At York...

@MikeH posted:

Anyway, York was not a social event for me.  I'm a newby and I live in the midwest so there isn't anyone at York who I know.  Being new  and in a heavy acquisition phase, I listened to people here and I took lots of cash.  I figured on doing some serious spending.  Surprisingly, I ended up buying one MTH passenger set.  That's it!  Oh well.  I still had a blast though.

We were all newbies once.   Some Yorks will be light on purchases, and others, you will run out of funds way too fast.   That is part of the fun.

Also, I've found that the social aspect of York to be as rewarding as the treasures I've brought home with me.  I've made and met so many friends there that every trip there has been fun and memorable.

Andy

@Andy Hummell posted:

.....................................................Also, I've found that the social aspect of York to be as rewarding as the treasures I've brought home with me.  I've made and met so many friends there that every trip there has been fun and memorable.

Andy

VERY true, Andy!

   I have never attended a York show, even though it is only about 2.5 hours from my house. 

   I have a question please, and I'm not trying to start an argument.

   Being a very frugal spender on my hobbies, I am really only interested in simple, modern, conventional locomotives, with dual can motors, that are no problem runners.  From what I can see, most of these were made between about 1990 and 2005 (or so).   Couplers that are non-defective, and a horn or bell, are all that I ask.  Used VG+ is what I look for, because I have found that these actually run better than NIB locos that have sat in the boxes for 20 to 30 years. 

   I also like simple lighting or mechanical accessories that are lightly used.

   Would this last York show been a good show for me to have gone to?     

   And, assuming I had zero interest in looking at tables stacked with NIB modern items, do you think I could have gone through the whole show in less than a day?

   Had I known that there would be such a light turn out, I probably would have gone.  But it seems as if all of the descriptions of the past York shows stressed the packed crowds, long lines, jammed parking lots, and other things that just ruin any show for me.

   (My brother and sister-in-law actually live in York, so I could have stayed overnight with them.)

   Thanks for any info.

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock, you can find just about everything at York.  What you are describing can be found all through the member halls,  which is honestly most of the show.

People sell all kinds of stuff.  Based on your description, it sounds like MPC would be of the most interest, and that's where some of the best bargains are, as that era has fallen out of favor with a lot of folks.

We WANT large crowds and a packed parking lot - without that, the York meet would lose its critical mass and it would wither and die like so many local meets have.  However, there are plenty of ways to strategize around it.  Early in the day, people flock to the member halls, as they close earlier - avoid the crowds by going to the dealer halls instead.  Or go on Saturday - you'll feel like the Maytag repairman.

You can cover a lot of ground by ignoring the purple boxes if that's not your area of interest.

Thanks guys,

Sounds like a Saturday would be a good day for me to go.

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

Thanks guys,

Sounds like a Saturday would be a good day for me to go.

Mannyrock

Saturday would definitely be the day to go.  It would give you roughly 1 hour in each hall if you started right at 9 am opening -- just FYI, most table holders begin the packing process around lunch time on Saturday, but you can often find better deals on Saturdays, as table holders look to make some last minute sales.  You may also want to consider going on a Friday afternoon and leave yourself the option of returning Saturday.  I have tables in Blue Hall, and at this past York, the crowds in Blue dropped off right after lunch on Friday.  The recent re-organization of the table setup in the member halls has really improved navigation through the halls and made them seem a lot less crowded.  I'm not certain how busy the registration desk is on Friday afternoons, but Friday afternoon might also be a good time to register if you are planning on registering on-site, as usually the only lines at York are for registration and food vendors (at lunch time), and small lines waiting to get in the doors at meet opening.  If you go Saturday only, and plan on registering on-site, the registration desk opens at 8:30 am, so you would want to get there early as there can be lines of table-holders and others pre-registering for the next York -- they try to take care of registrations for the current meet first, but it can get a little hectic there after the meet opens.  If you can pre-register and get your badge mailed to you, then lines would be pretty much a non-issue.

Andy

@Norton posted:

Jack had those cars at a local show the week before. Price shown was $250/car. Lionel wants $225 with none of that detail. His cars are steal compared to Lionel’s.

Pete

A good point for sure. I had no idea those cars were that much. Of course most people do not pay MSP.

@Andy Hummell posted:

Saturday would definitely be the day to go.  It would give you roughly 1 hour in each hall if you started right at 9 am opening -- just FYI, most table holders begin the packing process around lunch time on Saturday, but you can often find better deals on Saturdays, as table holders look to make some last minute sales.  You may also want to consider going on a Friday afternoon and leave yourself the option of returning Saturday.  I have tables in Blue Hall, and at this past York, the crowds in Blue dropped off right after lunch on Friday.  The recent re-organization of the table setup in the member halls has really improved navigation through the halls and made them seem a lot less crowded.  I'm not certain how busy the registration desk is on Friday afternoons, but Friday afternoon might also be a good time to register if you are planning on registering on-site, as usually the only lines at York are for registration and food vendors (at lunch time), and small lines waiting to get in the doors at meet opening.  If you go Saturday only, and plan on registering on-site, the registration desk opens at 8:30 am, so you would want to get there early as there can be lines of table-holders and others pre-registering for the next York -- they try to take care of registrations for the current meet first, but it can get a little hectic there after the meet opens.  If you can pre-register and get your badge mailed to you, then lines would be pretty much a non-issue.

