Last time I was at York was during my first foray collecting original prewar tinplate standard gauge trains. This would have been in around 1988-1992'ish. Back then, there were tables full of standard gauge trains at the hotel swap meets as well as at the actual TCA meet. Back, then, from memory, it was mostly all old stuff and very little in the way of new trains and/or manufacturer presence.
I know things have changed a lot in the collecting hobby. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, train meets-like York or TCA conventions- were basically the only source to find good prewar trains. The online trading world wasn't here yet and there were very few auction houses that specialized in quality trains. During that period, collectors really had to travel in order to find good prewar. People would fly in from all over for York and other meets such as Cal Stewart in California, TCA conventions, etc.
In the last few years, I have started recollecting original standard gauge after a 20 year absence.
I was wondering if there are still lots of early, prewar toy trains for sale at York and would they be mostly found at the actual TCA meet or the hotel swap meets or both?
Thanks!
