Best York Deal, Find or Experience

Peter I always enjoyed the Legacy Meetings.  They were some work to get done but they were always fun and everybody attending including the folks from Lionel made them worth the pain to get setup.

I have to agree the friends and folks I don't even know are always the biggest draw for me now. 

My best deal?  I don't know.  Always had decent deals.  Maybe the box of black writable modules from last year for $2 a module.  Maybe. 

My first York was October and my only purchase was a Marx yard light for $10.

I can't wait to go again in April. Regardless of purchases, just being there was awesome.

This is a toughy. I would say that there is so much to just put into one thing, I will have to go with just meeting people. This includes everyone you can think of. Vendors, fellow OGR folks, even chatting with the people that feed us. Just one way to talk about whatever is going on and see how people are feeling/doing. Last York I was at someone was talking about upstate New York fun. I don't remember all the details as that was back in 2021 and I was eating, but it was a great conversation.

I agree with Peter. The best part of York has been the friendships I have made. The best deal is more difficult. But many years ago I bought 2 MTH unshrouded N&W J's. I like the Northern engine design the best. JD's trains was in business then and the 2 engines were painted. One became a blue Trooper Train and the other was red for the Fire Departments. The engines had LEDs put in and on them which flashed when you activated the bell signal from a transformer. Not inexpensive, but a good deal and really neat engines. The Fire Engine is shown below.

Gerry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBtlQyz8qQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvGN6-0P9S8

I don't remember the year, but my best York experience was the OGR excursion to the MTH headquarters, and then to Tony Lashes' layout. After the layout tour ended, we all filed out the door and there is the man himself, handing out MTH hats to everyone, and even asking what color you wanted! The next day, I found a vendor selling old N&W route maps in the orange hall. Knowing the tie Tony had to that RR, I bought all three maps the guy had and tracked Tony down (wherever the Gator is, Tony is) and presented the maps to him, and said "thank you" for his hospitality the previous day. He was very kind and said thanks back. A small gesture but I means a lot to me.

My best find (there are so many, though) was a shell for a broken KW I had. My buddy that was with me said "you will never find just the shell". Well, we enter the purple hall and right there at the first table is a vendor with the shell for ten bucks. Another minor event, but it stands out how you never know whats around the corner at York.

Best food was the restaurant outside of town I think was called the Roadhouse. I had a prime rib that was the best. Years later, while checking out colleges for my daughter we went to see York U and that evening went to the Roadhouse. It was terrible the second time!

Wow that’s a tough one to answer indeed.  All YORKS are fun and always have been something that is an eye opener for sure.

Best deal, probably a Lionel Mogul, CN TMCC a for about $300.

Best find, K line 0-42 switches for my conventional layout.

Best experience, meeting up with these Heavyweights of the O scale forum, NORTON, HARMONYARDS, GUNRUNNERJOHN, MARTYE, and a bunch of other GUYZ to numerous to mention.  Thanks GUYZ a for all you do for us here.

@Putnam Division posted:

It is now March. As we get closer to York, I would like everyone to think about past Yorks and what was your best York find; best York deal; and/or best York experience.......

For me, it goes without saying, that my best York find are all the friends and acquaintances that I've made throughout the years. I look forward to seeing my friends from all over the country at least twice a year in south central Pennsylvania.

Hand's down it's the social aspects I like the best about York.  I really love putting a face to the names I've corresponded with, and meeting new people is a real treat!  I've made some good deals over the years at York, but I can do that in other venues as well.

From a "Big Picture" perspective: all of the new friends I have made, all of the people I have met and talked with from all over the country and all over the world, the Legacy meetings, the old OGR Grandstand Meetings, the forum Thursdays at Fridays (and later, Quaker Steak & Lube) dinners, the OGR bus tours to Weaver (and Bob Weaver's layout) and MTH (and Tony Lash's layout), camping on the fairgrounds with my brother, all of the Bandit Meets, all of the train shops, clubs and museums we visited after the bandit meets, seeing the meet from a one-day-shopper POV all the way through to a table-holder (in Blue Hall) that comes early to hit the Bandit Meets POV.

On the personal level, I have a number of memorable stories regarding finds, deals and experiences.

