October York Meet..."Times be a changing"

Sounds like it could be the hours they were talking about in the poll. It had nothing to do with Thursday opening time so I'm hoping that won't change. Noon is perfect for anyone like me that drives Thursday morning. Any earlier and that either means dangerous groggy driving or an extra overnight stay.

Fairgrounds will be open continuously from noon on Thursday to noon on Saturday. Shop til you drop! 

That's news to me!  I hope Clem will drop me a line to tip me off to what's in the works (I promise to keep it confidential until something official is announced).

 

It definitely was great to see more layouts added to the meet.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of them in action, and I know how much hard work goes into building, transporting, setting up, and dismantling such extensive displays.  Kudos to all involved!

 

I didn't buy much at this meet--still waiting on a number of preordered items to arrive--but I still spent a good deal of $ at the event because something managed to hit my car during one of the windy days early in the week to the tune of $708 damage to my SUV (which reaches the end of its lease in just a few more weeks).  Nevertheless, I had a very enjoyable time meeting-up with old friends and new, so it was well worth both the time and expense.

Because I'm currently putting together a York Meet article for the next issue of the magazine, with just several days to go before that issue gets turned over to my design team.  Any information about times may be "old" by the time the magazine is actually published, but it won't be old to a great many of our readers who do not participate on forums and who just may be enticed to give York a try.

I just wonder if it just about the survey the EDTCA conducted regarding slightly earlier closing times mentioned in this thread.  We have already seen the photo rules change from the survey come to pass.

 

Andy

 

Hey, it's all about me. Who cares about anyone else?

 

Gerry

 

quote:

Hey, it's all about me. Who cares about anyone else?

 

Every post made about changing the hours at York is "all about me", so why call out Nick?

The only folks with an inkling of what the majority wants is the Eastern division, who apparently polled the table holders. But even they didn't poll preregistered non-table holders, nor did they poll Eastern Division members.

gmorlitz, I've had some dealings with Nick (PC9850) and I have to say that he is a VERY, VERY nice young man. You are taking his comments out of context. He said noon is perfect for "anyone like me". That is not a statement from someone who doesn't care about anyone else. If it were all about Nick he would have left off the 'anyone'. 

 

At times I have done the same thing as Nick, drove down on Thursday and got there about noon. I did not have to get up at 5am to be there at 9am like I would have if it were Friday. I also avoid the York rush hour traffic going on Thursday. Nick is correct that it is much more relaxing this way and I had a better day. I didn't feel so tired.

Totally agree. Each person including myself will want the hours to be what is best for their schedule. This doesn't mean that they have no regard for anyone else.

 

But whatever the hours will be I will find some way to work my schedule around it as I am sure everyone else will too.

"I've had some dealings with Nick (PC9850) and I have to say that he is a VERY, VERY nice young man."

 

I second that. I met him briefly at this York meet. And, he has good choice in motels!  LOL!

 

 

Well, I for one, would like to see Thursday's time moved to 10 or 11 am to open.  I always get there early on Thursday anyway.  Maybe they could have an early bird special.  If you get there after 10 am and pay 2 bucks more you can get into the Orange hall early.

 

Rick

 

That may be fine for Nick, but what about the 70 or so people who go to the DCS dinner on Wednesday night, or the hundreds who go to the Bandit meets earlier in the week? For people like Eddie G, this is a week long event. What about the people who just live closer? They would probably like an earlier time, and noon probably isn't perfect.

 

Gerry

 

quote:

That may be fine for Nick, but what about the 70 or so people who go to the DCS dinner on Wednesday night, or the hundreds who go to the Bandit meets earlier in the week? For people like Eddie G, this is a week long event. What about the people who just live closer? They would probably like an earlier time, and noon probably isn't perfect.

 

 

 

70 people at a dinner?

hundreds of people at the bandit meet?

The official show had about 10,000 attendees.

The Eastern Division is large both physically and in number of members.

I am an Eastern Division member, and have between a six and seven hour drive over roads that often have areas of heavy fog, construction and traffic, so its rarely an easy drive. So I have to leave at 5:00 AM to make the noon opening. That means that in October, the first portion of my drive is in the dark.

 

You obviously don't care about people in my situation.

 

There's nothing that says you HAVE to be there when the doors open.  I'd like to see them open a bit earlier as well.

 

quote:

There's nothing that says you HAVE to be there when the doors open.

