Benefits of TCA membership

If you don't know why you joined then you possibly probably shouldn't have.

Going to York was the catalyst for me to join but other benefits including the publications and conventions also interests me.  Other TCA meet/shows are also fun going to even though they are always open to the public.  I'm sure I don't take advantage of a lot of the TCA has to offer.

Maybe you should loook at it this way...Don't ask what the TCA can do for you, but what you can do for the TCA.  Seems fitting to a point.  I think many members join looking to take and not give.  I'm somewhat guilty of that.

The above mentioned and free admission to the money pit called Toy train Museum.

When I can no longer make York, TCA will be done for me. At $35. I would stay. At $50 I will quit. They knew us Yorkies would be held hostage when they made the $15. increase.

And then we have to pay $15.00 to get into the York meet.  I guess I joined because many years ago, I would be asked if I was a member.  Not being a collector, I never felt the need to join.  So I posed the question here in my original posting, Why did I join and what are the benefits for me, for fellow members and for the organization.  

I can go to train meets all year long.  I can visit the Toy Train Museum as a non member and pay admission.  The last time I was there has to be thirty years ago.  Now anyone can go to the York meet.  

So again, what are the reasons to be a TCA member?

Dan Padova posted:

... 

So again, what are the reasons to be a TCA member?

I think the list of reasons is getting very, VERY short.

Dan Padova posted:

And then we have to pay $15.00 to get into the York meet.  I guess I joined because many years ago, I would be asked if I was a member.  Not being a collector, I never felt the need to join.  So I posed the question here in my original posting, Why did I join and what are the benefits for me, for fellow members and for the organization.  

I can go to train meets all year long.  I can visit the Toy Train Museum as a non member and pay admission.  The last time I was there has to be thirty years ago.  Now anyone can go to the York meet.  

So again, what are the reasons to be a TCA member?

I am a TCA member for one reason and one reason only. That is to go to York. If the entire York show was open to the public, I would drop my TCA membership. I have no use for it nor really any interest in having it (except York of course!).

I went to the TCA museum last summer for the first time in many years. I paid cash to get in. I hear tons of comments about how the Museum needs the $$$. I can spare a few $$$ to help keep the doors open.

Like any organization, you get out of it what you put into it.  There is a lot of misinformation regarding the TCA, it's budget and it organization. 

For me, TCA national is a ticket to be involved with my Division which has 10 meets a year for members, operates trains on a portable layout for the public, hosts an annual train show, has a spring picnic, 2 to 3 auctions per year where I can get very well priced trains, and a Christmas Dinner.  The friends I have met through local involvement are friends for life and I have been exposed to a world of trains I never would have cared anything about had it not been for involvement.  I have had the honor to serve in several positions at the national level and while no organization is perfect, there is no lack of enthusiasm to preserve the hobby in it's collections and publications.

Remember the York show is not a National TCA function, it is an Eastern Division meet.  It is not totally true that anyone can get in as only the Orange and brown halls are open to the public.  Those halls are dealer and manufacturer halls only.  The remaining halls are still members only where you find the more collectible, and or unusual finds. 

The museum is no longer the money pit it once was.  There has been very good management of the museum and it's budget over the last 10 years and a lot of deferred maintenance has been completed. 

I find it interesting that $50 a year seems too high for membership when a new boxcar from Lionel is $80.00 and people regularly spend thousands of dollars a year on their personal collections.  My memberships to other organizations is in line with the price of TCA membership.  PRRT&HS is $40.  A local operating club I belong to is $100 per year.  That is cheap compared to my professional society membership which is over $700 a year, or my professional licenses that are anywhere from $75 to $225 a year.

I would encourage you if you can to get more involved and you will see the value.  Even just seeing old friends at York is worth the price alone.  I'll be working in the Orange Hall for 3rd Rail in April.  Hope too see forum members there!

One advantage is that it makes your check better than mine in the eyes of some sellers.

