I am working on a project to better understand the US Train Collectors Population.
I am looking for current research statistics and/or reports, and I was wondering if you (or anyone you know of) might have resources for me on this?
Any feedback or direction you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Personal thoughts:
You have to talk both Collectors and Operators, both Tin Plate and Brass, old and very old.
In toy trains
We know the national "Train Collectors Association" has about 30,000 members. New members are being added at about the same rate as older members have died off. Membership has been stable for several years. The attendence at the twice a year, members only, TCA York PA shows remains at 14,000.
It has been said about 3 to 4 times the above number are operators and/or collectors.
Maybe the National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg PA (owned and operated by the Train Collectors Association) could give you more information.
As to the Hobby:
As to the Model/Toy Train Hobby overall -- maybe OGaugeoverlord can give you a "Ballpark Figure" based on subscription level of Classic, Garden, and Model Railroad magazines.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
And welcome toytrainskh to the forum!!!!!!!
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Thank you!
How would you, personally, define a "train collector"? I think if you asked 20 of us, you would get 20 slightly different definitions. Other collecting catagories are easy...you either collect glass telephone pole insulators or you don't. You don't play with them, or run them under the Christmas tree.
Joe has a point. The prewar Lionel collector has very little in common with the HO gauge "rivet counter" other than they both collect trains. Their interests are so far apart one may as well be collecting space ship models and the other horse drawn wagon models.
toytrainskh I am working on a project to better understand the US Train Collectors Population. I am looking for current research statistics and/or reports, and I was wondering if you (or anyone you know of) might have resources for me on this? Any feedback or direction you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
A recent quote by Lewis Polk, owner of Aristo-Craft, in his Aristo-Craft Forum.
Lewis manufactures "G Gauge" trains and estimated the number of people in the model railroad hobby at 300,000 or .01% of the U.S. population. This makes most trains "short run items" and expensive to tool up for. He might be a good source for your project
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