Andy

I disagree Andy

I can say from first hand experience that dealers are running out of the halls on Saturday, a number beginning to pack up 10:30'ish. Why rush and miss vendors and halls?

If I had to pick one day, it would be Friday. It is a full day, plenty of deals (I got 15-35% reductions from asking price on my purchases last week - it is a buyer's market on everything except the most rare and Like New post war on crisp boxes. Plenty of time to visit all of the halls and then back track if you passed on something. Tables have not been picked over yet.

I can also say from first hand experience that the halls are not crowded like they used to be - wider aisles, venders behind their tables and, to be honest, there are a lot less of us than there used to be. I remember super packed halls and attendance of 12,000 - I would be surprised if April hit 8,000. Supply and demand - this is why great deals were being made.

The registration desk is crazy crowded on Thursday morning - not bad on Friday. There was no line when I went to pick up my October pass a little after 9:00 AM. Don't forget that you can register on line or by mail too.

Go and have fun!

Best day to attend, from my experience, is clearly Friday....

@Michael Hokkanen posted:

Best day to attend, from my experience, is clearly Friday....

That is most definitely the day I would select if I could only be there for one day.

I come for a day or so in October but it's Thursday afternoon and Friday morning . By the time 2 pm rolls around on Friday, I've covered it all, had lunch and am on the road.  I like to dine at one of York's better restaurants on Thursday evening with my wife.  Hoping the Yorktowne Hotel will reopen soon.  Before it closed for renovation it was well worn but it had old world charm.  I hope the charm is still there.

Sometimes I come with a list and I am on the hunt frequenting the most likely halls for success.  Other times, I just take it all in maybe finding a unique item to fill a space or expand one of my favorite road names.   There are also a couple of folks where we stop, chat and catchup.

I'm going to miss MTH since it's usually there that my wife and myself agree on more expensive items.  MTH was also more likely to offer something closer to instant gratification where the wait might be measured in months as opposed to others with BTO measured in years.

@Lionelski posted:

I disagree Andy

I can say from first hand experience that dealers are running out of the halls on Saturday, a number beginning to pack up 10:30'ish. Why rush and miss vendors and halls?

If I had to pick one day, it would be Friday. It is a full day, plenty of deals (I got 15-35% reductions from asking price on my purchases last week - it is a buyer's market on everything except the most rare and Like New post war on crisp boxes. Plenty of time to visit all of the halls and then back track if you passed on something. Tables have not been picked over yet.

I can also say from first hand experience that the halls are not crowded like they used to be - wider aisles, venders behind their tables and, to be honest, there are a lot less of us than there used to be. I remember super packed halls and attendance of 12,000 - I would be surprised if April hit 8,000. Supply and demand - this is why great deals were being made.

The registration desk is crazy crowded on Thursday morning - not bad on Friday. There was no line when I went to pick up my October pass a little after 9:00 AM. Don't forget that you can register on line or by mail too.

Go and have fun!

While I agree with what you're saying, I think that Andy's reply was tailored to one particular poster that really doesn't like crowds - for that person, I think his advice is valid.

@Allan Miller posted:

That is most definitely the day I would select if I could only be there for one day.

I agree as well. Thursday is almost like your vacation travel day just arriving at where you're supposed to be, so you got to get used to your surroundings. Friday is like the first morning you wake up ready to take in all the sights.

I compare it to vacation because essentially that is how it feels to me. Whenever I've been on vacation it always seems like that first day is a burnt day. You can only get so much in that one day before it is nightfall and you have to hit the sack.

Friday always seemed to be the world at your feet day for me. I seemed to be fired up to get in as many places as possible even return visits to see some of the things I already saw. I know in October 2021 I had considered taking a look through the member halls a second time for two reasons. The main one was someone said they saw a Dreyfuss Hudson(which was gone before I got there), and the other was if I couldn't find that I was seriously considering a T1 Duplex. The problem with those was more than I was willing to spend. Sometimes you get a break, other times you don't.

Friday rules!

I like Friday.  But am happy to come any of the days.  I get to see friends and remember those who are gone but never forgotten.

@Mallard4468 posted:

While I agree with what you're saying, I think that Andy's reply was tailored to one particular poster that really doesn't like crowds - for that person, I think his advice is valid.

Correct.  For anyone not concerned with crowds, Friday is the one day I would recommend, also, for those that can only go one day.

Andy

Regarding purchases from Hatton's, or The Station Master's Rooms, both UK sellers, now is the time to buy, because the US $ is very strong against the British £ Pound (current exchange rate: One Pound = $1.23), so your dollars would go further. Also, if you buy, try to get them to drop the British taxes, which will save you an additional 17% on your purchase.

Here's the link to The Station Master's Rooms:

https://tsmr.uk/Default.aspx

And Hatton's:

https://www.hattons.co.uk