My personal view (Lionel aside)..

I really enjoy the museum, and feel the $50 is well worth it for such a wonderful place and collection. As others stated, I've also been part of clubs that cost much more per year and didn't have anything close to what the museum is. 

It was also worth it to me when I lived in CA and went to swap meets, etc out there. The TCA members there were very friendly and I always enjoyed myself. I enjoy going to different shows/swap meets outside of just York. Always great meeting people and talking trains. 

Jim 1939 posted:

The above mentioned and free admission to the money pit called Toy train Museum.

When I can no longer make York, TCA will be done for me. At $35. I would stay. At $50 I will quit. They knew us Yorkies would be held hostage when they made the $15. increase.

. I was a TCA member for 30 years and when the dues went up to $50, it no longer seemed like a good value. I dropped out two years ago and stopped going to York.  York is a great show but its not a big deal for someone who has been building his collection since the late 70's. No TCA membership and no York was perfectly fine with me. Hostage??? I don't think so. No one holds LaGrua hostage.   The $500 that I would spend to attend the meet was put to better use. If the public admission to the two dealer halls is open for the three full days I might go back this year mainly to meet up with some old friends. If not that's still OK with me.

I belonged to the TCA for 2 years but the membership amount got too high for me, think I paid $40.00 for local and $10.00 for national dues or $50.00 for the year. If you get to go to York it might be worth it but I have not gone to a York PA meet. I have been through the city of York PA many times and even passed by the TCA hall but not when they had a TCA meet. I think that York PA is on route 30 not too far from the I-83 junction, remember coming up I-83 from Baltimore Maryland I-95 exit a few times.

Lee Fritz

I have been a member since 1972. The benefits were supposed to be relative freedom from crooked dealings, plus a chance to buy trains from fellow collectors. 45 years later, mostly because of the Internet and eBay, one can buy trains from anyone. There are still crooks, but now the crooks have a wider audience upon which to prey.

The basic benefit to TCA nowadays, is York. There are still monthly trading meets, but in my area, they are too far away.

On a somewhat related note...  Does anyone here REALLY try to "financially justify" York or their membership in the TCA?  I just really attend York, because it's something I enjoy.  And for years, TCA membership was the requisite gateway to attending York.  Plus there's the social element too.  Any good deals I might come across at York are typically wiped out by travel and lodging costs -- not to mention the admission fee and TCA membership dues . 

I hear the same arguments made in my professional society, the American Institute of Architects.  "What is in it for me?" is a common question.  While there are tangible benefits, it is often the intangibles that make belonging to a group more worthwhile.  My benefit to being an AIA member in the tangible sense is that I get to use the intials AIA after my name which is commonly understood to mean "architect".  Instant credibility for a potential client.  Those who do not belong do not have that privilege.  There are other tangible benefits as well such as a small PAC fund nationally to advocate on our behalf, access to knowledge centers that are members only based, outstanding events both locally and nationally, and opportunities for very high quality continuing education.  However for the cost of membership, it doesn't look like a great deal on paper.

The intangible benefits are really the better part of the value.  We have a voice for the profession that can promote a unified message as there is strength in numbers.  I have found job opportunities through my involvement with the organization that were not advertised.  I have, like TCA, built life long friendships and have mutual respect with my peers regarding our work in the profession.  By being involved I have learned what the best practices are as opposed to how I've always done things.  Finally, membership has encouraged me to give back to the community.  

TCA is very similar.  To paraphrase a famous president, "Ask not what TCA can do for you, but what you can do for TCA".  At 22,000 members we have a strong voice in the community to promote this hobby and a group of experts in their various fields of interests.  When doing events for the public, I get lots of questions about value of trains and depending on the manufacturer I can give out a name of a go to person for an honest opinion.  I get asked what train set should I purchase for my child?  After asking a few key question, I can often make a reasonable recommendation.  