 

Most collectors and many operators will tell you otherwise.

You can't entertain yourself for a little while?

The way I see it Gerry, by having the noon opening stay the same the only inconvenience posed to those people is simply having to kill some time that morning. However, by making the opening hours earlier, surely way more than 70 people that make the drive Thursday morning and prefer to make the opening bell get put in a far tougher spot. They either have to get up at an absurd hour and risk drowsy driving, or incur the expense of an entire extra overnight stay that otherwise would not be necessary. It's not like lifting the phone or photo ban where there's no ill effects in the end. There's much worse disadvantages in it for a lot more people if the opening gets moved up in favor of those that can't figure out how to kill a few extra hours...

 

Anyway, thank you everyone for the kind comments. People who want the noon opening to change will voice their reasons why and people who want to keep it will also voice their reasons why. There's no reason to get angry about it, it's just a simple matter of putting one's feedback out there in the hopes that it will influence a governing body's decision.

Yes there is - the scarce items and deals that all disappear very soon after opening. I cleaned the show out of a very large number of them by being the early bird. I know for a fact several other people were looking for the same items and had I not made a point of being earlier they would have snatched them up first. That's just the name of the game for the veteran York shoppers.

Besides opening sooner will really mess up the Kosher Hot Dog roast Mike does every meet

I have had tables for several York meets. I travel almost 700 miles and it works out better to stop outside of York and then drive in the next morning and load into the building. An earlier opening would mean a more expensive hotel charge and a later check in causing another hour to hour and a half drive being very tired.I have over 70 trips to York and enjoyed every one of them.I have several friends that keep the same schedule and they have said the same thing about being more rested stoping earlier.FWIW-

To the many long distant visitors, we want to make the most of our time at York.  I admit it might mess up the Hot Dog Fest a little.

Buzz

You need more than the current 22 hours? I admit I'm not looking for many specific items, but I walk the entire show on Thursday, and go back for some re-visits Friday morning before I leave at 11am.

I was thinking the same thing. By about Friday afternoon I have walked the entire show multiple times over and start making the final rounds to say bye to everyone I won't see until next time.

 

And yes, the very large portion of the attendance that travels long distances wants to make the most of the show too! That's why noon opening and that extra couple of hours to get there on time well-rested is great! 

 

Yeah, CW, it really was 70 people at the DCS dinner. I would guess hundreds at the bandit meets and museum. Since you weren't there, how would you know other than by asking?

 

The decision of when to come to York is yours. Maybe you should come out Wednesday morning, try the museum or a bandit meet, and see if you like it.

 

Gerry

The Eastern Div., if they are adjusting times at all, will likely do so based on what they feel works best for the overall participants, not just for the benefit of individuals.  After all, we all have our own preferences and there can not possibly be a "one size fits all" solution or adjustment.

 

My drive to York is five hours (actual driving time, not counting any rest or gas stops).  Last week I drove out on Tuesday so I could attend the Wednesday events at the TCA Museum, and drove home on Sunday morning.  No big deal since that conformed to my overall schedule.

 

In October, and assuming I'm able to attend, I plan to drive out on Thursday morning and be there in time for the noon opening, if it's still at noon.  If it's earlier than noon--say 10 a.m., which is kind of what I have suggested in the past--I'll simply hit the road an hour or so earlier and make the adjustment.  Again, no big deal.

 

It was obvious to me, based on last week's event, that increasingly few are currently in the "gotta be there early for the opening bell" crowd.  Not at all like it was in years past.  And that group continues to become smaller, meet after meet and year after year.  I know because I take the time to explore outside several hall entrances just to gauge the number of people intentionally waiting to get in.

quote:

Yeah, CW, it really was 70 people at the DCS dinner. I would guess hundreds at the bandit meets and museum. Since you weren't there, how would you know other than by asking?

 

I guess I used the wrong punctuation. I wasn't questioning your numbers. The point was that they were small numbers compared to the number of people who attend York.

quote:

It was obvious to me, based on last week's event, that increasingly few are currently in the "gotta be there early for the opening bell" crowd

 

The elimination of the "shotgun start" seems to have an effect.

I still feel the largest challenge is to "table holders" that only have about two hours to enter the halls and set up their items for sale. You have to set up covers,bring items in,unwrap them and display them.Earlier starting time would make it more difficult in my opinion. ED does a great job and YORK is great.

