It's been a few weeks since York but I want to share one experience I had that illustrates, I believe, the importance of displays in model train retailing and how the visual can be so captivating and helpful when trying to sell product. You see lots of different approaches to displaying product at York....many of them good, some a bit puzzling. There was one table -- I homestly don't remember whether it was a private seller or a dealer -- with a lot of purple boxes stacked high. I stopped right away because I enjoy MTH Premier freight cars and hoped that I would find something interesting there. Well I quickly gave up on this table because as I attempetd to see what each item was, it proved to be more bother than it was worth. All the boxes, every single one, were arranged upside down. As much as I would've like to pick up a new Premier All-Door boxcar or maybe a nice modern day tank car, twisting my neck in unnatural angles in an attempt to read upside down type proved to be a real pain-in-the-you-know-what. Literally.
Then in sharp contrast, in their usual spot in the Orange Hall, was Vince's Trains. Even if you're not looking for any more motive power, you can't help but take a glance at Vince's display as you walk by. Dozens and dozens of steamers and diesels are right there, lined up side by side, in plain view, most displayed right on top of their boxes, all their vivid colors and varied designs calling out to you (and your wallet). How many potential customers have stopped at this display because of the arresting sight of the sheer number of engines neatly aligned? How many sales have resulted in these unexpected stops? It's one of those things you probably can't quantify but your gut tells you the answer anyway.
I can testify firsthand about at least one of these. I walked into their display and made my way past the rows of engines and kept stopping at this one Pennsylvania Railroad E-8 from Weaver. For one thing, I've always admired the impressive length of E units; I own a few sets with the NYC Central Jade green models and the PRR Tuscans from K-Line being a couple of favorites. Despite my love of E units I wasn't looking this time around to pick up any more. But this Weaver model stopped me in my tracks (no RR pun intended). The color! In the somewhat challenging florescent light that exists in the Orange Hall, I couldn't tell whether this Weaver was black or green. To me, it seemed black. Didn't remember ever seeing PRR in that color. I looked and looked. Asked one of the staffers at Vince's, she gave it close inspection. She wasn't sure. I went back and forth. Finally after a couple of episodes of walking away, coming back, walking away, coming back, I couldn't resist any longer and made Vince an offer for the ABA set which, to my gratitutde, he accepted.
Only after he agreed and was writing up the sale did I notice on the box flap that the color was in fact Brunswick Green. Had these engines been boxed and stacked with just their end flaps visible, like so many other displays were, I probably would've never considered them. I own a set of Lionel PRR F-3s in a PRR green. I'm pretty sure they're a "softer" green, not as dark as this. I wasn't exactly looking for any more PRR streamlined diesels. And I'm not that knowledgable about PRR history...I wouldn't have immediately known the difference between "Brunswick Green" and any other green. Had I seen this flap without seeing the actual engine, I would've thought, "PRR streamlined diesel, it's green, I already have that...don't need another one." But this engine was out of the box, in full view, and the color grabbed me and wouldn't let go 'til I handed Vince a few large denomination bills. The result: we were both happy campers.
So to Vince and all the staffers at Vince's Trains who put in all the time and labor to unbox all that stock every York and set up such a wonderful display, I say thank you and nice job. I'm sure it pays off for you big time. It worked on me in October 2012. And it did again this year. I sure was glad I stopped this time around! For the record, here's what the Weaver PRR E unit in Brunswick Green looks like.
- Mike