The days of shelves of dusty train collections is not going to last forever, and while it's not always obvious TCA is well aware of that and seeking answers on how to address this issue.  Having attended and run trains at the Phoenix World's Greatest Hobby, I can say with complete conviction that kids still love trains.  We had hundreds of children watching trains run on our layout.  Most were well behaved too as evidenced by the survival of my Golden Gate Depot El Capitan running on the outside track.   

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

On a somewhat related note...  Does anyone here REALLY try to "financially justify" York or their membership in the TCA?  I just really attend York, because it's something I enjoy.  And for years, TCA membership was the requisite gateway to attending York.  Plus there's the social element too.  Any good deals I might come across at York are typically wiped out by travel and lodging costs -- not to mention the admission fee and TCA membership dues . 

Give the man a prize!

Of course, the ROI of your TCA membership relies heavily on the quality of your local division.  Not all divisions are created equally.

ecd15 posted:

Of course, the ROI of your TCA membership relies heavily on the quality of your local division.  Not all divisions are created equally.

This is absolutely true.  As a member of Desert Division, we are lucky to have the most active Divisions in all of TCA while being one of the smallest even though we cover all of AZ, NM and 12 counties in Texas.  Lots of opportunities in Phoenix, Tucson and Albuquerque.

My decision to possibly quit TCA and attend York as a "public" has nothing to do with the membership fee. As a retired 75 year old, I am blessed in that my wife and I have all the money we could reasonably desire. That does not mean spending it on useless stuff (we drive a 4 year-old Chevy and a 17 year-old Acura). We do, however, enjoy occasional worldwide travel, and our beach house.

When I joined the TCA in the early 1980s there was no internet and no train forums or eBay. I did not get a personal computer until 1997. Can some of you young folks even comprehend that? Going to the York Meet was my #1 reason for joining (I live less than 2 hours away). The TCA publications were my main link to other train people in terms of information and buy/sell activities. Yes we had train magazines, but if you had a question, you were lucky if it was answered months down the road. Now the game has changed. 

Some of you often refer to "promoting the hobby". Frankly, I find my choice of hobbies a very personal thing. I have no desire to convince any of you to start collecting 3-D family photo slides from the 1950s. Even with that, I no longer go to those conventions, but participate in our "vintage stereo slides" Facebook group, and now do my buying on eBay.

To start things on a positive note, the purpose of the TCA is a noble one. A group of like minded people coming together for a common cause, but it should be to Promote and further Interest in the Hobby. No doubt there are many nice people in TCA with fine intentions, but I don't see how a mission statement to the effect of promoting the hobby was ever put in place, implemented or acted upon.

You want to see a group promoting the hobby go to the Worlds Greatest Hobby on Tour Show. The number of admissions blows away the York attendance numbers and you will see families, young children and the general public who want to know more about the hobby.  Television news programs have reported on the event, its broadcast on radio, on billboards and its not a secretive exclusionary event like York.  When York is for everyone I would say that's doing the job of promoting the hobby?  As  the TCA  wants to stay in business, I have confidence that the message will slowly work its way into the association.  If not you know the result.

Dan Padova posted:

I am probably going to get myself in trouble.  I have been trying to figure out why I joined the TCA.  I joined only a year ago, so don't have much experience with the organization.  I understand the reason for the TCA to be in existence, but what do I gain by paying $50.00 yearly dues, beside the magazine, which I do like.  

I've heard many stories about the grading system and how it gets abused or misunderstood by buyers and sellers.  To me grading is in the eye of the beholder.  

Perhaps I need to be enlightened as to why I joined.  

Why I joined, for friendship, most of the time (good food), a great place to exercise (walking for six hours), an opportunity to OD on trains, and I finally have the time to fully enjoy the experience. In relation to a bad day at the track or dancing the night away with some babe, York ain't bad at all.

