How much do you buy?

Your first trip? Oh there's lot's o trains to see but don't be surprised if you can't find that one thing you just knew would be there. As for spending, well it flip-flops, I have no want list. If I see something I want it goes home with me. At the same time many Detroit area locals head home with their car full. It's your game, wear comfortable shoes and enjoy.

I usually only buy a few things, as long as we aren't counting parts or maintenance items

Depends upon how much cash is in my wallet. The thicker the stash, the more the purchases...

 

Gilly

I gather you are talking train meets so it depends on a few things:

1-What kind of vehicle I'm in, a rental or my own.

2-Will I have to ship trains home?

3-Spending money on hand.

4-Did I find anything I wanted to buy?

 

Last time I was at Cal Stewart,I bought a dozen or so scale freight cars. I carried these home in my luggage.

 

Last time I was at York,I had my own vehicle,a Ford F150 crew cab,I filled it up,Orange and Purple boxes stacked like firewood in the back! There were so many good deals on Big Lionel and MTH Steam.

 

I was working near the Big E last year,I was in a small rental.Ended up shipping 4 big boxes back home via FedEx ground.

 

 

It varies. Some meets I'll load up and have to carry stuff out to the car several times. Other times I've barely bought anything. I think last April I bought exactly zero trains but did pick up some Woodland Scenics products and some train shelves.

According to my x-wife too much.??????????????

hello guys and gals.........

 

Too much on our limited fixed income

 

Tiffany

 

Good to hear the variety of responses so far.  I'm concerned about the kid in a candy factory syndrome kicking in.  The pragmatic side says to only buy parts, light stuff, collapsed buildings, etc., but the kid says, "oh boy oh boy oh boy" and suddenly find myself out of room.

 

Based on prior comments about being at York and the varying degrees of personal hygiene, I guess I could always limit myself to wearing the same thing 3 days in a row and leaving all the suitcase room for trains.  Of course, whoever sits next to me on the flight home may not appreciate it...

My best York was a couple years ago. I managed to stash away about $1500 for the event figuring I'd get one big item ad a few small things. Turns out the one big thing was a Lionel 1776 set for $300 and I used the rest for a ton of rolling stock and buildings I bought on Saturday. That time I did manage to fill the back seat of my car and I still had about $75 left at the close on Saturday. Would love to duplicate that trip again but I think it was a fluke.

 

Jerry

I brought 2,000 in cash last year, and by the last day I had to put some cash away to get home.  I wanted more but ran out of cash. I wanted a 773, but the money was gone by the time I found a deal. But in the end I found a better deal a couple of months later online.

 

 In the orange hall most of the dealers accept credit cards so I was okay there. 

I really don't find much I want nowadays..  I did not buy one stinkin' thing in October, but that is not my plan.  If they made it, I would buy it.  If they did, and made everything I want, I'd run out of money fast.  I do not live in fear that that will happen.  UPS/shipping is set up in one of the buildings, so you can ship home everything you buy...unless it was a complete layout table or something, then you

will need to rent a truck

It is hit or miss for me as well.  Last Fall I bought 6 cars; but then my brother and I have gone and when we left there was only room for ourselves in the car. Filled an Olds Cutlass with Weaver cars one Fall. Did the same a few years back while in college with a Chevy Lumina. I typically stay under a 1000 bucks, if its a slow York I will spend maybe 200.

I would not worry about getting what you purchase back home. Between the Blue & Silver Halls, there is a UPS vendor.

 

I would also not worry about what to purchase. Start a list of those items you are looking for, and you will no doubt see other items you want not on the list. That's OK too. Have a budget and try to stick to it.

If it is US currency and in my wallet, my wife says, "spend it all."

I always do what my wife says.

Here is a photo of my aide helping to carry my trains home last October . . . 

 

 

The last couple of Yorks I probably spent $300 to $400 each time.  Although I go with a "want"  list,  you never know what you might find.

Once I spent around $1000.  I've also skipped several shows because I had no money.

I had also on several occasions delivered items I sold to people at the show and ended up coming home with more money than I went with.

It depends on what I see and how much I want to spend.  Usually all responsibilities fly out the window when it comes to the York Meet.  Heck, not just the meet, but with trains in general!  I've left the Meet with the mini van fully loaded more than a few times, but I live only a little over an hour from York.  Now that I've accumulated lots of nice items for the layout I'm a little more selective……. just a little.

 

I spend most of my time and money on trains.  The rest is just wasted.

I only buy the club car offering we do every year on another forum. We usually do a 3 or 6 number set. My other purchases are for Christmas and birthday gifts for the children of friends and family. My own shelves are filled. I suppose I could put more on my staging yard on the outside suspended layout, which is inside my shop, but without an inside layout to run trains regularly, it's not worth it.

Don

As my layout has neared completion, I have spent about $200/month over an entire year but much of that now is spent on scenery, lighting, switches, accessories (1/43 cars), wire, parts and the occasional piece of rolling stock in select Eastern road names. Reality is there are more trains here than I could ever possibly run.

