Pre-October Preconceptions...

I don't imagine this October York will be all that much different than previous York Meets in terms of participation...barring some unforeseen developments in this messed-up world of ours.  The October meet has long been my favorite one, although I won't make it this time around.  Kind of sets the scene for the upcoming holiday season as far as I am concerned, and the drive through the mountains in Pennsylvania is very pretty at that time of the year. 

As a 1st timer I'm not sure what to expect but I don't think I'll be overwhelmed.  Since I'm attending all three days I should see everything so I'll just enjoy the whole experience one isle at a time and maybe score something unexpected.

Going to let this meet pass.  The National TCA did us all a favor when it recommended to the membership the elimination of the two signature rule. All of us can now join, drop & rejoin at will, as we see fit. To this 'new TCA age' I plan on voting the 'old age' way: with my feet, and my wallet. That includes attending York.

I have no idea how other members are reacting to the current times, competitive (discretionary income) values, hobby trends, their macro hobby involvement, or in what spirit buyers & sellers will actually trade/attend this meet.  If I was really good at that I probably would have flourished at very different businesses than that which I found to be my calling.

You all have a fine time at York. As for myself I hope to see many of you at Trainstock 2014.

I doubt that making it easier to join the TCA (and thus to attend York), will have much of an impact at all on meet attendance, now or into the future.  I imagine attendance will continue to slowly decline as many of us "old timers"--the WWII era and postwar baby boom core group that defines this segment of the hobby--slowly but surely adapt to changes in our own circumstances.  Many of us already have most all the "things" of the hobby we could possibly want, and meets, new catalogs and items, etc. become less of a consideration.  Retirement, downsizing, health issues, the economy, the ease of finding and buying items online, and a good number of other factors also come into play.

Many in my age group who attend York these days do so primarily for the social aspects of the event...meeting with friends from all over the country and the world who we may see only once or twice a year.  That in itself is more than enough reason to attend, even if you return home with a nearly full wallet.

quote:

Many in my age group who attend York these days do so primarily for the social aspects of the event...meeting with friends from all over the country and the world who we may see only once or twice a year.  That in itself is more than enough reason to attend, even if you return home with a nearly full wallet.

I don't attend every York. When I do attend, it seems that the days of spending all the money I brought and then hitting the cash machine seem to be over. The last few times I attended, I went back home with most of the spending money I brought there.
I go for the trip with my friends.

I get a kick out of the guys who make generalizations about a particular York meet, rating it as either successful, lightly attended, great for sellers, great for buyers, etc., etc.

All it takes is one super sale for a seller and he will rave to everyone he meets about how great the whole weekend was. Similarly, a buyer who couldn't find that one item he wanted, or was unsuccessful in bargaining down the price on it, will rate it as poor. The converse of each of these experiences is also likely.

We recently had a thread from a new dealer at York complaining about his experience, and wanting to revamp the whole event! He didn't mention that he was stuck in the brown hall, which traditionally has the lightest traffic. I hope he was able to get out and around to really experience York.

The same is true for those buyers who only visit the orange hall, don't see any "steals", and then complain about high prices at that York.

The meet is too big, the range of buyer interest too wide, and the expectations of sellers too diverse to make any meaningful generalizations about a particular York.

Then there was the guy who bemoaned his York experience based on an overpriced, in his opinion, badly-cooked steak at a local restaurant. Go figure!

I've enjoyed every one I've attended since 1985, particularly the more recent ones thanks to all the new friends from around the country that I've made, and look forward to seeing twice a year.

Jim

My preconceptions for this October's York meet are the same as they are for every Fall meet over the past 5 years:

• That I will see and visit with old friends
• That I will be teleported back in time to when trains were a wonder and a delight
• That I will gain insight and fresh ideas from the products on display
• That I will pick up something (perhaps) unusual or necessary for my layout that I didn't anticipate
• That I will feed off the energy of being with 14,000 or so of my other best friends.

Ultimately, that I will count my numerous blessings.

George

You said it all, JIM. What's the chance's of meeting Mr. Burfle at York?

To me, York is a day off from my real life, a day to relax, look at trains, make a wishlist, maybe buy a few things, and talk trains with people who I share a common interest with.

While I am not making as MANY circuits of ALL the buildings as I used to, I am amazed

that people who traveled, say 4 hours on a plane vs. one hour in a car, would only

visit one hall.  If I missed one hall, my wild imagination would have me wondering if

I'd missed the find of a lifetime. (those finds, have been few and far between in

these later years)  So,  for several years, like Mr. Burfle,  I have not been taking much money, and bringing most home (to pay the food, travel, and motel bills) when they float in.

As for expectations, the hopes for anything NEW, have mostly been dashed lately.

But I go, for trains, to look for trains, and the hope that something NEW will show up,

and for something old I might not have.  With all the social media out there nowadays, including this forum, I am not paying those travel bills for a family reunion. (maybe

that's tunnel vision.....?)

I do all the main halls, silver, blue, red, orange, purple & white maybe 3-4 times.

No preconceptions, no agenda.  I already know I'm going to have a great time seeing friends and making new ones and seeing all the trains.  I no longer make a list of items to look for since I never stuck with it anyway and I always seem to find a boatload to bring home with me.  I usually get through all the Halls during the three day 'York Holiday'!

If for some unexplained reason I do not bring anything home from York, I still have plenty of trains to play with!  I'm looking forward to October's Meet!

Allan,

"...even if you return home with a nearly full wallet."

Care to describe exactly how you do that?  I have been less than successful in similar endeavors!

Last time I was on goal until I saw the LC Tinplate Girls Set on display at Sidetrack Hobbies.  Circled the booth throughout the day, trying to resist, but in the end....

.. and I got the extra car.  Then when the crane car came out... you know the rest!

Hope to see a few of you guys at York.  Maybe if I do a bit more socializing, I can defer some spending.

Ed

Anymore it seems I go to York mainly to get out of the house and away from the wife and pets.  I guess I need a break from them as much as they probably need a break from me.  LOL   Anyway, I don't really have an agenda anymore.  I just like to walk around and check things out.   But, what I do enjoy and what makes it exciting is that you never know what you might find.  Like when you turn down that next aisle and there is something you didn't expect to find.  And then after York I get to head to the casino and test my luck.

Rick 

I think Jim hit the proverbial nail on the head.  For me York is about seeing old friends and making new ones.  Unless I'm all of a sudden shunned for some reason (lol) it will always be a good York for me.

--Greg

Thanks, all of you, for these interesting replies. Would anybody else care to comment, further, on the capitalism side of the event = anticipated sales volumes and discernible trends, for example?

FrankM

Show me the trains!!

Now wait, getting my ......

Economic forecast for this guy is a couple of tank cars, perhaps an engine and going to Fridays with the boyz......SideRod; H. Clarke; Barney; etc. The trend usually is boxcars.........that may also be on the upswing.

       The x factor is the hunt for scrapple funnel cakes. Do they exist at York?

Never under estimate the power of York.  As a first timer, nothing will have prepared you for this, and you will be overwhelmed.  Even if you are there all three days, which is one full day and two half-days, that is not enough to see everything unless you just blow through, in which case you will be missing a lot.  Get ready to have your mind blown and your body exhausted; it's the greatest show on earth.

scrapple funnel cakes

Never heard of them but it does sound like a good business opportunity!