While l have always had to travel to "local" Division shows, of TCA, and TTOS, and LCCA, once active TTOS group with meets in Columbus, Ohio has vanished, TCA meets in Toledo are gone, l think Cleveland still has TCA meets, as does Indy, and know Cincy does. There is less local activity though. I don't collect Lionel, but buy whatever brand makes a model of an interesting prototype. (and nothing if they don't....l am not an addict that has to have a fix of ANY train) So dropped LCCA, and TTOS.  When first belonged, l attended conventions of all three clubs,but then they seemed to follow each other to the same location, and not much was found in their shows, and l was going for the trains, and the locations. TCA covers it all, has the Conventions, which do seem to have few trains, but covers all the brands and has York, which does have trains, and a museum. I belong to TCA to make a small contribution to preservation of this hobby, and childhood memories from another time.

Like I have said for years, If you really love toy trains, you would stay on as a TCA member. If you can't afford $50., gas & hotel, you can't afford to buy trains. Just my 2 cents. Seeing friend's that I have seen at York over the past 40 years has no price.

I have belonged to the TCA for 15 years and to me, personally, I see no benefit and I dropped it this year. The toy train museum is cheap anyway and is boring, to static. $50 for the right to pay $15 to go to a train show doesn't sit well with me. I'm 42 and the TCA is set up for older folks. My train son was bored at York and loved the Big E. So I see no benefit to it. Just a simple opinion. For the record I do belong to the LCCA.

It is hard to hand over 50 dollars  for anything . It better be worth it or people will not want to do it.

I joined in '88 so I could go to York. In all the years since I've missed two shows. I and my daughter have written several articles in the TCAQ. I've met some wonderful people at York from all around the world. The TCA is fun and I think for me it always will be. 

Sounds like a bargain to me.

Dennis LaGrua posted:

...

You want to see a group promoting the hobby go to the Worlds Greatest Hobby on Tour Show. The number of admissions blows away the York attendance numbers and you will see families, young children and the general public who want to know more about the hobby.  Television news programs have reported on the event, its broadcast on radio, on billboards and its not a secretive exclusionary event like York.  When York is for everyone I would say that's doing the job of promoting the hobby?  ...

Dennis, while I agree the mission to promote the hobby is a noble one indeed, I think York and the TCA in general can do that WITHOUT becoming another WGHTS.  Nor does York need to be another Greenberg Show.  Were either of those  directions to occur, I suspect York would lose its uniqueness and many of us here would no longer attend.

Surely there is a middle-of-the-road approach that would work.  All that needs to happen is for York to regain financial stability and grow with the times.  Nobody needs it to be anything more -- nor anything less.

David 

The friendships I have made over the years (joined in 83) are priceless and well worth the annual dues.

Peter

Putnam Division posted:

The friendships I have made over the years (joined in 83) are priceless and well worth the annual dues.

Peter

You are so right.  Train meets are more a social event now.

Lou N

76-10069

Farmer Bill asked a similar question in June 2016, and my answer remains the same.

"If you do not get any direct benefit from belonging to an organization, then it comes down to this:  You either want to support TCA and its efforts to promote the hobby or you don't.  If you are not interested in trying to keep the hobby as strong as possible, then I concur with MartyE and drop your membership.

I belong to many different organizations that I seldom interact with, but they are advocates of things that I support and I want to see grow.  I belong to TCA as well as other model train organizations for this reason.  York is an added benefit."

The only reason I joined TCA was so I could attend York in 2016. I did renew my membership even though I doubt I'll get to York this year. I renewed because I enjoyed York. I also enjoyed going to the Toy Train Museum and feel good about a nickel or two of mine helping to preserve the history of the hobby. 

That being said, I doubt my $50 to TCA is what helps keep the hobby alive. More likely it's the 50 pieces of rolling stock, the 3 new engines, a city's worth of O scale figures, and the scale miles of Fastrack purchased last year that make a difference. Still, I'd rather support TCA than not.

