OGR CHANGES FOR THE SPRING 2018 YORK MEET....!! PLEASE READ....

ALAN

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE

I have a gut feeling that a lot of forum members won't be going to York this April.  Barry had to cancel the DCS dinner, & I have noted that there have been a lot less posts &replies on the York forum.

I'm planning to make my second trip to York!  I plan to be at the Thursday night supper and the OGR meeting Friday once again!!  If my arthritic knees keep acting up as they are now, you may see me doing less walking and more hanging out at the various locations Alan mentioned!!  

eddie g posted:

I have a gut feeling that a lot of forum members won't be going to York this April.  Barry had to cancel the DCS dinner, & I have noted that there have been a lot less posts &replies on the York forum.

Going to York is an expensive trip for most of us. Two nights lodging, fuel (auto wear and tear), six meals, coffee breaks/snacks and the admission fee and TCA membership ( if you wish to see the whole meet).  Add in travel time.  Unless you lodge in a lower end motel you are looking at a minimum of $500- an expensive ticket just to get in the door. You are faced with the question, does attendance justify the expense? Go twice and year and that's $1000. That's not inexpensive. You can buy quite a few trains online or at local shows for a grand.

Dennis LaGrua posted:

eddie g posted:

I have a gut feeling that a lot of forum members won't be going to York this April.  Barry had to cancel the DCS dinner, & I have noted that there have been a lot less posts &replies on the York forum.

Going to York is an expensive trip for most of us. Two nights lodging, fuel (auto wear and tear), six meals, coffee breaks/snacks and the admission fee and TCA membership ( if you wish to see the whole meet).  Add in travel time.  Unless you lodge in a lower end motel you are looking at a minimum of $500- an expensive ticket just to get in the door. You are faced with the question, does attendance justify the expense? Go twice and year and that's $1000. That's not inexpensive. You can buy quite a few trains online or at local shows for a grand.

I live about two hours from York.  So that's four hours driving.  Nothing compared to some of you.  And I don't have to find lodging or even spend too much on meals.  I have been to one large scale show and two "O" scale shows.  For me, it's not really worth the time and effort.  I prefer smaller meets like Allentown or Hamburg and Greenbergs Oaks meet.  First, they are within an hour's drive.  The sheer amount of stuff at York over taxes my brain.  

I wish that I could get to York from CA this year.  It just doesn't work with my schedule.

I am going to he national TCA Convention in RI.  This will be my first TCA convention.  I am looking forward to York sometime in the future.  It sounds like a fun event.  I definitely am looking forward to attending the OGR functions.   NH Joe

I live 45 minutes from York and have attended once many moons ago and then I only stayed less than a day.  I really don't like crowds so York was a turn off for me.  I attend a couple of shows a year here in Baltimore and that's enough for me.

eddie g posted:

I have a gut feeling that a lot of forum members won't be going to York this April.  Barry had to cancel the DCS dinner, & I have noted that there have been a lot less posts &replies on the York forum.

Not sure why, but this seems to be an unusual York in that many of the guys I meet at York are not going for various reasons.  In fact, I'm not going - for the first time since 2006 - due to a family commitment.  (Can I confidentially say that "I'd rather be at York"????  LOL! )

The question was asked:    "You are faced with the question, does attendance justify the expense? Go twice and year and that's .................  "

I come from California twice a year, every year, and, yes, it is worth the "expense".

I have to ask people who live < 3 hours from York who don't go: What else are you doing that day that's more important than trains?  Watching Netflix?

I live < 2 hours from Springfield, Mass and, even though it's not as good as York for a tinplate collector, I still go to the Big E show because it's a pretty darned good train show that I can get to on a day trip ... and I'm not usually doing anything else that's more important than spending a day walking around looking at trains.

I live 7 hours from York and I still find the trip worth it.  I'd kill to be able to shoot over for a day without having to stay in hotels, pay for a long trip, etc.  I've cut back to just once a year due to the expense.

Maybe the sands of our hobby ARE shifting...

Steven J. Serenska

OGR PUBLISHER posted:

"As some of you already know, over the last few months OGR has been making some internal changes.  The biggest change we made is a de-centralization of the company and the move of our office to Hilliard Ohio.  We have made a few other changes that may be of interest to those of you that will be attending April 2018 York Meet.

For the April 2018 York meet, OGR will be in the Orange Hall next to Mr. Muffin's Trains.  Since Mr. Muffin's Trains now fulfills all OGR product orders, it makes sense for OGR to have our products conveniently located in the Mr. Muffin's Trains booth.   Jim Barrett, Allan Miller, and Ed Boyle will be manning the booth at various times, so we encourage all of you to stop by and visit!

