Here's my take on York nowadays... It will always be a worthwhile show to attend; however, our corner of the world has definitely changed... and will continue to do so.
During the past year in particular, I can't help but notice so many dealers offering deep discount sales year-round. Great stuff here on the for-sale forum as well. Combine all that with the new products being offered by the importers, and I surmise lots of folks went to York knowing they already spent some big bucks this year AND still need to shell out another $2k+ easy before year's end. So that may put a damper on huge York purchases. I certainly know it did for me, 'cause I still have an O-Gauge Lionel cab-forward Daylight loco as well as a Standard Gauge National Limited steamer and cars looming on the immediate horizon -- both big-ticket items due in the next month or two. And we all know how "easy" it's getting to spend another $1k in this hobby -- just on spontaneous, unplanned purchases if we're not careful.
I've been quietly building my Standard Gauge roster over the past year, and York gave me the opportunity to bring a trade to closure that's been in the works for several months now. Consequently, two Lionel #305 Hellgate Bridges found their way into the back of my SUV before I even set foot into the Orange Hall. And from the looks of things, I don't think I was alone.
So for me, York has increasingly become a nice time to reconnect with old friends, meet a few new ones, and simply stroll through the halls to immerse myself in toy train heaven for a day. Pretty relaxing for sure.
Yes, there's always a token purchase that makes the trip "worthwhile". But even at that, it's not like the days of old where I literally packed the car to the hilt with York purchases for the return trip home. It's quite different now, but I'm OK with that. Although truth be told, those 2 Hellgate bridges did take up a good amount of space in the back of my SUV this time.
David