If you buy / sell online, and have a bad transaction with a fellow TCA member, the TCA can mediate the dispute.

Except for YORK I feel very detached from TCA. Living in the country as I do, one traffic light in the county, 50 miles one-way to the nearest train store, no local club or fellow train enthusiasts, etc., I do not enjoy the camaraderie of  train people that many of you talk about. I actually met one person at YORK who recognized me from my name tag. I even went to one of the OGR grandstand meeting but felt like I was with strangers. I like the quarterlies but usually read and discard them in a matter of days.

I have taken and been given confidence in internet business buying and selling trains because of my TCA status. It does seem that there is a higher level of trust among members. But, if someone is a long-time member here I get the same feeling of reliability and trust.

I feel OK about paying the $50 dues but honestly that is about the limit I will pay for the right to go to a meet (now open to the public) and a magazine.

I hope one of those people that I vote for to put into TCA office every once in a while is listening,,,,,

That's another reason to not continue after I am done with York I live north of Detroit Mi and the nearest.TCA event is held in Cleveland Oh. about a 6 hour drive each way.(plus Ohio turnpike tolls) Just to see some toy trains, I don't think so.

York is different, for me it's a social event and a five day vacation.

http://traincollectors.site-ym...?page=MemberBenefits

Very, very interesting discussion! 

One could ask:

What do I get for my money?

or...

What am I giving by my money?

"...50 miles one-way to the nearest train store, no local club or fellow train enthusiasts, etc., I do not enjoy the camaraderie of  train people that many of you talk about..."

Have you searched in the member directory for members who may live close to you? 

I joined initially for York, but since joining have really enjoyed the TCA annual conventions.

You must be a member to attend the Conventions. The events are terrific, and the group prices on the rooms and excursions are a real bargain, a cheap way to see the country surrounded by train folk and riding on luxury coaches. The Saturday night farewell banquets are super fun, with a live auction at the end and a table full of door prizes for everyone. The layout tours and events are great, plenty of time riding around to meet train enthusiasts from all over the country.

This summer I am going to the TCA Convention in Pittsburgh with my 16 year old son. I also plan on attending the 2019 Convention in Albuquerque, with the whole family, we will ride on the Combres and Toltec, attend a Diamondbacks baseball game, and much more.

In the past I have attended the Baltimore Convention and the New Jersey Convention.

With TCA you get what you put into it. $50 is a small fee to open a door that is priceless.

www.tcaconvention.org

Arthur P. Bloom posted:

"...50 miles one-way to the nearest train store, no local club or fellow train enthusiasts, etc., I do not enjoy the camaraderie of  train people that many of you talk about..."

Have you searched in the member directory for members who may live close to you? 

I actually didn't' know you could do that. I'll check it out. Thanks......

Here's my list of reasons to be a member:  There's a lot to be learned from the magazine.  Local meets to attend.  Grading standards to help us speak a common language when not trading in person.  A nice museum to visit when I go to York.  A library to maintain archives and for reference.  Would continue to be a member even if I didn't attend York.  

Like Craig, I initially joined the TCA 16 years ago to go to York and while I love York if I stopped going to York I would stay a TCA member for the reasons mentioned above. 

One thing I have never done is attend a TCA convention even when it was just 30 minutes away. I just figured the convention was predominantly about toy trains and being that scale trains are my main interest I didn't think it was worth it for me. When the convention was 30 minutes away I had already seen practically everything on the tours so I didn't go. About a month ago I was reading the TCA HQ News and I was looking at the convention pages and I noticed there was a tour for the Age of Steam Roundhouse. I have been wanting to see this place in person ever since it opened but as I am sure pretty much everyone here knows it is not open to the public. This was my chance to finally see it. After thinking it over to see if I could afford it I decided I was going and registered. I am really looking forward to my first convention. I also signed up for the tour to see Rob Enrico's 2 rail layout. Another reason why I have been wanting to attend one of these conversations is for the last year I have been listening to a lot of the Notch 6 podcasts and there is usually more than one podcast dedicated to the convention. The podcasts really made the conventions seem like a lot of fun just like what Craig said above. It should be a great time and maybe I will go to another convention in the future. Also it seems a lot more reasonable price wise than the NMRA convention. If I remember correctly the registration fee was three times as much. 