Also...don't forget to attend both of the OGR traditions we all look forward to at York:

• The OGR member meet and greet meal at Quaker Steak and Lube on Thursday night after meet closing.
• The OGR Grand Stand meeting on Friday at 2P.M. in the Gold Hall.  This is where you will hear about the latest and greatest product coming from our manufacturers.

Enjoy the meet!!

Okay, Alan, but unclear exactly what you are saying. OGR will still have its own independent booth but it will now be located adjacent to Mr. Muffin's booth who will sell your OGR product line with the OGR staff  assisting Mr. Muffin with those OGR product sales, correct? If this is what the situation is going to be then will OGR's own booth be relegated solely to selling and promoting OGR subscriptions? Also, who will be manning OGR's own booth, Alan?

I have to ask people who live < 3 hours from York who don't go: What else are you doing that day that's more important than trains?

First you might have to ask why they don't belong to the TCA.
 

C W Burfle posted:

I have to ask people who live < 3 hours from York who don't go: What else are you doing that day that's more important than trains?

First you might have to ask why they don't belong to the TCA.
 

Cost versus perceived benefit of membership for theirself?

OGR PUBLISHER posted:

"As some of you already know, over the last few months OGR has been making some internal changes.  The biggest change we made is a de-centralization of the company and the move of our office to Hilliard Ohio.  We have made a few other changes that may be of interest to those of you that will be attending April 2018 York Meet.

For the April 2018 York meet, OGR will be in the Orange Hall next to Mr. Muffin's Trains.  Since Mr. Muffin's Trains now fulfills all OGR product orders, it makes sense for OGR to have our products conveniently located in the Mr. Muffin's Trains booth.   Jim Barrett, Allan Miller, and Ed Boyle will be manning the booth at various times, so we encourage all of you to stop by and visit!

Also...don't forget to attend both of the OGR traditions we all look forward to at York:

• The OGR member meet and greet meal at Quaker Steak and Lube on Thursday night after meet closing.
• The OGR Grand Stand meeting on Friday at 2P.M. in the Gold Hall.  This is where you will hear about the latest and greatest product coming from our manufacturers.

Enjoy the meet!!

Will you be decreasing the floor space?  Is there another vendor taking over the OGR floor space?  Or is this Show just decreasing in size as it has been for sometime?  We shall see in the next few weeks.  However, I'll be there both Thursday and Friday, I live an hour away and wouldn't miss this meet.

As you know I have been to over 80 York meets. I am addicted to York. I live 500 miles from York.  I'm 87 years old and still drive it. For years it was run into the halls to find that rare item that I had to have. Now it's just a social thing meeting all the friend's I have made over the last 40 years.

To answer some of the previous questions:

OGR will be co-located with Mr. Muffin's space in the Orange Hall. Steve (Mr. Muffin) will be handling OGR/Ameri-Towne product sales and the like.

You will be able to renew subscriptions or get a new subscription to the magazine at the meet.

This spring meet will be attended by myself, my wife Wendy, Jim Barrett, and Ed Boyle. Alan Arnold and Rich Melvin will not be attending (they are busy working on projects related to OGR Publishing).

The OGR Forum Member Meeting (somewhat traditionally held in the grandstand) will be in the Gold Hall adjacent to the grandstand, which is a good bit more comfortable in certain weather conditions. Ed Boyle is responsible for arranging and conducting that meeting, as in the past.

I have no idea what Eastern Div. will do with the space previously occupied by OGR in the Orange Hall, but I suspect it will be occupied by another dealer--possibly someone previously in the Purple Hall who has been on the "wait list" for space in the Orange Hall. That is generally the way things worked in the past.

This is York 53 for me and it has evolved and survived in those 26 and a half years. Made a lot of friends and spent a lot of money thru the years at the meet. I have worked 6 days a week for the last 43 years and nobody has gone with out and my beautiful wife has worked hard and done the same. So I will keep working and enjoying York as long as I don't become a client of my business.  Have fun folks enjoy your hobby you are a heartbeat and a breath away from the cemetery or crematory!

I was glad to meet you in person at York Don, Eddie, and so many others.  That’s the best part!

I've been a member for 30 years and have only missed 3 meets (deaths in family and a private tradgedy). I've gone when I didn't have a penny to spend, and had a great time. I've bought a lot of stuff over the years, and I've sold in the past and will probably do so again in the Fall. 

York is my twice a year re-charge vacation.

I can't wait!

Alan - Will the OGR booth at Mr. Muffins have the precut Ameri-Build buildings for kit bashing?