Over the years I have learned to only bring what I want to spend and only bring cash. When I run out of cash it's time to just hang out and chat with friends. I bring on average $1200 and that covers the hotel and food.

When the hotel shows were big I would spend way more than I should and that left me short for the fairgrounds. Now I only go to the fairgrounds

Depends on what I drive.  Somehow, it always ends up full.

I have no limit, but there isn't much I want anymore.

My first York or two, the pile that came home was huge!  Now I have throttled it down a bit, and look for good deals and always hit Sidetrack Hobbies for some tinplate.  Last trip they had a Christmas set I wanted, but was hesitant. My wife told me to get it and she would give it to me for Christmas.... pays to bring her along!

 

OTOH, we stay in Lancaster, and she manages to fill her side of the vehicle with lots of outlet goodies!  Fair is fair...

 

..."Depends on what I drive.  Somehow, it always ends up full."

 

Last trip I took a new vehicle and it worked out well. It was new so I bungeed in a couch from our outside deck in the back.  Perfect for a mid day nap!

 

Plenty of space for her stuff, my stuff, and a place for lunch.

 

 

Still working on the inside, but there are couches in place now.  It has become the perfect York-mobile. (no haven't tried the camping thing.... yet).. Looking forward to CarGuyZm10's report!

 

See you there!

Ed

 

ps. window installation thanks to help from Don Masso, OGR forum member!

My buying objectives have changed. I have become a big fan of LionChief Plus. One engine and one controller. I still run conventional, with blocks to the rails.

    The Lionel Chief Plus is pulling my model railroad budget away from MTH / DCS.

I have ordered Two LionChief Plus, should be in sometime in the fall of 2015. 

Truckloads.  Tons.  A Chevy 3500 crew cab long bed pickup loaded with contractor's boxes, and it leaves York piled to the gills, groaning under the weight.  If you can't find a truckload of tinplate at York worth bringing home, you aren't paying attention. 

 

More than I should, but  less than I want.  

 

- Mike

Eddie:  I believe that you said it best for many of us. A dedicated train collector/hobbyist can buy trains over the course of many years. I started collecting in 1979 and for many years was on a buying binge. I was a collector back then and spent thousands but then I changed to being an operator about 15 years ago. Now that the layout is 95% complete, I still spend,  buy what is needed to finish up, run 4 consists, and have an additional three to run in the sidings. In the coming months I may liquidate some of my collection that may never get used.

My worst nightmare would be to get rear ended on the way home from York.

And it's not the vehicle I am concerned about!!

Buy all you can.  Life is short.  First off, nobody goes to york without a decent amount of green in their pocket.  Have fun.  I remember one York I went to with nothing on my radar.  I ended up buying 64 K-Line aluminum cars.  I had my small car and had to have a friend bring many back to Boston for me.  

 

As some of get older and retire we have more time to fine tune what to buy.  I am actually looking for two sets of MTH State of Maine box cars.  Last York I was looking for the elusive K-Line Golden State aluminum car named Golden Outlook.  Five minutes into the show, Dotty found it for me.

I went to last October's York Meet with my Dad and my brother.  We took some large yellow and black crates (Lowes and Home Depot both sell them) with us and still bought a couple more containers when we got up there.  Each container is about 27 gallons.  I think we filled four or five containers with rolling stock and locomotives. We were in a Dodge Ram Quad Cab, so the crates were in the bed of the truck.  We put everything in double trash bags and then inside the crates in case it rained. And we still had two 6-car hopper sets, and two locomotives sitting in boxes in the back seat. Not sure all York's will be like that for me, but I treated my first York as if it might be the only one I get to.  Since then I have made it a goal of mine to return to York as many times as I can.  The experience and the people are worth as much, or maybe more than, the great buys you find.

I wish some of you guys would come to CA train shows.  Joe

I set a budget and try to stick to it.  I still work and have bills to pay, and I have pre-orders to consider, so I rarely have huge amounts to spend at York.  I've gone to York with as little as $100 to spend after food, fuel and lodging considerations, and it was still a great time.  And then there was the time when I barely had room for me inside my extended-cab truck on the ride home...

 

Andy

Guys, York sometimes rains on us.  Be sure to bring a large trash bag to use to keep trains dry when bringing your scores from the hall to your car.  

Marty, Please don't buy everything. Leave a little on some of the tables for me.

Eddie, you might get more than me as you get up early.

I buy very little in terms of trains. My average York spending comes to about $80.-$150. It seems that the more money I have, the less I want. Raising 5 kids, my wife and I were living paycheck to paycheck.

On too many occasions, we have come home with barely enough room to sit in the car! However the last few years, we have purchased very little, had it not been for seeing old friends, we probably would not even attended..... not too many York's left in our future..

I have never been to York and I still spend too much...

The only time I've been to York was in 2006 and was so mesmerized that I hardly bought anything. Next time I go it will be different.

This will be my first York, I've already recondoed the site, got my reservations already and I'm gearing up for my departure on Thursday morn.  I got a wishlist ready but I've been to train shows before so I'm not extremely excited but am really looking forward to showing up and I'm sure that I will have bought things that aren't on my list.  QUESTION:  Are we allowed to take photos?