I went to York on Thursday. York is a box of chocolates, you know the rest, but one thing I have to say is look and look again even if it means going through and circling back (although what you saw earlier might be gone). That's what also makes York a paradox -- buy what you see at a price you think is reasonable when you see it not later, versus, don't buy the first one you're tempted by b/c a better deal might be just an aisle or hall away. I've had both approaches delight and disappoint me, especially during my former heavy hunting years. We all have our "great find" and "one that got away" York stories. I wasn't there this time to buy more engines, just parts and sources of parts (i.e. "Parts Queens") for repairs, but my general impression was that prices on meat and potatoes postwar motive power continue to fall -- 303, 293, 312, 370/371, Comets, that sort of thing with some in the low $1XX's to less than $100 -- untested, but let's say ~$25 or so less than just a few years ago. Transformers too. But you have to look, and look again. For example, I saw 18B's for $60-80, but also found them for $40 -- again, untested but similar at least in appearance and condition. Some modern pieces were also attractively priced like FC Berks for $275. Others, not so much. Look, and look again. The parts queen pickings were thin (not as much under the table selection as hoped), but I came home with what I had hoped to find at prices I had in mind or better. In any case, after 21 years of going to the show, one thing remains true, any day at York is better than a day at work -- what a difference just one letter can make. Simply glad once again too that I got to take one off to take it all in. Go if you haven't. There's simply nothing like it.
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