York - Visit ORANGE Hall only or all Halls?

When I can go, I make sure I visit every hall, to try to see everything. I get there around 9 on Friday, walk until about 1/2 an hour before the OGR Grandstand meet, at which point I grab lunch and eat it during the meet. After that, I usually have about one more hall, which I will check out, then go back to see everything I want to see again. After 5, I go into orange for a second (sometimes first) walkthrough and parts run. I am usually on the road by 6-6:30, after the traffic has died down.

If you have the time you really should check out all the Halls.  If you are just into TMCC, Legacy, & DCS, and other modern stuff than the Orange Hall should be your first stop.  There is plenty of modern in all the Halls but probably Standard, Post War, MPC, & Flyer make up the bulk of the member Halls.  I don't think you get the full York experience if you don't see the other halls.

Paul Edgar

I've picked up some great items from the Member's halls, White Hall especially if I remember right.  Happy Hunting.

Thursday: Orange, Brown, Purple, Black, Silver, Blue........and circle back around to Orange.

Friday: Orange, Brown, Purple, Black, Red, White........and circle back to Orange.

I can' t wait!

Peter

Sadly, my time at York is very limited these days... and I typically am only able to drive in for Thursday... then drive back home Thursday evening.  That being the case, I'm strictly an Orange/Purple/Brown hall guy nowadays.  But when I did make it a multi-day trip up until several years ago, I always enjoyed a casual stroll through "member halls" as well.

David

Got to hit 'em all!

Why would you go and not experience the entire show? That would be like going to Disney World, walking up and down Mainstreet USA then leaving!

Visit them all - hall by hall!

I will miss this one BUT, I like to start farthest from orange and then work my way towards it.

Don't tell all these modern operators that go back and forth between the purple & orange hall's to check out all the halls..The other halls will get too crowded. I won't be able to get thru all the halls 5 times like I usually do.

While the Orange Hall is always my first stop I have found visiting the other halls can be beneficial as well. I'm into the newer trains but I have found hidden gems in the member halls.

OH by all means get a good pair of shoes and get to them all.  Take the 3 days.  After York my a--  is dragging but I am in heaven LOL

I usually start in the Red and White Halls and then head to Orange, Brown, Purple, Black, Silver and Blue in that order.  I visit every hall at least once each day, and the dealer halls usually get second visits.  Starting in the member halls usually lets me find a few bargains that would be gone later in the day, and it allows time for some of the catalog lines in the Orange hall to get shorter.

Andy

Last April I rented a power scooter as I could no longer stand for long or do all of the walking I had done in the past. I was able to visit several Halls and came away from the day without any back pain.

I will be renting the scooter again in October on doctors orders after my back surgery for Thursday where I will be at York all day long. On Friday my wife will join me for a few hours where she can visit the Orange Hall and possibly others.

I like your strategy Andy about visiting the member halls first to snap up the good deals and then visiting the Orange Hall after the initial long lines at the vendor booths and manufacturer booths falls off a bit.

I've never waited in a line at York for a catalog, and never will.  You can't afford to wait in a line.. you might miss a bargain!

This also true of buying York meet special boxcars, show specials etc. and not just catalogs.

The last time I went to the Orange Hall first, I couldn't get anywhere near the manufacturer displays, and I even had a hard time passing them by as the aisles were filled with people.  After an hour or so, the crowd seems to move on to the rest of the meet and make it much easier to move around.  there can still be short lines at the MTH booth, but at this point it moves pretty quickly.

Andy

That's exactly what happens in the Orange Hall Andy. I'm going to take your advise myself and visit the other member halls first and than visit the Orange Hall after an hour or so when the traffic is lighter.

 This past April I made the entire meet for the first time. It was GREAT! I didn't miss any of the halls. And I left Saturday a very happy man! 

 I will be there on Friday and make as many of the halls as possible(still debating taking Thursday off, have commitments on Saturday).

 For me, every hall is worth visiting. Hidden treasure's abound! But, I am going there with a list and plan this time(this will be my third meet).

 It's about the relaxation! What ever hall(s) you visit, enjoy!

Henry J

Unless I am there for 1/2 day like Thursday, I usually hit every hall.

If you stop and look at every piece on the tables, you will need all three day and maybe more. If you narrow your search, like post war, or tinplate, or legacy, you can do most of the halls in a day. For a one day trip, concentrate on one area of trains, and maybe a few short sidetrips.

When I was able to enjoy all the sights and sounds of York Orange and Purple were my first stops. It seemed the best deals were in the first few hours and my wallet emptied quickly. The other halls although quite a bit tighter were at a more leisurely pace. Still plenty to be uncovered eberywhere.

Since a catalog at a nearby Orange Hall dealer only costs a dollar, I refuse to wait in line to get one free.

I think a lot of the people that want to be in line just want to be among the first to see what's in the new catalog.

I know that the first place I am heading when I get into the Orange Hall is Rich Battista's booth (Toy Trains on Tracks) just across the aisle from Bachmann and RMT to get the third in his Black Diamond Railway DVD series.

Andy

For the irregular or first time York visitor.

The Orange and Purple Halls are primarily for new equipment. Manufacturers displays are primarily in the Orange Hall.

The Red, Blue and Silver Halls are where you want to go to find postwar, MPC, and the odd old items. Some more modern and current day Lionel and MTH trans also show up.

The White Hall is the members (non commercial) hall where just about anything can be offered for sale.

The Black Hall is where you will find the modular RR display.

The small Brown Hall always seems to have newer but odd stuff.

Put on your walking shoes.

I think that a better description is that these halls are for professional dealers.  You can find a lot of Prewar, Postwar and other older stuff in these halls, but just usually nowhere near the amount that you will find in the member halls.  And conversely, you can find pre-owned "new" equipment (some of it may have never actually been used) in the member halls, so people should not discount any hall as not having what they are looking for.  I have been buying a lot of older Atlas Master Line at York in the member halls for really good prices. 

Andy

Orange Hall is usually last. Rarely consider it until the meeting in the Stanz commences. That's when seller panic sets in & the pencils begin to be sharpened.

For me it would be a waste of time going to York for 3 day's and just going back & forth between the purple & orange halls. There is a **** of a lot more to this meet than just those 2 halls.

I agree,  I really need the 3 days to look.  I have found great finds in ALL the halls at one time or another.  I am getting the shackes now just thinking of York LOL

Haven't been to York since 2000.  Which Hall(s) would I most likely find Tinplate?

Just about all of the halls will have tinplate.  Depends on whether you're looking for-- original tinplate or reproductions.  Even then, you'll find some of each in just about every hall on the fairgrounds.  I buy repro O gauge tinplate and find most, but not all, of what I'm looking for in the Orange hall.

Yeh all halls have some but I think the RED hall has the most old tinplate.  Hope this helps.

Problem with red is it is small and cramped.  Blue and Silver are jammed full of old tinplate and the aisles are wide enough to move without tripping over people.  Plus Blue and Silver are probably 2-3x the size of red.

So you pass up the red hall because it is crowded & cramped?

This whole thread doesn't make sense to me.  Since we all travel from all points to get to the York Meet why wouldn't you want to go through all the halls and see as much a possible?

I go through all the halls as many times as I can and I find treasures everywhere.