First is my most memorable find.  I had seen a custom run Weaver Apache Powder boxcar on a friend's layout and liked it so much, I decided that I wanted one for myself, and after a little research informed me that there were three road numbers, I decided that I wanted all three.  I manage to pick the most common one up on eBay for a reasonable price, but the remaining two eluded me for years.  Then, in my second York as a table-holder, I was sitting at my table during a slow time minding both my brother's table and mine while he was off walking around, and my gaze wandered to the tables across the aisle from mine.  These tables were piled high with Lionel, MTH and a little Atlas, and at the very top, above standing eye level, I noticed two, and only two, Weaver black boxes.  I couldn't tell what they were from the ends of the boxes so I pulled them down, and as if you haven't already guessed, they were the two Apache Powder cars I was looking for to complete my set.  If that isn't York Magic, I don't know what is...

The next couple of stories involve selling experiences.

I had on my table a 1979 Lionel custom Three Mile Island boxcar, and I had a fairly high price on it, as I kind of wanted to keep it, but was willing to let it go at somewhere close to the price I was asking.  Along came a guy who immediately picked it up and began looking at it.  We struck up a conversation about its history, and I told him what I knew and that there was more info to be had in articles in the TCA Quarterly.  He then offered me about $20 less than what I was asking and I accepted.  He was thrilled and then told me that he never knew it existed, and that he was planning to put it on display on his mantle as a reminder of his time working at TMI when the accident happened.  He was so happy and thanked me again.  It made my meet.

Next is a story about haggling.  As a buyer and seller, I expect a little haggling at York, but sometimes people are a little too aggressive and/or stubborn in their haggling.  I had on my tables three Postwar boxcars in really nice shape with their original boxes, which were also in nice shape.  These were common cars that I picked up cheap and I had them priced at what I thought was a bargain price of $25 each.  Early on Thursday, a table-holder from another hall asked me what my best price was on the three.  I told him that if he was taking all three, I'd do $15 each.  He then told me they were not worth that much and that he would give me $10 a piece for them.  I politely declined, and he left.  A couple hours later, he returned and made the same low-ball offer, and again I declined.  Then towards the end of the day he came back again, and again I told him that $15 was my bottom limit, and again he left.  On Friday, he changed up his strategy and waited for me to leave my tables and try his luck with my brother.  I had told my brother about the guy and my brother was not about to fall for this guy's tactics anyway, so he left again.  Right after lunch he returned and made the same offer again, and again I refused.  This time, before he left, he "advised" me that even at $15, I would be taking those cars home with me.  He seemed rather frustrated at not getting what he wanted.  Shortly after he left this time, an older gentleman came by with a rather thick printed list and started looking up those boxcars on his list.  He then pulled out $75 and handed it to me as he told me he would be taking all three,  As we boxed and bagged them up, he told me that he was looking for nice PW stuff in nice original boxes for his collection, and that he had expected to pay a lot more for such nice examples.  As he left, he smiled at me and said that now he could afford to bring even more home.  About an hour later, the other guy returned.  At first, he looked confused at not seeing the three cars, then he asked what happened to the cars.  I just replied, "Sold them."  He then asked for how much, and I just said, "Full asking price."  The look on his face was priceless as he turned and left without saying another word.  I guess that would be York Karma. 

The next stories involve my table-neighbors in Blue Hall, so I will combine them.  Getting to know your neighbors is always a good thing as you never know what dividends that relationship will pay in the future.  At one meet, I had a buyer who bought a couple of Western Pacific feather boxcars off me and asked if I had any more, as he was collecting that paint scheme.  I didn't, but I happened to know that my neighbor had a complete set of the ones K-Line made, and they were in a box off to the side that would have been easily missed.  The buyer bought them all.  At just this past October meet, my neighbor mentioned that he was looking for gray Lionel straight trestle sets (not the graduated sets) for his home layout, and that if I ran across any that I should let him know or give him first crack at them.  So on Saturday, I was taking one last run through the halls when I spied a gray set in its original box for a real bargain price, so I bought it and took it to my neighbor.  He was so happy, he gave me a nice deal on a lantern he had on his table.

The final memorable personal experience was when the TCA had Neil Armstrong's boyhood train set on display along with one of the small American flags that he took to the moon.  They allowed people to hold the flag (in a frame) for pictures, and I got my photo.

I am looking forward to seeing what memories and experiences I can add to this list at the next York.

Andy

With the exception of losing a great friend (who traveled to York with me for c. 10 years at that point) in the summer of 2015, the best York Experience for me was Fall of 2015.  I was selling my late friend's collection for his family.  My real job paid for the drive, as I had business in the Cleveland area and the Philadelphia area, so I left the Thursday prior to York week.  Was in Cleveland Thursday afternoon, Philadelphia Friday at noon and had the rest of the weekend free.  Went to a Ted Maurer auction on Saturday morning, stopped at the TCA museum on Saturday afternoon, and into York on Saturday evening.   I had 2 tables inside at the Wyndham and 2 tables in the Silver Hall.  I started unloading my vehicle Monday morning at 7 am and was so busy selling on Monday that I did not get a chance to eat until 2 pm and that was only because some friends brought me lunch.  My late friend's 2 daughters arrived in York Monday evening and went to the TCA show as my guests.  They enjoyed the York experience, which their father had talked about so often, I met a lot of new friends during the selling process, and sold about a third of the value of my late friend's collection during the week.  Everyone had a great time.

