@Berg posted:Just kinda seems like every show is getting less and less product, and more and more empty tables. The October show was like the beginning of the Christmas season for me, and with Lionel and MTH gone and the larger dealers bailing, not so much anymore. Just a shame.
There are a number of reasons for this: inflation and the economy more generally; Covid-19, declining member attendance, internet sales, changes in ownership of certain dealers, relocation of businesses, etc. BTW, both MTH and ATLAS O attended the October 2022 York Meet.
Certain large dealers like CharlesRo and Nicholas Smith decided not to attend any more shows. In the case of RO, the passing of Charlie Sr. had a lot to do with their decision and Chris' sale of Nicholas Smith had a lot to do with their decision. Jim moved Scenic Express from Pennsylvania to Colorado, so the economics for attending York Meets changed dramatically for him. Scenic Express did attend the Amherst Show in January, but that is a much larger show and caters to all scales, not just O.
Stockyard Express was not at the October York Meet because Clyde has just had a medical procedure. As we all know from a prior Forum topic, there was some kind of a dispute between Lionel and the Eastern Division that stopped Lionel from attending the October York Meet. (Lionel had previously decided not to attend the April York Meets.) Hopefully, they will resolve their issues. TrainWorld was at the October York Meet, but left the Meet very early. I'm not sure what their plans are for the future.
That said, there are still plenty of excellent train dealers at the York Meets such as Grzyboski's, Just Trains, Stockyard Express, Mr. Muffin, Nassau Hobby, the Train Shop at Brentwood Antiques, Trainz, Henning's and Ralph's. More generally, there have been approximately 140-150 vendors in the Orange Hall, including the train dealers, at recent York Meets.
Pat
