York-A Real Treasure, the Cottage Industry Guys

No...I think a lot of cottage industry guys, that show up at the O Scale Convention,

the Narrow Gauge Convention, and other assorted O scale shows. miss a very large

part of the market (who are at York, and what train show involving a lot of O scale

is larger than York?) because they are not at York, but at these gatherings I have

listed above.  I HAVE to attend those to find the parts, structures, and even rolling

stock I want, and also the existence of these unadvertised suppliers because they are not at York.

Your so right Brian, there are so many small guys that I never knew about. Beings this is my 60th straight York I know I will find other small cottage industry's at every show.

There are some that come and go too. Some guys just don't get the sales they expected, or their prices may be too high, or have competition from on line suppliers. I have a decent amount of sales, but I do spend a lot of time standing around. On the up side, my expenses are covered by sales with a little to take home in the wallet. I do enjoy seeing old friends, and meeting new folks.

Don

As for Don in the above post, if you need loads for your hoppers, gondolos or whatever he makes some of the finest loads I have ever had. Look him up in the Orange hall.

The name of his little business is "hopper Toppers" you won't be sorry. 

I, too, enjoy seeing some of the unique products that the cottage guys bring. 

Colorado Hirailer, I suspect that some of the guys that sell at O Scaleshows may skip York if their product line is not Ready-to-Run.   I'm not sure how well craftsman kits sell at York.  Narrow Gauge and western mountain themed products probably don't do as well either.   I agree that detail parts for scratchbuilding are tough to find at York, and much easier at a small scale show like Strasburg 2 Rail show.

Bob

I truly appreciate all the small cottage industries that attend the York Meet and any other train show or meet.  They provide so many great enhancements for our layouts.  You can get a lot of great ideas from their work.

Don, from Dave's recommendation, I'll be stopping by to see your items!

Side Bar Story • Cottage Industries • Model Airplanes 

     I also fly model airplanes and they have a show like York. The largest model airplane show is every spring in Toledo Ohio.

Check it out to see how they run their shows.

The other side of the tracks……… or runway.........

http://www.toledoshow.com/

This is one of the best parts of the York experience and wares from these vendors make up a large part of my purchases at each meet.

--Greg

Vendors coming and going is all part of the experience. Successful vendors are always there. All I can say about this is that what I have bought at York from the cottage industry guys has added a great deal to the layout. One of the main reasons we go to York.

Look forward to what's new next month.

Not to sound self-serving, but I agree with you, Greg. The most unique items - the non-cookie-cutter/manufactured features - I have on my layout are the ones handmade by craftsmen and craftswomen.

However, the mass-produced items have their place, too, and possess a charm all their own. It's how we each combine all those elements into our own handmade story-of-us layouts that keeps us smiling and charms the pants off visitors to our miniature worlds.

IMO.

FrankM.

I agree fully. And it is certainly thoughtful and exceptional of you to have said so by starting this thread.

P.S. To Stan-the-Tank-Man, from whom I have purchased many times through the years, and Miller Signs, for example, also, I would add the name of Alan Graziano, a member of this forum, who has magic in his hands, to be sure; also, Roy Baker's Railroad Shop whose hand-painted imported figures I have used for years, throughout my layout as well as on client layouts, such as the layouts I have added my touch to for Lionel.

To evidence my support of your opinion, here, I have attached two photos of part of a layout I crafted for a client, in which one can easily discern a landscape and tank-farm composed of manufactured and handmade features, such as some tanks by Stan and tank-work by Alan G. as well as myriad other details from a variety of sources (it might be fun to discover which is which.)

Frank, you are one of the folks in our hobby that make going to York very special.

IMO, if the York meet is to survive or not be reduced to a three building meet, the requirement of a $50 TCA membership is something that will have to change. I know of at least half a dozen members including myself who have/will let their TCA membership lapse. They're people who attend the ED York meet but believe that TCA Membership is no longer a good value. They won't be at York in 2015 or perhaps ever again. ED York has a serious problem on their hands. They just don't know it or are too naïve to admit it.  Look at the TCA membership numbers going into 2015 and tell me that I am wrong.

For me, attending the ED York Meet twice a year is worth the $50 TCA Annual Dues, even if there were no other benefits to joining TCA.

Not only is it worth it...it's a bargain.

I would go to York if the dues went up to $300. What some of you guy's don't understand is that it is mainly a collectors meet. It is a lot more than just the orange & purple hall. Here we go again.

If a dealer is so small, that they cannot afford the TCA's fifty dollar membership fee, then they probably could not afford all the overhead involved in doing the show anyway. Traveling to York with goods cannot be inexpensive. Then there is the cost of food and lodging.

Eddie:

I believe that most who attend the York Meet make it to all of the Halls. I started this thread highlighting one of the best reasons to attend this meet is to visit with the cottage industry who sell for the most part in the halls you mention. If it were not for the York Meet, we probably would not get to see their products.

In no way does this take away from the importance of the member halls as I have personally found many items I had been looking for there. I hope this clears this up.