My best York experience was, collectively, all the years I attended the meet with my Dad and my Uncle Fred, starting in April 1979. I was in 4th grade, and it was the trifecta: a day out of school, time with Dad, and toy trains. It didn't get any better than that. Both Dad and Uncle Fred are long gone, but the memories live on.

One meet in particular stands out, when my Dad was looking for a blue Lionel 712 observation car. He had a set of 3 710 Pullman cars, but no observation. He brought one of the pullman cars and kept it under the table, to be sold only if a 712 in acceptable condition was located. I was wandering the halls on my own and found one, probably in the Red or White hall.  I asked the seller if he would hold onto it while I went back to the Blue hall to get my Dad, and he agreed. I ran as fast as I could across the fairgrounds to the Blue Hall, told my Dad what I had found, took him back to where the car was, and he bought it. I still have that set in the collection, and the 712 observation car always makes a great conversation piece.

In the years when everyone kept their same table, getting acquainted with our table-neighbors was a special part of going back to York. To this day, we are still in touch with Leland and Judy, who no longer go to York, and we always enjoy catching up with them. Due to my work schedule, I am only able to attend in April, so having the same table is not an option anymore, but that's ok. It was fun while it lasted.

It's a long drive from St. Louis.  October 2021 and 2022 were my only two Yorks.  I haven't purchased much at York.  I did find a set of hard to find, MTH Frisco heavyweights at my first York.

I sold a lot of things here on OGR that I delivered at York.  It was fun meeting and talking to those folks in the parking lot before the show.  My daughter started college in Philadelphia this year so now I have to go to York so I can visit her.  Right?  I'll be there next month.

Great topic.

Best find:  Buying 3 Robilt (Australian Hornby knock-off) freight cars as a throw-in at the Wyndham last April - paid $50 or $60 for all 3, like new in OBs.  Had no idea what they were, so I posted pics on here, and our Aussie friend @Fatman informed me that one of them was very rare and worth hundreds.  Not planning to sell them.

Best experience:  Going to the Standard Gauge Module Association meetings - met some great guys, learned a lot, and saw some amazing creations.

Here are a couple of things I've found amusing over the years...

After the MTH Coors Light set came out, apparently they weren't very popular - dealers were blowing them out for $350-400.  Not being a fan of that beverage, I wouldn't have bought one at any price.  Look at the price of those sets now!

In Blue or Silver several years ago, I saw a large Lionel set carton - about 2x2x3 feet, probably from a 1930s Standard Gauge set.  Just the box, and the top third of it was torn off - priced at $3800.  I still wonder what was so special about it.

I do miss the blow-outs from the pre-BTO days.

I can't believe that I've been to the meet about 70 times. There's a rush when first parking the car in the infield and heading towards the White and Red halls. I'm a clockwise buyer, starting with the member halls and winding up at the Blue and finally the Orange hall. I buy old and obscure stuff, and only look at (but certainly admire) the new offerings.

One of the best occasions? Meeting and chatting with "Mr. TCA" Lou Redman, CM-3, RIP.

Lots of not-that-special purchases, but each one a small thrill, for a guy who could only drool over the catalogs back in the 1950's and 60's.

Oh yeah...forgot to mention the french fries, made right while you wait.

I bought a 56 prewar Lionel bronze lamp post inside at the Wyndham. He wanted $35. for it. I offered $30. he said no I was told it was valuable. So I gave him $35. The last 2  that I saw on Ebay went for $250. each.

April 2022 was my first, and so far ONLY trip to York.  The drive from St. Louis was long, but I was with a gentleman on his way to his 83rd York meet.  During the drive, he told me the entire history of the TCA and lots of his experiences attending the meets at York and the people he'd met along the way.  I laughed a lot and learned even more.  The meet was an eye-opening experience for me, and I was able to purchase a few really nice things at the hotel show at the Wyndham, and a really nice prewar Lionel 256 in the Blue Hall.  I didn't realize it at the time, but the highlight of the trip was meeting Joe Palermo.  I listened to him and my friend talk for a long time.  Very funny and friendly fellow.  Found out a couple months later he had passed.  The trains - they come and they go.  The friendships and the shared experiences in this great hobby are the things I'll always remember.

