I picked up a $3 brass candlestick at a yard sale in Akron last summer and the seller swore it was solid brass from the 40s. Got it home and did the magnet test, stuck like glue, so I knew right away it was plated junk. What saved me was checking the bottom edge where it sits on the table, there was a tiny spot where the plating had worn through and you could see the gray metal underneath. Now I rub that spot with a little toothpaste on my thumb, real brass will shine up yellow again in seconds, plated stuff just shows the dull base metal and won't take a polish. I also tap it with a fingernail, brass has a dull thud while pot metal or steel rings a bit. Weighing it in your hand helps too, brass feels heavier than you expect for the size. Between the magnet, the rub test, and the weight, I haven't been fooled since.

You said the power stretchers are sitting untouched in the corner, so are the young guys not even using those either? Curious what they're actually doing instead for stretch, or if they just skip it and call it good.