nation.
If they want to lower the tariff, they might have to look for a new trading partner or try to resolve the political conflict between the two nations. To discourage its own citizens from purchasing goods from abroad is the government’s final justification for increasing a tariff.
A citizen may choose to purchase goods made in their own nation if the tax is too high. This could boost the economy of the nation and reduce its reliance on imports. Prices will likely increase if there is a political event, particularly involving China. One of the US’s most frequently used power moves is raising tariffs.
The dumbbell vendor will have to raise the price of the item in order to maintain a profit. Sadly, this means that if a trade war is taking place, your dumbbell might end up costing more.
Supply And Demand
The cost of a dumbbell is heavily influenced by supply and demand. A traditional economic tenet holds true even today: Prices rise when there is a high demand and a low supply. Additionally true is the opposite. Prices fall when supplies are in abundance but demand isn’t as high. Dumbbells fit into this as well.
The cost of dumbbells increases when there is a shortage. This occurred, for instance, during the most recent COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of workers were forced to work from home, so they had to find alternative ways to exercise. All people had to purchase their own gym equipment to stay in shape since gyms all over the country were closed.
The issue was a lack of dumbbells, one of the essential pieces of equipment. Dumbbell production workers were at home, which is one of the causes. In factories or mines, nobody was allowed to work. Prices soared as a result of the shortage in supply. The idea is relevant in situations other than pandemics.
Covid-19 Pandemic
If not the economy as a whole, the price of weights were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a shortage of weights because there were too few people able to work in the factories to make them. However, since people had to exercise at home, there was a rise in the demand for weights. Gyms were closed nationwide due to the pandemic.
Weights became extremely expensive because there weren’t many of them available. Even now, suppliers are still unable to make up for the gap despite their best efforts. Although gyms are open, some people have discovered that working out at home is more comfortable.
Some people are still hesitant to venture out in public. To fill their home gyms with weights, they need them. Some factories are only able to run at 50% of their capacity, which affects how well they can meet demand. You should anticipate that weights will be expensive until suppliers can start producing enough to meet demand.
How Can I Save Money On Weights?
Check The Local Thrift Store
If you want to buy used, you should stay away from resellers. The price will be greatly inflated by them. Consider visiting your neighborhood thrift shop as a better option.
They typically offer some sort of reasonably priced exercise equipment. Purchasing them from a reseller or the company that sells actual weight will be less expensive. The days following the holidays are the best times to search for weights at a thrift shop. When they give up on their fitness resolutions, people who own gym equipment usually sell it at that time.
Check Local Ads
Local markets are a fantastic resource for finding inexpensive weights. Finding deals can be done using Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Twitter, and even Instagram. Weights take up a lot of space, so anyone looking to get rid of some clutter in their homes will want to sell them as soon as possible.
Some might even be willing to give them away for nothing. Pay attention to advertisements around the time that college students are moving out. They might not want to stress about transporting their weights to their parents’ or home state.
Stop By An Estate Sale
An estate sale is one of the best places to look for affordable weight. Estate sales are a great place to find some treasures, whether someone passed away or was planning to move. In most cases, the sellers are also in desperate need to sell their goods. Used weights are essentially brand-new. They won’t deteriorate or get older unless they’re made of plastic. You can restore them to brand-new condition with just a little cleaning.
Rent
You can actually rent specific weights from some gyms or other fitness centers. Gyms are more accepting of rental equipment services as a means of generating some extra cash. By doing this, you can be certain that you only pay for the weights when you intend to use them. Not only will it motivate you to exercise, but you won’t have to spend money on weights you’ll never use.
Find Used Dumbbells
Dumbbells hardly ever sustain damage or degrade, so even used dumbbells are essentially brand-new. However, you should refrain from purchasing plastic dumbbells. These may degrade over time. Additionally, you should give any used dumbbell you purchase a thorough cleaning. Used dumbbells are available at garage sales, estate sales, and even in local classified ads.
Finding a lead could also be aided by talking to other gymgoers. Because sellers are so eager to get rid of them, used dumbbells frequently sell for low prices. Following the holidays, keep an eye out. The majority of the used dumbbells are for sale at this time.
Additionally, secondhand dumbbells are available in thrift shops. There, you will find them for an extremely low price. Drive around the streets of your neighborhood last. Because they don’t know what to do with them, many people leave them out for trash pickup. They are free for you to pick up.
Ask Friends
You can also inquire about their gear if you have friends who exercise. They might not require their dumbbells any longer. You might be able to get them for free from friends. Others might demand a significant discount on them. There’s a good chance your friends who exercise have an extra set of dumbbells lying around if you know they exercise.
Conclusion
The materials used to make weights and the shipping costs make them expensive. Some weights, like those that utilize smart technology, also include subscriptions that could raise the cost. Dumbbell purchases can be made more affordable in a few different ways, such as by looking for used sets and making them after the holiday season.