Anyone remember the big deal it was to get the CTT buttons?

I remember the Lionel "tent", the Yellow Hall where MTH was and always had a locomotive going on rollers.  Loved the smell of their fluid as it always reminds me of York.  The introduction of DCS under a different tent.

I can honestly say I've never had a bad time at York.  Sometimes I came home with a carload and an empty wallet, more times with an even amount, and then sometimes with an empty car and full wallet and always had a good time.

I think one of the first purchases at York was my Lionel Lines Torpedo which I still own.

My best York deal ever: April 2015 York,  a new Lionel Legacy B&O shark ABBA set (with two powered units) for $699 at Nassau Hobbies.

The best deal I found at York. I was looking for a black Vision Line Hudson. I ran into Ed Boyle and he ask me what I was looking for. I told him. He said I have 2 and I'm looking to sell 1. We shook hands. When I got home I sent him a check and he sent me a Hudson. It doesn't get any better than that.

Jim D

@Jim D posted:

The best deal I found at York. I was looking for a black Vision Line Hudson. I ran into Ed Boyle and he ask me what I was looking for. I told him. He said I have 2 and I'm looking to sell 1. We shook hands. When I got home I sent him a check and he sent me a Hudson. It doesn't get any better than that.

Jim D

Ed is a very good egg. I helped him set up for the OGR Meeting in 2018. We talked the entire time we set up for the meeting. We also talked on the way there. My first Allentown show in 2019 I made sure to chat with Ed while I was looking around. A bunch of us that time around got a photo of OGR members there that day.

Another interesting experience popped into my head last night.  Back when I was only doing York as long Friday day trips, I would often head from York to spend the rest of the weekend with an old college friend and his wife in Lancaster.  Anyway, on one of these trips, I brought along another old college friend and signed him into York as a one time guest.  He is not a train guy, but is very much into Star Trek (and this was long before Lionel's ST offerings).  After a long day and several trips through each of the halls, he left York with a big bag full of Star Trek toys and collectibles, and they must have been real bargains as I never saw him buy that much at any of the Star Trek conventions we attended.  Just goes to show you that you never know what you will find at York.

Andy

First meet was a year ago. In the blue hall I found a MTH PS2 PRR E8 set and the matching congressional passenger cars for $400. Great set!

    Hmmm... A #783 Hudson for $225, a #203 w/ bell tender for $300, an A-B-A 2-motored B&O F-3's with a beautiful repaint for $250, and a base and vibrotor for a #345 culvert unloader for $25 - which I combined with parts of the manual version. Of course, any York has its great deals.

Didn't Clem's legendary "fitty dolla blue comet" come from York?  I didn't see it in his auction...

Back in 2012 or 2013 at the April meet I spotted a USA Trains AT&SF Alco PA single A unit under someone's table sitting on the concrete covered with dust. Looked like it had been there since the previous meet! LOl.

He wanted $125 and after testing to be certain it operated (including the smoke) we settled on $100. Such a deal!

My best find was the North Coast limited from MTH at the 2015 spring YORK.  At the same York show I found the ps2 Northern Pacific ABA for $350 from one seller and then found another seller where I picked up the matching mth 5 car set, the two additional 2 packs and the rpo (10 of the 11 cars), each car came out to less than $25 each.  I don’t think any of it was ever run, it all looked untouched.

One of may favorite trains to this day.  When released back around 2008, I couldn’t afford the whole set.  I had waited for years and they rarely came up for sale.  Awesome set!

That same YORK, my dad and I had the privilege of being able to see Phil Klopp’s awesome train layouts.  Phil was such an awesome host and a nice guy.

That's a beautiful set Mike. Would love to have it!  I do have the K-Line ABA and 5 Weaver 20" NP cars which 'ain't too shabby either'!  Lol.  When I was a boy we had American flyer and I always wanted their North Coast Ltd with the Also PA's and the silver trucks.

I don’t recall any bad experiences at York, always enjoyed meeting up with friends.

My best deal was a Lionel Legacy SD60E Go Rail engine for $260. The vendor whose name I will not mention (top Lionel dealer) also had the other SD60Es marked at $450. I asked if the price was correct for the Go Rail unit they checked when they said it was I said sold.

