Toronto Lakeshore show was terrible

[Anonymous]

That has to be the worst show of the year.
Wheres the people, and no food area?
I am never going back.

A lot of overpriced old items, their was som bargains but wrong era.

Hopefully Woodstocl will be good.

[ereimer]

i had to miss the show . my understanding is that it's more like a flea market than what i'd think of as a 'show' , a show being something where there are operating layouts , vendors with a bigger display than an 8 foot long table , and maybe even some manufacturers (although seeing any large manufacturer at a show in canada would be something to celebrate)
so yes , you're going to get a lot of older items , and finding anything specific that you're looking for is a matter of luck . hopefully you'll find a show that's more to your taste . i can recommend the Christmas show , which i think is in october

[PennsyHoosier]

Sorry to hear this. I almost extended a business trip to go to this. Glad I didn't.

[tatans]

Again and again we keep hearing on this forum the decline of train shows, a few I've attended are nothing but poorly run flea markets with vendors flogging 30 year old junk, and very few good train displays. I do feel sorry for the legitimate dealers and vendors who are trying to make a living. I don't know what it will take to bring back some of the high quality train shows of the past. Is this the start of a trend??? I hope not.

[ereimer]

i just checked the listing for this show on CARM's website (http://www.caorm.org/Pages/shows.html and it is a flea market , and i think always has been

QUOTE: Lakeshore Model Railroaders Assoc., Model railroad flea market, Humber College, North Campus, Entrance D, 205 Humber College Blvd.

the decline of train shows is certainly a trend in canada , at least the larger shows . the Christmas show was smaller last year than it has been in the past , and the spring show which used to be huge has vanished due to lack of attendance

[steamage]

The last train show I attended had over priced stuff that was mostly junk. I think dealers spin off their good train stuff on Ebay and figure the general public will pay a high price at shows for junk, just to bring home something. But the layout displays were good.

[jrbernier]

Train shows seem to be a 'region' thing. In my area, there are excellent Train Shows(Trainfest, Mad City, & GB). In the Mpls/St Paul area, there really has been no train shows for years(WGH just had one this year). There used to be several Mall Shows, but they ended when the Malls decided that kiosks(revenue) were more important. The Twin Ciies now has 9 flea market events, put on by 3 different groups, over the Nov to May time frame. One of the groups tried a combination train show/flea market on a Sunday only this year, but the venue was poorly lit, and it was held the day after another group had their flea market!
Out-state areas still have very good train shows(some in malls), but most are quite small. I think one has to be aware if an event is a train show or a flea market, and make their decisions based on what the event really is.
I have noticed that number of tables 'sold' seems to be dropping at many of the flea makets. At one time you had to be on the 'list' to make sure you could get a table, but last week there were lots of empty tables at the flea market I attended. I have one more flea market in 2 weeks and I suspect that that one is not 'sold out' as well.

Jim

[Anonymous]

At least you had a show, for what it was worth! Up north in Sudbury Ontario we had a "show" in the fall. Two small layouts, 2 modelrailroad vendors, 4 model plane and car vendors! When I asked at the LHS how come show was so small, he laughed and said because he was only Train store within 100 miles!
I am origanally from Boston, Ma. and am used to the Greenburg show.
What a disapointment.
The LHS I mentioned feels justified in selling atlas switches for $26.00 and
loco`s start at $65.00+