York vs Greenberg?

YORK is the BEST!!!

If a Greenberg show is a high school football game then York is the Super Bowl.  It is orders of magnitude bigger and badder.

I have only been to a couple of Greenberg shows that came into my area. I wouldn't drive an hour to go to one of those shows. My one way trip to York is about six hours. That should tell you something.

If you are looking for display layouts and clinics, I think you would be disappointed in a York meet. The show is all about purchasing and selling trains. And there are social aspects too. Many of us visit with friends we don't otherwise see.

The show fills most of the buildings on the York Fairgrounds. I wouldn't hazard a guess at the number of tableholders, nor the number of attendees.
The tableholders are divided into two groups:
There are dealers, who professionally sell whatever.
There are member table holders, who are not in business, but bring surplus items to sell or trade.

Just my opinion: While folks are welcome to bring their children, other than a play area between two of the bigger halls, there really isn't much of anything for them. (you have to stay with the kids in the play area, it is not a sitting service) When my family accompanied me to York, my wife would drop me off, and take the kids on some of the factory tours in the area, and bring the kids over later in the day when the crowds thinned out. They would go though a few isles with me, and that would be enough for them. These were kids that were accustomed to attending toy, train, antique, and camera shows.

I highly recommend the Harley Factory tour, and a side trip to Gettysburg,

Here is a link to the Eastern Division's web site on the show: York

There is no comparison, none, zilch, Zero. 

Greenberg is Oscar Gamble.  York is Mantle.  

- Mike

York is a meet, not a show.

Great trains, great friends.

The previous football analogy is right on.  I like to think of it as pond hockey versus the NHL.

If you haven't already done so, search for the many posts about York on this Forum - there are all kinds of tips and advice about attending the York meet (including the requirement of TCA membership or being a 1 time guest) to be found there.

It looks like you're not far from York, so review the posts and put it near the top of your train list. You'll be glad you did.

There is absolutely NO comparison!  Greenberg is a yawner, York is, "Rats!  I didn't

bring enough money!!"  York is centered in a historical area, with things for someone

with you, with kids and a car to do, Gettysburg, but also Lancaster with the Amish area

to explore, and a number of other historical sights around, with even Philadelphia with

its history, and a large garden outside of it to visit.  Any road atlas will have sights

highlighted on it in the area.

Greenberg is a joke and York is an experience!  It's really that simple.

Try it, you'll like it.

Richie

Postcard collecting is VERY BIG. The largest postcard show in the US only uses the White Hall once a year.

York is a good place to go to see most of the larger train dealers. The big manufactures show up to display their product.  In the dealer halls and the member hall are full of mostly older toy trains.  You really can’t compare The York meet to any train show.  It’s one of a kind and over the years has mellowed.  Last October the attendance was 12355.  This seems to be the average over the last couple years.  If you have never gone it's worth making the trip at least once.

It's not even worth a reply.

Baseball comparison, York equals the Big Leagues. Greenberg is sand lot ball.

Someone once estimated that if you walk down every aisle in every hall at York, you will walk approximately 4 miles.  I wore a pedometer to York once, and I did about 10 miles on the Thursday of that particular meet.

York is not only the best when it comes to trains, it is also great exercise!

Andy

Greenburg is a headache...York is an anxiety attack

rat

I seem to remember the pedometer story in the Train Collectors Quarterly but I think it was 2.5 miles, building to building every aisle at 2.5 miles...same distance as walking the Las Vegas strip. I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong

wow thanks for all the replies guess I GOTTA go now

I'd go somewhere too if I asked a question like that.  And HIDE!!!   No,  just kidding but if you've never been there you should go just to see.  You would be amazed.

Rick

After I attended my first York meet, I decided that York was it.  It's the only train meet.

I attended my first York meet in the Fall of 2000.  Incredible.

The Greenberg shows are OK, but York is off the charts.

Basically, here's your Greenberg meet.

And here's the York meet.

Any questions? 

George

This is a Greenberg show.

This is York!

There is absolutely no fair comparison possible. ALL train meets (and I do mean ALL) pale in comparison to the York Meet.

I like the Greenberg shows, why is there always so much negativity towards them? It's one thing to say that York is bigger and a way better selection but not everyone can go to York.  Greenbergs is a lot more accessible to everyone and is more family friendly. I've been to both and I like both, I look forward to both in the fall and I take my 8 year old grandson to both of them. If you don't like it fine but don't trash it because you don't just move on and don't comment.

