How do you prepare for York?

I make sure I'm registered and have my badge, and I ask Don to confirm my hotel reservations (he makes them for our entire group),  Aside from that, and throwing the usual "stuff" in a suitcase for the trip, I don't do anything special.  The very last things I need are any new trains (I have another K-Line Shay arriving next week and have a good number of things still on preorder with my LHS), so my York trips are no longer planned-in-advance buying expeditions.  I just want to see and be with my fellow hobbyists and friends.

I get prepared by:

1. Checking my wallet.

2. Checking when I last bought something for my wife of equal valueequal to what I thnk I am going to spend. 

3. Checking if I have any more places to hide by new aquisition(s).

4. Checking to see if my layout can sustain the weight of more trains.

5. Completely emptying my mind of any guilt.

6. Preparing the speech to myself if any of the above fail.

Have fun a York. I will have to miss it this time around.

Conductor Earl       

I prepare a note for my wife reminding her to re-fill the ice cube trays and remove the lint from the dryer screen after running a load while I'm gone.

I count my money and check my wallet for my credit card.

Make sure my car is all gassed up and tires inflated to proper pressure.

Make sure I have clean jeans and a shirt of some kind.

Get in the car and go.

Rick

I stock up on Goodie's Headache Powders and Alka-Seltzer.

Then hope for the best...

Hey Rich,

How about new gel inserts..for the source of the pain.

Conductor Earl

Earl, you going to have to explain to me how new gel inserts help a headache!  

Unfortunately, many attendees do not heed your advice.

I usually meet with some friends and get in some practice negotiating, as shown below...

George

Rich,

Helps me to be "gell'in".  Actually, when I am walking around York I find my feet are directly connected to my brain.  They are the only things that tells me, "stop".

Enjoy York.

Earl

1. Not spend more than $100 3 or 4 weeks prior.
2. Drive as safely as possible so as not to get into any car repair payments prior.
3. Make a list of items I want that are expensive, then find the one that I want most.
4. Make a list of less expensive items I want in case money is tight.
5. Keep a pad and pen in case I see an item in one hall and write down it's location in case I want to come back to it.
6. Go to bed early the night before so I can leave and get there when it opens.
7. Make a new friend if possible.
8. Have fun.

Like anything else, I will procrastinate until the day before and then PANIC!!!!

I never forget a thing. I have a check list that I use every time I go away. One of the most important things is not to forget your I phone charger. I have a list of about 30 things to check off. another important thing is your pills. Advil, aspirin, and what ever others you need. Last week I had to put down my dog. This will be the first time she hasn't gone with me in 11 years 22 times. 

I don't.  Too far away to be able to go....I do like however when York is over, then the posts stop for a little while.   

That is hilarious!  Liking it when the York Meet posts stop….. in the York TCA Meet Forum!

I know what you mean though, all those posts about layouts in the Layout Building Forums gets annoying.   

Other than putting in for badges and making hotel reservations (when staying over), I do not do anything special.

The day before I pack my bag and get the cash I've set aside for the show.

That is about it.

I've never used a want list, and I don't usually buy parts at York. I find it easier to just buy them mail order.

Who is holding a gun to your head to make you read the York Forum?

No one is too far away to go to York. If you really want to go, you can go.

1,000 miles is to far and Joe, I do not generally read the York posts but they are still in the window on the side or haven't you noticed?

quote:

I do not generally read the York posts but they are still in the window on the side or haven't you noticed?

Very true. and the subjects on the side bar are not qualified by identifying the sub-forum in which they reside. But this thread's title is quite clear about it's subject.

There are plenty of threads that I do not open because the subject is not of interest to me.

Folks are looking forward to attending the show, and want to "talk" about it. What is wrong with that?

Hat, Hot Dogs, Dr. Browns Grill, Charcoal, and a tiny bit of spending cash

ALL recent posts, regardless of sub-forum they were made to, appear in the sidebar list on the right hand side of the screen.  The sub-forum they are posted to is not identified in that list, so it's pretty much up to the individual to determine what he or she does or does not want to read. 

As stated prior... Make a list of things you want.  It's easy to let emotion and the look of something different distract you.  Also, do your research ahead of time on a price range you are willing to spend for items on your list.

If you absolutely MUST have something and it's RARE... buy it when you see it.  It most likely will be gone when you return to take a 2nd look.  However if the item is not rare, shop around.  The vendors charge all different prices for the same item.  Last year I was looking for a Lionel Dairyman's League #789.   Saw prices from $30 to $50 for the same car.

Most stuff is negotiable if you make a reasonable offer.  I never offer to pay the sticker price on the box or sign... again unless it's one of those RARE and GOTTA have items.

