I'm in upstate ny and was wondering if shows run all year or just during the holidays.
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We've done modular shows in the summer, but typically the colder weather is train time.
Having lived in upstate NY for the last 28 years, i've found the "train show season" in this area is from September until April. With a little driving and depending where you are located in this vast area we call "upstate" you should be able to find at least 3 each month. How many are you looking for?
jackson
I'm looking for as many as I can. I'm in the albany area. Im trying to make it to Utica. Any others soon that are closer then Utica ?
When I first moved to our area, shows were held in September and March - weather was always a factor as September crowds were weak due to warm/pleasant weather, and spring crowds low because the weather had warmed up and people were tired of being indoors. Some friends and I took over running the show, and we now have shows in November and February, when yucky/cold weather seems to drive crowds to the show. I'm a firm believer that selling toy trains is a cold weather activity - the worse the weather, the better the sales. I've made more selling at our last two November shows than I made selling the previous 10 years combined at September and March shows.
From this and the tone of some of your earlier posts it appears you are only looking for what might be called "local" shows. There was one in Glens Falls (about 40 miles from Albany last Sunday and one in April in Amsterdam - about 25 miles from Albany). Living about 40 miles NW from Albany, i consider "local" to be anything in a 125 - 150 mile range (Utica, Syracuse, Binghamton, Kingston, Springfield,MA, etc.) Unless you expect train shows to be held practically in your back yard you might try expanding your horizons.
jackson
I'm will to travel about 100 miles to a show if it is worth it
The issue of "worth it" is something you raised in a previous discussion here. I believe the consensus was that "worth it" is very subjective and means different things to each individual. Let's not go down that road again.
Maybe you should just make the effort to go to as many train shows as you can get to over a couple of years and refine in your own mind what is "worth it" to you, rather than expect us to guess what you mean by "worth it", "as many as i can", and other non-specific phrases you seem to toss out.
jackson
We host shows in November, March and July
The November/December time frame is peak season for train shows, as that is when you will get the biggest crowds. Trains are synonymous with Christmas. There's one just about every weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the Rochester/Buffalo NY areas.
Once you get much past Christmas your main draw will be the hard-core hobbyists.
I don't know how it is in upstate New York, but around here, there are two shows: October and April.
Upstate NY is a very vague term. To some folks, it means anything North of New York City.
From other posts Bnsftrains has made, I wonder if he is in the Capital District, the area surrounding the city of Albany, the capital of N.Y.
If so, the number of shows within 1 or 2 hours of Albany has shrunk over the years.
Utica, NY and Springfield, Ma have already been mentioned. There is another show scheduled at the Polish Community Center (near Crossgates mall), but I don't know the date. There is also a show coming up at Columbia-Green community college.
A show is held periodically in Kingston, I don't know the date of their next show.
In the Capital District (within 2 hours), train show season pretty much ends in April. I don't know about other parts of Upstate NY.
The best of all train meets, April & October in York, PA. Nothing comes close.