Jerry

The two are not comparable; Greenberg's are "shows"; York is a mega event; kind of like Woodstock was beyond a mere concert and was a cultural event.

I am with Johnny Dollar on Greenberg.  They are fun.  One in Edison is supposed to be fairly large, so it is a very good one to attend.  Personally, if you have the time, go to York.  And Enjoy it!  :-)

Here's a fun factoid....

Ironically, while at York, in the Orange Hall is Bruce Greenberg, the very person whose last name is the one from which those shows were started.  Bruce sold the show side of the company long ago, but the name is/was synonymous with quality toy train events.  Kind of like Bruce - a top notch toy train guy.

To the Original Poster:  go to York.

NFL Super Bowl vs Pop Warner....

..and at York you don't have to worry about getting you ankles whacked with baby strollers  

Gilly

Agreed...

But it also has made every other local show/meet a disappointment.  We (wife & I) once looked forward to several local (100-mile radius) shows in the September-thru-April time frame.  Now?  We'll go about every 4th year...perhaps. 

But we look forward to going to York 2X each year.   It's kick-back time for us.  It's 600 miles away, but worth every mile of the drive.

KD

ok now I am laughing

Greenberg is a nat and York is a Tyronasaurous  Rex. 

But the biggest most important difference of all is that Greengerg does not have

SCRAPPLE !!!!!!!!!

End of discussion.

Ed

quote:

 Neil Young has attended and significantly contributed to both the York Train Show and to Woodstock. 

I'll bite, how has Neil Young contributed to the York train show?

Woodstock had  brown acid,  potentially led to "bad trips."  York has browned Scrapple, potentially leading to bad trips (to the Men's Room).

The two are really not comparable and BOTH have their benefits.

No doubt York is by far the largest with the most to offer.  If you have the opportunity to go, it is highly recommended as you will have a great time.  Dealers, vendors, lectures, user groups and friends you can make for life and everything else good mentioned above.

However the down side...

You must be a TCA member, not open to the public.

Most of the show is during the week with only half a day Saturday.

It's always in York, so if you are local or regional... good on you.  Else be prepared to pay for travel, lodging, food (leaves less for trains).

Other train shows like Greenburg's or others (I happen to like Allentown) are smaller which is not always a bad thing.  I mean how many rows, aisles and buildings in York have the same things... just different prices.  Sometimes the size of York can cause anxiety or confusion unless you go with a goal or a list of things in mind.

The other shows are typically on the weekends, open to the public and can be found all over the country in a town or city near you.

So like a previous poster said, there is no need to bash other shows.  They are just different... and sometimes for good reason.

Either way, you will enjoy York... But continue to support and enjoy your local Train Shows too.

Ron

 I agree. Totally true. Here's a mind-blowing comparison:  IMHO, If you added up all of the tables at a entire season of Greenberg Shows (all of the venues and locations), it still wouldn't match the number of tables of trains at the York TCA Show! It is the grand daddy of them all! Most people cannot do it in one day!!!

Greenberg shows used to be primarily trains, long ago in those halcyon days of the revitalized 'O' gauge market. Yes, they billed themselves as a "Train, Toy and Dollhouse show' but the makeup of dealers was heavily focused on trains, with a good bit of them being 'O', even at the smaller venues. Nowadays, non-train merchandise (i.e. toys and dollhouses) make up a large proportion of the available goods, and a lot of more specialty train items you used to be able to find at them are long gone. Their shows are a lot less relevant to 'O' Gauge than they were in the not-too-distant past.

York on the other hand is roughly 3x the size of the Edison Greenberg show (assuming it occupied the entire exhibit hall, which it doesn't), and is very much all trains, and 'O' Gauge makes up an overwhelming chunk of it (considering that 'O' is a distant third in the overall model railroad market). For the clientele on this particular forum, York is the 'Big Kahuna' of train-buying opportunities. Not so much if you're an HO scaler or are looking for a family event that isn't 100% trains.

---PCJ

No offense to the Greenberg shows but there is no comparison between York and Greenberg. 

As G3750 said,"York is off the charts!" I don't think I can put it any better. I'm just doing a day trip this time but I'll be there all day Friday. Can't wait!

You should definitely try it at least once.

ok greg low blow since I am a jet fan, but I booked a room and I will experience the magic!!! MaYBE I CAN FIND A COORS LIGHT MTH SET!

FIRST LAYOUT but I am pretty proud of it been at it 4 months