Have Fun!

Ron

Too far away?!?  Dave has come from Australia.  Are you further than that? 

Too far away? I have friends that come from California, Oregon, & Washington state.

Sorry to hear about your pooch, Eddie!  So sorry!  

Yes...I come from California twice a year to York.  Two thousand, seven hundred miles times two, twice a year.  

NOT too far.  

Yeh, anyone who complains about it being too far is a wimp.

Rule 1) The most important thing about preparing for York is booking your own accommodation.

Never, under any circumstances, allow Scrappy to book your motel. He will put you in places infested by hookers and crack heads.

Rule 2) There is no rule 2.

Jim, you are a big wimp.

One thing I would suggest, if you are going to the Fall meet, consider staying over for the Sunday and go to the York Oyster Festival. It's  held at the Agricultural and Industry (?) Museum. Plenty of beer and wine on tap, great oysters and shrimp, music and a very interesting museum to wander about. York is a nice town worth exploring.

quote:

If you absolutely MUST have something and it's RARE... buy it when you see it.

That is true at any show, not just York.

My favorite story happened in the Buffalo, NY.

Seller in the first row of tables had a nice, boxed Minitoys trolley, at a price I could have lived with. I thought I'd go back in a little while, and make the owner an offer.

By the time I got to the end of the isle, I thought better of that plan, and went back to buy it. Of course it was gone. I have a few Minitoys trolleys, but to this day, I do not have a boxed one.

A lot of careful thought has to go into preparing for York.  With the need to pack provisions, map out a route, make accommodations for overnight stays and bring along enough funds to keep you going in case of emergencies, it can take on the aspects of a well-designed military operation.  And so I treat it as such.

First, gather your funds.  Sometimes this means looking in unexpected or forgotten places for additional sources of cash.

It's about a three hour drive for me to the Fairgrounds, and you don't want to lose too much time stopping to eat, so its essential to pack snacks to keep you going.  I prepare by gathering an assortment of healthy foods that won't slow me down.

Then, after sampling what I've gathered together, I typically toss these in the trash and pack something a bit more "driver-friendly."

You'll need a place to spend the night, because there's so much to see it can't be adequately covered in one day.  I prepare by scouring the Internet for hotels and motels.  This one looks kind of nice.  The proprietor, I think his name was Norman something, said the shower facilities were recently upgraded.

Driving through the rural backroads can get a bit boring, so it's always good to have a nice mix of music to  pass the time.  Before I leave I always spend time with my top-of-the-line audio system to make a couple of mix tapes.

Now with food, cash, tunes to listen to and a place to stay, it's time to hit the road.  I get ready to tackle the road work and potholes one inevitably encounters on Pennsylvania's excellent highway system...

...by stopping at one of Comrade Putin's local filling stations, my neighborhood Lukoil.  Here Svetlana makes sure my tire pressure is tip top.

And of course, you'll need a full tank of gas so you won't lose time pulling off the highway.  Of course, here in New Jersey we're not allowed to touch the gas pump, but luckily the attendants are always ready with friendly service.

 So...next stop, Train Heaven.  Hopefully all this careful planning will allow me to get there in plenty of time Thursday morning to join some fellow O Gauge Forumites in a little parking lot barbecuing before the door open at noon.

See you at The Big Show!!  Remember, preparation is the key!

- Mike

1. Set my shopping list.  This time I am looking to buy... nothing.
2. Identify things I want to see.  Orange Hall (probably circulate 2x), then off to to one or two other halls to look.  Like going to a museum - and I mean the merchadise, not the attendees.  Very neat.
3. Go home and tinker with the layout.  Admire and enjoy what I have.
4. Go the the Harley Davidson Factory Tour on Thursday

Hi John, If you have a child under 12 or 13 not sure, They will not be able to take the tour. We had that problem years ago. 

My family has visited the Harley factory a couple of times. I've been there once. It was a great tour.
At the time, the tour was free.

I visited their web site, and found that while a free tour is still offered, they now have a fee based tour that is more extensive. (If they had it when we went, we didn't know about it).

Mike C: Very funny. (LOL)

This will be my first trip to York. I am planning for the trip the same way I used to plan for a trip to Atlantic City: I will be hiding a $20 Bill in my ashtray so I'll at least have gas money to get home.

$20!!!!  I hope you live close

Enjoy your first of what is sure to be many Yorks

- walt

Adding to my list....A visit to Dennis Zander of Z stuff.......I'm thinking, Atlas switch machines are what they are......maybe it's a better idea to gradually upgrade to Z stuff units....

Peter