Hi Folks,
Membership in all model train organizations is declining. The NMRA Magazine prints an editorial about this in nearly every issue.
The reason for the decline, in my observation, is that most of the current members including the leaders of these organizations do not make any real effort to recruit new members. How many of you have invited someone who knows little or nothing about this hobby to view your collection or layout? How many of you are members of a modular group or club? Do you invite people to join your group or club? Does the group welcome new people? (I know some groups / clubs that are at best indifferent or hostile to new members. Do I really have to teach the new guy how to run this layout?) How many of you have taken a friend to a local TCA or NMRA meet? Do you invite non-train people to run on your layout? Does your group / club have meets that will excite a potential member and inspire them to join. (I know that some of you do all of these things but I think that the vast majority of TCA members do not. The same is true for NMRA members.)
My own NMRA Division (Coast Division) constantly publishes articles about recruiting new members and has tables at local train shows. When it comes to its own meets, however, there is nothing for the new member. Potential members aren't even recognized. It is a SOG and SOW meet (Same Old Guys/Gals doing things the Same Old Way.)
I was heavily into the 3-rail train hobby for about 10 years before anyone told me about my local TCA division (Nor-Cal) and its meets. I hung out at a now closed hobby shop with a lot of TCA members for years. None of the TCA members told me they were members or invited me to attend the local meet. I had to find out about TCA myself and then I just showed up at my first meet. I have made some wonderful friends since joining TCA. My point is that I would have joined years sooner if anyone had invited me to a local meet.
My understanding is that the reason the York meet is closed to the public is because of sales tax reasons. The Eastern Division of TCA made a deal with the PA tax people that as long it is a members only meet sellers do not have to collect and pay PA sales tax. (I have never been to York. I have heard that the Orange Hall sellers who are mostly commercial dealers such as Charles Ro do collect sales tax. Commercial dealers are set up to do this.)
Many of the individuals who sell at York are from outside PA. Some of my CA friends haul trains to York to sell. None of these "casual" sellers want to collect and file PA sales tax returns. Aren't all the halls except for the Orange Hall filled with TCA member sellers?
I sell trains on eBay and sometimes I sell at local shows. I am going to fill out my CA sales tax form and write a check for my CA tax sales after I post this reply. Gathering the information and filling out the form usually takes about 2 days. I don't collect sales tax from buyers when I sell at a local train show but under CA law I have to pay the sales tax. The tax comes out my pocket and is about 10% of the sales price. I wouldn't want to have to do this process for any other state.
Joe
