York vs Greenberg?

Those are some strange looking eyeglasses.

Richie

Bruce is indeed a first-rate researcher, an inspired train collector, and a good personal friend. We worked well together (at least I sure think so) back when Greenberg Publishing Company was in operation in scenic Sykesville, MD. Good days with good people!

That's probably the best comparison I've ever seen about the 2. No real way to compare the 2.

Jerry

No comparison!

I have to say to the Greenberg's defenders, you do have a point.  not everyone can get to York, and it can be intimidating. 

OTOH, I'd far rather go to a show like the Allentown show than the Greenberg shows in my area, that's SE-PA.  The Greenberg shows around here are toy shows, with very little O-gauge stuff.  I have heard that other Greenberg shows are better, but the few I've attended locally soured me on the idea of going to any more of them.

I attended the Timonium MD show for the first time last year.  While there wasn't much O-gauge, there were some real bargains, so I'll have to give the lack of quantity a pass due to the presence of quality.

I took a shot since I saw you are from NJ and several other forumites have an ongoing good-natured Patriots-Jets feud.  I myself am an Eagles fan for whatever that's worth.

Please join us all for dinner on Thursday night from ~ 6:00 pm til whenever at the Ruby Tuesdays on Kenneth Road.  You'll get to meet a whole bunch of us nutcases!

--Greg

I have attended the Northern Virginia and Edison Greenberg shows- found a lot of items for my layout at both. I'm happy attending them

Greg is right, the Thursday night gathering is a "must do" on my schedule.

I go to both shows, and always have fun.

But York is the best.

The York Train meets are the crown jewels of all train meets.  I have not attended any train meets outside of the Mid-Atlantic region but I would be very surprised if there is anything out there which comes close to measuring up to the York meets.   Greenberg's has slipped a lot in the last 10 years or so but I still attend them from time to time in New Jersey and even in Delaware on the outside chance I may find the bargain of a lifetime.  If you are on the hunt for something you gotta get out there and look.  After all, you can't hit the ball unless you swing the bat.

Some of the replies are priceless, some are over the top, a few are even true.  

I like Greenberg shows, attended quite a few of them, but not too many recently, yet I still get up to York whenever I can.  Only missed a couple since 2002.  

While I don't buy too much these days as we have more trains than I know what to do with already.  I go for the 'York experience'!  We make a mini-vacation out of the trip. 

We also Bill.

Whew!  Now there's a blast from the past!!  The Phillies thought Gamble was going to be Mantle while he was in the minor leagues.

_____________________________

Let's not be too hard on the Greenburg Shows.  They were the first train show I ever went to at the old Philadelphia Civic Center back when it was just about all trains.  I have many fond memories from those shows and still am a patron of some vendors from that time.

HI All

O.K. you win I have to go to York and see this event. We have a young son and I told my wife that I want to go to York event in a few year he gets older. You can image the reply I got back. And yes the eyes round to the back of her head. An advise would be greatly appreciated about the event, not the wife.

Same for me.

OK, here is a fair comparison: When the January Greenberg show is held at the York fairgrounds, it does not quite fill the Orange Hall. The Eastern Div TCA meet fills 7 halls.

I was trying to think of a guy with decent talent who played CF for the Yanks.   Oscar Gamble came to mine, I liked him...good major league career.  LOVED the hair!

The ED York Show is by far, the largest show and most interesting meet, but Allentown, Greenberg's and online seem to offer the better buys. The selection at York though can't be beat.

If you go to York for the camaraderie, the experience, that's the best reason to go. Unless you live close and can commute, you must figure in at least $500 for transportation, fuel, lodging, membership/admission and food.

 Don't get me wrong, York is still a quality (members only) event to attend, run by the nicest folks around, but I simply suggest factoring in those costs into your reason for attending.

That card brought back memories. I had it when I was a kid and always laughed because it looked like he was wearing ear muffs.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated about the event, not the wife.

Make a list of must haves and nice to haves.  Impulse buying is OK, but you can seriously be overwhelmed by what you see.  So have some goals in mind.

Bring a paper and pencil to write down items, vendors, prices, buildings and aisle #'s so when you want to go back and buy an item, you know exactly were you were.

Know your prices of these items prior to going... All the vendors will have different prices on the same item.  Some are good, some are great, some are poor.  From my experience none of the prices on the boxes are correct.  So haggle. Especially Friday afternoon and Saturday.