Bottom line the TCA is more than just York to me. 

ecd15 posted:

Of course, the ROI of your TCA membership relies heavily on the quality of your local division.  Not all divisions are created equally.

That is so true! When I joined back in 1981, I was living in Denver (Rocky Mountain Division). I had a lot of fun, and the group was very active. We did big meets quarterly, and business meetings with some train related program monthly, followed by going out to dinner.

When I moved back to my true home, I was in the Lakes and Pines Division. Nice guys, and I'm still friends with a bunch of them, but the division activities on the whole were underwhelming to say the least.

My taste in trains has evolved over the years, and I have no interest in anything made in the 20th century. This kind of makes the publication useless to me, along with the grading system. If I'm looking for used trains, I shop eBay. Most of what I buy these days is new.

In my 25+ years in TCA, I never went to York. I dropped out more than 10 years ago, and haven't missed it at all.

Dan, since you are a fairly new TCA member, take the time to explore some of the fun things mentioned in this thread.  I'm also attending the TCA convention in Pittsburgh this summer, my first TCA convention.  In addition to the York Meet, along with this forum, over time you'll discover many friendships that will enhance your enjoyment of the hobby.  I've met people from all over the country and it's amazing the bond that is formed by model trains.

Here are some of the Benefits of TCA Membership.

Additionally, here are some of the TCA Member Services.

The TCA has a pretty good buy / sell section too.  The TCA X-change

You can even Find TCA Train Events in your area.

And for all your TCA information --> The Train Collector's Association Website

Geez, where was this thread 3 days ago. I joined the TCA 2 days ago.  

No matter, I would have done it anyway. Don't know what I will get out of it, but I'm hoping to learn more about what I'm doing. For as long as I have been doing this, I still don't feel like I know very much. I also don't know anyone personally that is involved with this hobby, so maybe that part will change as well. I get to the museum every few years, and really like it, so I don't mind throwing a little money at it. I did notice that there is a TCA meet in Philly coming up this spring, and it is right off the bridge, so I will most likely make it there. After that, I will just keep my eyes open and see what comes along.

 As for York, always wanted to see it, but looming car repairs will keep me from doing any serious train shopping for a little while. So, if I go next month it will be a one day deal, just to get a feel for it. If the weather is nice, I will skip work and jump on my bike and go. If the weather is bad, I will stay home. No point in spending 5 or 6 hours in a car, but 6 hours on the Nomad is a great way to kill a day off, regardless of where I end up.

The problem with a number of the "benefits" listed on the TCA web site is that you do not have to be a member to take advantage of them.

I just received a e mail from TCA and they are sponsoring a bus trip to NYC on Dec.1st 2017 to see some on NYC special toy train displays for Christmas.  Now that is a treat in itself.

Got the same e-mail this morning, it also told about special lighting that is being installed at the money pit. That kind of spending my friends is why our dues jump fifteen dollars.

Jim 1939 posted:

Got the same e-mail this morning, it also told about special lighting that is being installed at the money pit. That kind of spending my friends is why our dues jump fifteen dollars.

This type of comment exemplifies the lack of understanding there is regarding the TCA and it's finances.  The dues were raised in 2013.  They have not gone up since.  It's been four years and people are still whining over this issue? 

Jim 1939 posted:

Got the same e-mail this morning, it also told about special lighting that is being installed at the money pit. That kind of spending my friends is why our dues jump fifteen dollars.