Look forward to seeing you next week.

In being able to attend for the last twenty five years, these posts made me think of some of the great talents who thru the years had great products to offer and enhance our RR modeling but for one reason or another are no longer a part of the York experience. Call them pioneers in the hobby.

I live on the west coast and get no benefit from the museum and this will be my last York,figure in the plane fare,car rental, lodging and food,the $50 annual membership,$23 admission to York and all of those things combined will alter the future of York.I feel this will lead to the demise of the TCA if they dont get their heads out of the sand,I am not a newbie,been a member since 1976.

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I feel this will lead to the demise of the TCA if they dont get their heads out of the sand

What do you propose they do? The annual membership fee and admission are not a significant part of the cost when attending from a long distance. What is the cost for plane fare, car rental, lodging, and food? $73 (dues and admission) has to be pocket change in comparison.

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I live on the west coast and get no benefit from the museum

I live on the East Coast, and get no benefit from the museum either. For me, it's a six hour drive one way. It would be great if the TCA could virtualize the museum by publishing close up pictures of the items in the collection. Make it members only.

I will remain a TCA member regardless of whether I continue to attend the Eastern Division's York shows.

After I purchased this elegant Southern belle from a Forumite (20-3006-1; Cab No. 1401; 1994), MTH Parts brought to York a circuit board from a RailKing 1997 Southern Ps-4. Wayne Renga of J & W Electronics installed it as well as a BCR so I could run this beauty with newer transformers. I gained Passenger Station Announcements, too. They mention the train number but not the cab number so they are a perfect fit.

This Lionel Reading T-1 (6-18006; Cab No. 2100; 1989) is painted and detailed as 2124 by Reading Steam Guru. Wowak added full working valve gear, a scale pilot coupler, two white "special" flags, and other details. J.D.S. Limited Productions installed a better smoke unit and an LED headlight.

Come to think of it, a retired Reading Company conductor, George Ether, had a table in the Gold Hall under the grandstand where he sold K-Line cabooses detailed as Reading "Northeastern" cabooses. Mr. Ether wore his uniform. I always enjoyed talking with him. Here is one, lettered and numbered for a steel caboose on the Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern.

In agreement, CW, let me offer my own experience in that regard.

Frankly, attending/displaying my "cottage industry" work at York twice a year has earned me all the customers and clients I can handle for each entire year for more than a decade, now. When I am not at those two York meets, I am crafting for display at York or crafting in client homes. All the costs involved in attending York's bi-annual TCA meets, including the membership, are part of the effort, adventure, and enjoyment - and privilege, as I see it - of offering what I make at so large an event. The costs-of-doing-business simply get spread throughout a year's budget, for me.

In fact, it has been suggested I apply to be a vendor at The Big E in Massachusetts, but the York meet has been so good for me, for twelve meets, now, that I have not needed to do another such show elsewhere. Plus, I'm not having to travel in the dead of winter from NJ to Mass. and taking the chance of "punking-out" by not showing up as a vendor at the "Big E" due to inclement weather, which is a positive aspect afforded me by the Oct. and April meets at York, an important consideration for me. (I don't drive in snow. Ever. Well, at least not since my last one-car accident trying to do so. )

The last half-dozen meets at York have been near or total (the reason I was not there last April) sell-outs for me, and I continue to be amazed at having had repeat-customers such as Lionel, Mrs. Miller (Miller Signs), Mr. Kughn, Roger W., and Tony L., to name a few most hobbyists likely know of (and yes, I cannot resist mentioning here of being proud of these sales, which helped convince me, along the way, that I had a product worth offering.) I am still amazed my little scenes were accepted and taken home to layouts by all my customers, in the first place.

TCA @ York has, literally, allowed me to have a "cottage" business at all. The many customers, and the many, many good, kind, friendly, and encouraging OGR Forum members, like Walt, Jim P., Allan, and George B., who have made a point, through the years, of coming by my booth to encourage me with their approval, helped convince me I had a business worth continuing. York gave me the chance to present myself, to try, to earn, and to succeed.

FrankM.

Layout Refinements

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In fact, it has been suggested I apply to be a vendor at The Big E in Massachusetts, but the York meet has been so good for me, for twelve meets, now, that I have not needed to do another such show elsewhere. Plus, I'm not having to travel in the dead of winter from NJ to Mass. and taking the chance of "punking-out" by not showing up as a vendor at the "Big E" due to inclement weather, which is a positive aspect afforded me by the Oct. and April meets at York, an important consideration for me. (I don't drive in snow. Ever. Well, at least not since my last one-car accident trying to do so. )

A group of us drove together to the Springfield show this past January. The drive out was fine. But the drive back was a challenge, since it started snowing and we had to pass through the Berkshires between Springfield and Lee on the Mass pike. The road was quite slippery

The Springfield show is the largest I've seen outside of York, and is very well attended. But its not York. I drive about 90-120 minutes to get to Springfield, and its well worth the trip. But for me, Springfield would not be worth the six hours I drive to York,