Northern Ohio Shows

Just heard Indy show is cancelled for 2019-is this the demise of O Scale? Doesn't sound encouraging especially if I were looking into getting into O Scale.

Don't mean to be the bringer of bad news.

Al Hummel

Alan Hummel posted:

Just heard Indy show is cancelled for 2019-is this the demise of O Scale? Doesn't sound encouraging especially if I were looking into getting into O Scale.

Don't mean to be the bringer of bad news.

Al Hummel

Where did you "hear" that?

Page 5 of the November/December 2018 O Scale Resource by Amy Dawdy.  I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet.

MPS

It has nothing to do with the state of O scale but simply a changing demographics. We can't get the numbers of people to the shows as we need. We have more vendors then we can handle but if the public won't go we can't do justice to our vendors. We continue to look for a possible venue but simply can not guarantee 200 room nights. We have looked at other places but when you look at the room we need, 16,000 sq ft, and the need for free parking you lose options. Fairgrounds and convention centers nickel and dime you with extras.  A one day show is out of the question, you will not get the larger vendors to set up for a 7 hour show.

I and half a dozen friends from Cincinnati used to regularly attend the Indy show when it was held on the East side (in a Days Inn, I think) and admission was $10.  When the previous promoter moved it to an expensive hotel on the West side, admission went to $25.  I'm sorry, but that is way too much to walk around a train show for a few hours.  My friends and I quit going.  Even the Chicago March Meet costs less ($20 admission) and Indy can't hold a candle to Chicago.

The Cleveland show is a little smaller (although the new location seemed to be over 50% larger than the old) but admission is a very reasonable $6.  With the demise of Indy, I expect the Cleveland show to get larger.

MWB,

Was told this from a personal Vendor friend.

Al Hummel

MPS posted:

Page 5 of the November/December 2018 O Scale Resource by Amy Dawdy.  I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet.

MPS

Thanks for providing a source.  I'm way behind in my reading of the OSR issues

Alan Hummel posted:

Just heard Indy show is cancelled for 2019-is this the demise of O Scale?

Yes. 

You should switch to HO, as you have been threatening to do in [ what seems like ] every other post you've made in the past 4.5 years, NOW, and beat the rush.

SZ

dkdkrd posted:

railroad-guy posted:

It has nothing to do with the state of O scale but simply a changing demographics. We can't get the numbers of people to the shows as we need. We have more vendors then we can handle but if the public won't go we can't do justice to our vendors. 

Wife and I (mid-Michigan) would've attended the Indy shows long ago at the recent site.  Although it'd be a 5-hour drive each way, we'd enjoy the full day outing for this sort of show.

However, of necessity we need to use our 35' RV for this sort of day-trip.  Even though we'd be self-sufficient with it, we simply needed to know whether there'd be some place to conveniently park it during our time at the show.  We sent emails inquiring about this......never got an answer.  So we stayed home.

I know, the two of us wouldn't have made the difference in your current situation.  Then again, we are members of that public that won't go......without an answer to the question.

Just saying....

KD

We received one inquiry about an RV from a person in TN, and advised them to contact the hotel directly.  If you contacted us at The Model Railroad Resource, LLC, we apologize as we never received a message.  We are all about emails and the internet, so your comments concern us.  We hosted the show in 2017 and 2018, but not years prior.  If the emails were sent prior to 2017, they would have gone to the previous promoter who did not answer.

Bob posted:

I and half a dozen friends from Cincinnati used to regularly attend the Indy show when it was held on the East side (in a Days Inn, I think) and admission was $10.  When the previous promoter moved it to an expensive hotel on the West side, admission went to $25.  I'm sorry, but that is way too much to walk around a train show for a few hours.  My friends and I quit going.  Even the Chicago March Meet costs less ($20 admission) and Indy can't hold a candle to Chicago.

The Cleveland show is a little smaller (although the new location seemed to be over 50% larger than the old) but admission is a very reasonable $6.  With the demise of Indy, I expect the Cleveland show to get larger.

The issue is space. The last show we had vendors on a wait list for tables as we were sold out. Trying to find a good location with 16, 000 sq ft in one or two rooms in expensive. We took over the show to bring the vendors back as well as people to the show. If we ran 400 people the price could go down. That has not happened. I am open to any suggestions people may have. But again, a one day show will NOT bring in the big vendors which is what people expect from a large show. P&D only goes to Cleveland because it fairly close. If you took Pat away and the one gentleman who was selling his Dad's collection this past show would have has issues.

STEINZEIT,

Sorry didn't mean to make it seem like that FOR REAL.

I REALLY LIKE O Scale,yes after 30+ years in HO, the lack of availability in O vs. HO is overwhelming,that's true. But the size is amazing in O.

What bothers me,is what keeps hitting me in the face with not only the seeming lack of interest in O Scale by Atlas which has REALLY taken off in new products since I dropped away from O Scale completely in the late 70s,to the seeming lack of interest by modelers. What's more pressing now for me,is the possible relocation to a smaller house which would eliminate what I want in my layout in O Scale.

Everything is just my opinion.

As Always,

Al Hummel

Is this “Indy show”, the one which has limited hours on Saturdays?

Naveen Rajan

Ther show runs from 9 to 2. Some smaller dealers start packing early. I don't like it but it's the way it is. That's why we were going to switch to Saturday/Sunday format.