JohnB

As a “young” adult forty one years ago at the age of 24 I took my soon to be wife to her first York. I had my postwar and early MPC items which had little interest to her. She always liked antiques. As we walked the halls and she saw Standard gauge trains her eyes lit up and said you need to buy some of these. Guess what….. we did! We went home with 8 different 500 series freight cars in very good condition at a very reasonable price. Even today she will say, you should really get this prewar item. I can’t complain……she’s a keeper!

My best York deal was the Fundimensions green GG1, new in box, for $ 200.  And the seller took credit cards.

Two other favorites were a Reading T1 (which I could BARELY afford when it came out) and MTH Milwaukee Road Bi-Polar for $ 450 each.

I’ll add a few of the many York deals I got there:

4 Lionel NYC heavyweight passenger cars from our author of this post for $100.
Lionel scale PRR S2 turbine from the 80’s-$250

MTH scale Penn 5 stripe Tuscan GG1-$185 in proto 1.

MTH scale UP E8 ABA proto 1-$250

And the deals can go on and on.
That is what York is all about!

My first York was October of 2018 with my brother. I always heard and read that if you can't find something there’s a good chance you’ll find it at York. I have a Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson, but always struggled overlooking the incorrect silver color.  I wasn’t even looking for it, but Lo and Behold, someone was selling the dark gray engine and tender replacement shells. I didn’t hesitate and bought them on sight.

After updating my engine, it went from sitting the bench to part of my starting lineup on my railroad.

As fun as that was, it is the experience, as many others have noted on this thread.  Each time I have attended since, it’s more about the road trip out there with my brother, now meeting a good friend that joins us, meeting others in the hobby, and enjoying the sites and different restaurants in the York area.  A true pilgrimage for those of us that enjoy this wonderful hobby.

@Ted Bertiger posted:

I’ll add a few of the many York deals I got there:

4 Lionel NYC heavyweight passenger cars from our author of this post for $100.
Lionel scale PRR S2 turbine from the 80’s-$250

Thrilled that they have a loving home!

Peter

I’ve been to a lot of Yorks and gone home on occasions with nothing I was looking for and then there were shows that I was getting worn out going back and forth to the car. The one that really comes to mind is, I had been searching for the Premier CP Holiday Train box cars for awhile and having no luck. Walking through the Orange Hall my second pass by Nicholas Smith Train there they were. Sales guy whose name I don’t recall said he had just put them out. I said SOLD! Just in time to because the next guy in line was ready to buy. Talk about the right place at the right time.

@poconotrain posted:

I’ve been to a lot of Yorks and gone home on occasions with nothing I was looking for and then there were shows that I was getting worn out going back and forth to the car. The one that really comes to mind is, I had been searching for the Premier CP Holiday Train box cars for awhile and having no luck. Walking through the Orange Hall my second pass by Nicholas Smith Train there they were. Sales guy whose name I don’t recall said he had just put them out. I said SOLD! Just in time to because the next guy in line was ready to buy. Talk about the right place at the right time.

This post should be required reading for everyone who thinks "I'll keep looking for a better price and come back later".

York rule #1. When you see it and the price is good, BUY IT!
You may not recall where you saw it and in what hall. It probably was sold even if you attempt to go back and find it to buy it.
Take a York veteran advice here for you newbies at York.

@Ted Bertiger posted:

York rule #1. When you see it and the price is good, BUY IT!
You may not recall where you saw it and in what hall. It probably was sold even if you attempt to go back and find it to buy it.
Take a York veteran advice here for you newbies at York.

Agreed!

Peter

To add to what Ted said, sometimes you can ask or haggle with vendors/sellers. Often when I buy rolling stock, I'm buying quite a few, and the seller will discount the items further, or even in some cases, toss in a freebie. I can't recall how much of an added on discount, but I know that they wanted to move what they had on the table to anyone's hands so they didn't have to take it with them.

Also they other rule, if your eyes have seen something, make sure you do get at it. If you have to hit the cash machine or something, see if the seller will hold it for you in some agreement or such. Since a good portion take CC's, I don't think that instance would come up often. I've always had enough cash on me when looking at stuff at York save my first York as I didn't know what all I was getting into.

The last York I went to I only bought one item, an MTH 36' Curve Beer reefer.  I had walked thru all of the halls and was on my last one.  The car was in another gentleman's hands.  He was hemming and hawing over it, then put it down and walked away.  I grabbed it and paid.  I oversaw him looking for the car again, and I overheard his friend say something to the affect that things move quickly, and snoozing and loosing.  I felt bad but it's true, if you see something you like, and the price is acceptable, buy it!

This had happened to me once too.  I was considering a set of MTH high-tension wire towers and decided to pass.  I went back a little while later and they were gone.  I actually saw them later in another gentleman's hands.