If you have read up as the progress of the LED lighting updates have been done, you would find a lot of that has been covered by donations outside of membership dues.  Some areas were specifically sponsored by individuals or local TCA Chapters or Divisions.  I cannot cite a specific example from memory, but I know I've read about it, possibly in the Headquarters News over the last few years.

Since those facts don't fit your narrative of everything at the museum being a money pit, I guess they don't matter.

I like the Quarterly magazine.

I will also stay on as member because I stay at the fairgrounds at York and you have to be a member to get a spot.

50,60,75,or even100.00 or whatever they raise it to in the future it's still worth it to me. I'm right on grounds I eat two meals (or maybe 3) right in my camper. I bring my dog ...it's 4 or 5 days out of the "maze" of my miserable job . Cannot put a price on that !

GG1 4877 posted:

Jim 1939 posted:

Got the same e-mail this morning, it also told about special lighting that is being installed at the money pit. That kind of spending my friends is why our dues jump fifteen dollars.

This type of comment exemplifies the lack of understanding there is regarding the TCA and it's finances.  The dues were raised in 2013.  They have not gone up since.  It's been four years and people are still whining over this issue? 

 

Not to mention the fact that $50 is comparable to many other similar organizations, and it's less than NMRA.

Just got my dues notice for a railroad society to which I belong - $50/yr, quarterly magazine, small convention that isn't much more than a glorified meet.  

I knew my comment would not be taken kindly but that's how I see it. I doubt if I'm alone. TCA does have a lot to offer it's just not there for me. York is the only reason that I am a member.

I knew my comment would not be taken kindly but that's how I see it. I doubt if I'm alone.

I don't think you are alone regarding concern over the money lost by the museum. I firmly believe that the TCA needs to find a way to make the museum self supporting.
I don't see cutting off funding for improvements to be the way to accomplish that.
Just read an article about Sears, which is currently circling the drain. The current owner did just that.

I am not so sure that fancy lighting will draw more people, but maybe the new Lego train feature will.

I still think the TCA needs some corporate sponsorship for the museum. Cash, not donated goods.
How about it Lionel, MTH, Atlas, and all those other toy train companies?
Maybe a few magazine publishers too.,

Most donated goods are sold off at auction, usually for less than their value, so leaving them your trains really doesn't help much. CWB I think sponsor's would be a good idea for them to try but they really need to curb spending on that museum.

BANDOB posted:

Very, very interesting discussion! 

One could ask:

What do I get for my money?

or...

What am I giving by my money?

 

Isn't everything like that?  When I was much younger I needed to be more concerned about "value" vs "so what I want it"

TCA = York for my wife and I.  We've had a routine that fits us.  It does appear to be an older folks event. Also I buy less every meet.  I do like seeing the actual products and who makes it.

Occasionally I've done a transaction with a member meet up at York.  I think if someone wants to downsize their collection, taking a table at York would be a great way to do so.  I hate to list online and ship and worry about money.  What could be better than selling directly for cash?  Set a price to sell and clean out the closets.    

LED lighting saves $$

LED lighting saves $$

How long does it take to break even?
(Save enough on utilities to pay for the conversion)

C W Burfle posted:

LED lighting saves $$

How long does it take to break even?
(Save enough on utilities to pay for the conversion)

Good question.  But in the long run it saves on both electric cost and the cost of buying lamps.  Incandescent lamps burn out much more quickly than LED lamps.  Similarly, I changed my outdoor lights to CFLs more than a few years ago and haven't had to replace them yet.  I was replacing halogen lamps more than once a year.  So beside the utility cost saving and the cost of buying new lamps, I don't have to get up on ladders very much these days to change lamps.  

C W Burfle posted:

LED lighting saves $$

How long does it take to break even?
(Save enough on utilities to pay for the conversion)

The simple answer these days is about 5 years for simple ROI depending on local utility rates.  LED prices have significantly dropped in the last three years.  A 7 watt LED is roughly the equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent in terms of lumen output.  Factoring in lamp life at about 40,000 hours for an LED vs. 2800 hours for an incandescent it would take 14 incandescent lamps to replace that LED.  This reduces ongoing operations and maintenance budgets.

