Interesting observations. As a kid, I watched my Dad go to this thing called York, but I had no idea what it was. All I knew was he always came home with trains. Then, in 1979 (I was 10 and in 4th grade), Dad decided it was time to take me along, and I continued going with him every 6 months right through high school. Back then, and for many years after I started going, York was strictly a buy/sell "meet," for members only, as it had originally started. No kids corner, and from what I recall the closest thing to an operating layout was the test track. It definitely has grown and evolved from that. Each time we would go to York, it became more and more clear that York, for my Dad, was as much about seeing friends and making new ones as it was about buying and selling trains. Sure, he bought and sold trains, and always had a table in the Blue Hall, but the thing that brought him the greatest enjoyment out of York was seeing his "train buddies."
With that said, I agree that York wouldn't be worth it if all you were after were trains. I go to buy/sell trains, but York, for me, like many of us here, is just as much, if not more, a social event. It's a great place to actually meet the people from this forum, and you never know, those acquaintances might just lead to learning something new, finding that one item you've been searching for, or perhaps the best of all, as in my Dad's case, lifelong friendships. I agree with Gerry: there's much more to York than good prices. I hope you decide to give it another shot.
John