Lots of debate on "buy it when you see it" or "Shop around".  This is where knowing your prices comes in handy.  Typically if you see an item (one on the table), it will most likely be gone when you return unless it is a newer or common item.  Especially if it is well priced.  So if this is your, "I gotta have it" item, better buy it the first time around.  If it's a "nice to have" item and they are more common, shop around for your best deal.

From my experience when I go to shows and buy things for myself and/or my kids, I always buy something (non train related) for my wife.  She is surprised and happy... A happy wife is a happy life.

Have fun!

Ron

I live in California, and am planning my first trip to York. I know some of you guys are close enough to go to both York shows. If you had to travel 3,000 miles, would you do the all scales show or the large scale on your first trip? Thanks!

I'm not sure what "large scale show" you are talking about. I seem to remember attending one large scale show in York about 8 years ago, and it seemed to consist of newer stuff carried by any large train store. Large scale scenics were at a minimum, which was why I was there. Perhaps others can be of more help.

1. Greenberg
2. • York

There is a Large Scale train show held in York twice a year.  It's usually a couple weeks before the TCA York show.  The Spring show is all large scale and is only in one of the buildings.  The Fall show is all scale and not worth attending.

It has been said that if Greenberg is a show, York is an EXPERIENCE

Greenberg (or any regional) Shows:

York:

York IS the 1927 Yankees.  Nothing else is even close.

Steven J. Serenska

quote:

There is a Large Scale train show held in York twice a year.  It's usually a couple weeks before the TCA York show.  The Spring show is all large scale and is only in one of the buildings.  The Fall show is all scale and not worth attending.

Am I correct in assuming that these shows have nothing to do with the TCA or the Eastern Division of the TCA, and are a fraction of the size in both table holders and attendees?

Yes you are correct.  The East Coast Train Show is one of the premier model railroading conventions in the eastern United States. The first ECTS was held in 1997 in Atlantic City, NJ.  Originally called the East Coast Large Scale Train Show, the convention was developed to reach the untapped Large Scale model railroad hobbyist market east of the Mississippi.  (Large scale trains are 1/29th scale trains.  These trains are about twice the size of O gauge trains or another description that seems to work is "about the size of the old standard gauge electric trains.)   Over time, the show grew in popularity, attracting hobbyists from England, Ireland, Australia, and Canada, as well as many hobbyists from west of the Mississippi, as well.  After initially starting in Atlantic City, NJ, the ECTS moved to Somerset, NJ, and then to York, PA in 2001, where it has been ever since.  n 2015, the ECTS will again divide its focus between its spring and fall shows. The spring show, to be held March 27 & 28, 2015,  will be focused solely on large-scale model trains, as it has since its inception, and retain the ECLSTS (East Coast Large Scale Train Show) name. The fall show, to be held September 25 & 26, 2015, will be opened to all gauges and be called the ECASTS (East Coast ALL Scales Train Show).

So you are saying they rival each other?

So.... what are the numbers for these ECTS shows? How many attendees, table holders, tables?

York is to Greenberg as pâté de foie gras is to Twinkies.

I'm not sure the numbers.  I went to one of the spring shows and they filled up the Blue and Silver Halls.  I went to the Fall show a couple years ago and it was advertized as an all scale show and it was sparsely attended.  This was the first year they changed the show to all scale.

...Bring a paper and pencil to write down items, vendors, prices, buildings and aisle #'s so when you want to go back and buy an item, you know exactly were you were....

 

It should read "...when you go back to buy it, you'll know where it WAS..."

 

If you see something that you want at a price you think is fair, buy it.  If you wait, it probably won't be there when you go back.

I believe I said that too Mallard4468 if you kept reading my post...

"Typically if you see an item (one on the table), it will most likely be gone when you return unless it is a newer or common item".

Ron

Greg,

You opened a can of worms with the Jets Patriots comment! Wonder what the Pats were thinking after they lost to the Jets up in Foxboro when Sanchez took the team past the Pats to his second AFC championship game as a 2nd year Qb?

Keep the Jets Patriots out of the show comparison.

I thought Ted was going to say it's like Kraft vs Nabisco! 

quote:

I'm not sure the numbers.  I went to one of the spring shows and they filled up the Blue and Silver Halls.  I went to the Fall show a couple years ago and it was advertized as an all scale show and it was sparsely attended.  This was the first year they changed the show to all scale.

I guess the numbers really do not matter. They sound like specialized shows that appeal to a relatively narrow group. If they get people traveling long distances to attend (such as overseas), then it must be worthwhile to that group.

The way I sum it up:  

- YORK

- Allentown

-

-

- greenberg.

Jack