As a benefit in the hot Southwest, at 4.3 BTUs per watt, an LED fixture produces significantly less heat which in large buildings such as museums can reduce the HVAC equipment size for additional savings.  LED fixtures are the future now that the color rendition issues and dimming have largely been resolved and the costs have come into line.  I see no reason to replace any incandescent lamp with anything but an LED these days. 

C W Burfle posted:

LED lighting saves $$

How long does it take to break even?
(Save enough on utilities to pay for the conversion)

Commercial payback is often less than one year.  That includes reduced utility cost and longer replacement cycle.  I haven't tallied results for home use yet but suspect it's not quite as advantageous.  Since we restrict home lighting to a few hours each day the break-even point may be three years. 

Someone suggested TCA lighting replacement is a waste and that's just silly.  If anything, it's an example of spending a little money to save a lot. 

I'll go out on a limb here and say one of the benefits of membership is TCA are better than some folks give them credit for.   Oh, that's really bad grammar but you get the gist of it. 

IMO, the discussion over LED bulbs is representative of how a lot of problems are approached these days.

LEDs are an incremental change which will have a positive benefit, so TCA shouldn't dismiss it just because it will take awhile to pay off.  At the same time, other things need to be done.

There are lots of things that need to be fixed re TCA, and no single initiative is going to fix everything.  We shouldn't let "better is the enemy of good" prevent us from making progress.

eddie g posted:

......you can't afford to buy trains. Just my 2 cents. Seeing friend's that I have seen at York over the past 40 years has no price.

I think part of promoting this hobby is keeping it affordable. Use to cost say 30$'s take 2 kids to a ball game. Now 200+ too pay high priced players and refreshments. If you want a hobby not to be elitist. It has to be available to a wider audience. Why do many think it's dyeing? Small shops closing.

If one thinks there's no benefit to joining TCA, don't. Doesn't mean it's not open to discuss issues or benefits. The TCA has to realise there is competition from on-line buying and selling.

They should try and promote interest in the hobby, so people can afford to be involved.

MHO

My random thoughts re the museum, in no particular order:

I really like the museum - it provides a well-organized, clean, and well-lit display of a little bit of everything related to toy trains without being overwhelming.  It has a good balance of static and moving displays.  I try to visit whenever I'm in the area.  If I wanted to provide someone with an introduction to toy trains, I would gladly pay for their admission; unfortunately, I live 500+ miles away and nobody in their right mind would spend the necessary travel time in a car with me.

It's a Taj Mahal for toy trains, and I'm not sure how it can be made financially viable in today's world.  Not being a creative marketing type, and since I'm already a train nut, I don't know how to make it more appealing to a wider audience.  Maybe a train play area and more programs for kids would generate some interest.  Didn't TCA have some kind of overnight event a couple of years ago?  Perhaps the cross-marketing with other area attractions could be pursued more aggressively - for example, anyone visiting the Choo Choo Barn really should visit the museum, and vice versa.

Changing the displays more frequently might generate some interest, but doing so presents some challenges.  Finding enough volunteers to do the work is one challenge, not to mention that cycling some of the items on display might mean that important items won't be seen.

The museum also serves an important function by providing a physical location for the archives and library, which along with the availability of research assistance are services that are unique to TCA among the toy train clubs.  It's easy to complain about the increase in dues relative to other toy train clubs, but TCA is providing expensive benefits that the other clubs don't.  (NMRA provides similar library and archive services for scale modelers, and it faces similar challenges.  Oh, and NMRA dues are 32% higher than TCA.) 

I consider the museum to be one of the most important benefits of TCA, as it serves as a repository of information and a way to share toy trains with a wider audience, so I'm happy to support it with my dues.  It's disheartening to read so many comments that focus only on how their membership benefits themselves.