When there was a shotgun start, you could bring in your boxes, but you were not allowed to open/unpack anything. Tableholders then had to leave the hall. Both the tableholders and the shoppers got in at the same time. Tableholders unpacked as the shoppers streamed in.

 

I don't recall the year this was changed.

Open the meet at 9AM on Thursday. Great move. Let's do it.

Understand, CW. Maybe you ought to give Wednesday a try. Particularly if you use DCS. You would find Barry's DCS meeting to be great and the Museum is usually worthwhile. Manufacturers give talks most of Wednesday.

 

Nick, I understand the "urge to be first". Been there, done that and no longer at that stage of train collecting. I too walked all the selling halls on Thursday. It's a lot of fun. Everyone has their objectives, and as Allan says, they are mostly a bit different.

 

I would like to see the halls open at 9 on Thursday, but don't really care all that much because it isn't difficult to find something to do. Maybe the dealer halls ought to open at 9 (for the most part, they set up on Wednesday) and the member halls at noon. Or maybe they shouldn't change the way it is.

 

Truth is, I totally enjoy York and go there more to socialize now than to buy so hall opening just isn't that important to me. I suspect that there are a lot of people who do what I do. And we are at least as likely to be the death of York as declining attendance numbers. A dealer doesn't care if there are 100 people or 10,000 people. A dealer cares about revenue. Members who have selling tables may or may not care about revenue. For them, it might just be a way to spend a couple of days, and the cost is quite low.

 

Gerry

Last week, for the first time in a long time, I was able to spend the full day Wednesday over in Strasburg prior to attending the DCS meeting at York on Wednesday evening.  I had a great time at both locations.  

 

Strasburg is, of course, something of a railroading mecca of the U.S., with the TCA Museum, Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Choo-Choo Barn, and the Strasburg Railroad all being located there.  The TCA even had a convenient shuttle bus running on a 15-minute schedule to take visitors to all those locations.  I spent a bit of time at all those places, and could easily have spent a couple of full days there in order to see everything.

 

And DCS users certainly benefit from that group's gathering, where you can enjoy fine food, spend time with good friends, and have the opportunity to hear from MTH reps and others who are on the leading edge of DCS developments and operations.

This sounds like the best compromise, and then they could close all of the halls at 5:30 on Thursday.  This would still allow member table-holders ample setup time (and they would probably be able to get a quick trip into the dealer halls, as well).

 

Andy

The dealer halls are not filled exclusively with new, current merchandise.

There are plenty of collectables there too.

I have purchased some of my most interesting items there, after waiting with the crowd so I could be one of the first to get to a specific dealer.

Therefore, in my humble opinion, there dealer halls are no different than any other in regard to opening time.

One of the big considerations, not mentioned, is all the time on your feet.  You can easily walk (2) or (3) miles and not see all that is to see.  Take care and plan accordingly.     If you hang around until Dealer closing in the Orange and other halls, 7 hrs. 

Best wishes,

Mike CT. 

Say it isn't so, Allan, I have to be there early for the opening bell. Lol. It's like racing downstairs at Christmas. 

as has been mentioned, each person's preference is personal.  So is mine.

 

Since I hang out at the OGR forum gathering on Thursday evening, I usually don't get back to the hotel until 11:30 or midnight (I stay in Lancaster).  The hotel is nice enough to allow for me to get my room assignment and swipe card, without having access to the room yet, at 11:00 AM before the meet.  This then gets me to the meet around noon.

 

I leave my house around 6:30 or 7:00 AM so it works perfect for selfish me just the way it is!

 

- walt

That's what I find funniest about the whole debate Walt - labeling those that like the noon start as the selfish ones. Since when is it selfish to enjoy an already established and very forgiving rule? Not to mention 90% of the reasons proposed for the change so far basically demand to blow all the travelers' established routines out of the water so that a smaller portion of local attendees don't have to be bored for a few hours. Lol!

We spent decades going in on Friday for the 9am start time...usually leaving 3-4am to get there at the start time. Since the 12pm start time we pressed the "easy" button and go in on Thursday.

 

rat

This is 100% correct.

 

While my personal preference is that the opening times remain as they are, I can understand the feelings of those in the dealer halls who are setup and ready to go Wednesday night.  For the first half of Thursday, those who aren't sole proprietorships are paying people to essentally stand around and do nothing, and for any business, that is never a good thing.

 

No matter what happens, I will adjust to it to the extent that my personal priorities dictate.

 

Andy