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Train Shows starting up again including GSMTS

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Posted by Mark B on Saturday, April 17, 2021 4:30 PM

I attended the Titletown Train Show today. It appeared to be well run, everyone was masked, and people were buying. It had the usual vendors and layouts with a couple of newer sellers. Walked the entire show twice in about 3 hours and picked up a few items as well. It was just good to get out and see old friends. Lots of bargains in HO used railroad cars. I'm in On30 and the only vendor selling On30 was priced a bit high for my taste. All things considered it was a good show.

Mark B.

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Posted by mlehman on Thursday, April 15, 2021 12:57 PM

There's still good reason to pay attention to disclaimers about cancellations, etc. Shows are governed by the local health regs and rules in effect at their location, not on people's perceptions that things are again "safe." These can change on short notice, so I'd anticipate the need to be flexible about whether an advertized show will happen for some time to come.

Mike Lehman

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 1:26 PM

It's gone now.  Must be they were making plans and MD stepped in and put the kibosh on it.  The dates I posted in an earlier message was from that same page only a day or two ago.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 10:16 AM

riogrande5761
Obviously it has changed since I checked it last.

Dang it!

If there really is a big show in May, I would like to attempt a trip.

-Kevin

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 10:03 AM

Obviously it has changed since I checked it last.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 9:57 AM

When I click on the "DATES" for the Timonium show, I get this message that all shows are cancelled.

What am I missing?

-Kevin

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Posted by josephbw on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 8:00 AM

Our club had a meeting this last Sunday. It was decided that we would hold our first operating session since the china crud started, next month. It was also decided that we would hold our flea market next March as we have for almost 40 years.

This is the Darke Co. Model RR Club in Greenville, Ohio

Joe

 

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 7:59 AM

PC101
Wow, twenty seven days until a much better show, maybe, maybe not.

I'd ''Grrr'' also if I went to that last show, then went home only to find a better one may be coming up real soon. 

I'd like to hear of someone that found some really neat old or new items at the ''Hotel Show''.

reogrande5761, did you observe attendees spending money, carrying shopping bags around? 

Yeah, that was real annoying to see they are back to the Fair Grounds about a month later assuming that info on their website is correct.  I'd much rather waited and gone in May and my wife may not be so happy to go again only a month later.  I may just forget May and wait until Oct at this point.  As the British would say, I felt like this was a Micky take.

I didn't really pay attention to other attendees and what they were buying but I assume there were buyers.

There was a lot of older trains, buildings and other products at the show so likely there were some "finds" for people who were searching through them.  There were a few tables with newer items, but as you may be aware, the past year has seen a huge amount of online buying so I wonder how many had, like me, already purchased many of the newer models online that were also at the show?

I'd be interested too if anyone one else on this forum went and what their experience was. 

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 10:06 PM

riogrande5761

Edit:

I just checked the GSMTS/Timonium website and they are showing shows now scheduled for:

May 8 & 9, 2021

sitHad I known that, would have not gone to the April 10/11 show, and waited for the May dates which appear to be scheduled for the Timonium Cow Palace.  Grrr.

 

Wow, twenty seven days until a much better show, maybe, maybe not.

I'd ''Grrr'' also if I went to that last show, then went home only to find a better one may be coming up real soon. 

I'd like to hear of someone that found some really neat old or new items at the ''Hotel Show''.

reogrande5761, did you observe attendees spending money, carrying shopping bags around?

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Posted by mlehman on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 1:27 PM

I managed to schedule the Lincoln Square Train Show in Urbana, Illinois for March 26-27, 2022  after checking in with mall management yesterday. While this is a preliminary date  and nearly a year away, we're hopeful that things will have improved enough by  then to conduct the show pretty much as before. Barring a big setback in vaccinations, there will be a show in 2022.

Mike Lehman

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 11:34 AM

I may have forgotten to qualify that the April 10/11 GSMTS (usually referred to as Timonium), and probably many shows, are still impacted by the pandemic and therefore are not what we are used to. 

I drove the distance to this show partly because it has been over a year since my last show visit.  This GSMTS was not typical and a much smaller than usual.  Typically I would not drive that far for a show of this lower magnitude but I made an exception. 

I would only go back again when it returns to it's former large scale format; otherwise it would not be worth it as far away as it is.  There are smaller shows I can go to that are much closer such as the Greenberg show.  According to their website, they will be returning to in-person shows this July but no locations are shown scheduled yet so no idea when my "local" Greenberg show will be.

Edit:

I just checked the GSMTS/Timonium website and they are showing shows now scheduled for:

May 8 & 9, 2021

sitHad I known that, would have not gone to the April 10/11 show, and waited for the May dates which appear to be scheduled for the Timonium Cow Palace.  Grrr.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by Lakeshore Sub on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 10:37 AM

I've just seen commercials on local television for the Titletown Trainshow in Green Bay this coming weekend, April 17,18. 

 Different venue due to changes in the Arena and Shopko Hall to downtown at the KI center.  They are not listing vendors or exibitors for the current year on the website so it may be interesting to see what is going to be there but I'm sure it will be packed because of the pent up energy to get back to normal.  

Not sure if we will go or not but we have had our covid shots.  Will report on what we saw if we go.

 

Scott Sonntag

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 6:49 AM

PC101
Well how did it go? Hope you had a good time and found it interesting. 

Here you go.  This spring the GSMTS show that is usually held at Timonium MD was held at the Marriott Hotel a few exits down 83 from the usual fairgrounds building.  This show scheduled two 3 1/2 hour sessions each day on Sat and Sun to limit the number of show goers to make it "safer".  My wife and I went to the Saturday morning 9-12:30 session and it looked pretty well attended - fairly crowded.  There was a long line queued up prior to the 9am opening.  The line went quickly because everyone pre-bought tickets and all they had to do was scan phones or paper copies.

Inside there were quite a few vendors but all in all, to me anyway, not terribly exciting and 3 1/2 hours plenty of time to check over all the tables and pick though boxes if needed to read lots of labels.

There were no layouts, only vendors, which is how the show was advertised. Everything was spread out into 3 rooms (1 on the main level and 2 a level below) and some wide hallways. Probably 2/3rds of the vendors were selling older models and some long tables with Lionel etc. There were few tables with newer items such as ExactRail, Tangent, Moloco, Intermountain and Rapido etc.  There was also a fair amount of N scale but not much in the way of Trainworx, mostly Atlas and Microtrains.  I've seen a much better selection of N at the last World Greatest Hobby show a year ago in Chantilly VA.

My wife and I browsed all the tables twice over and by then I hadn't found anything I felt like spending money on. I probably could have bought a few things but my monthly budget was already way overspent before I went to the show so I was reluctant to spend unless I found a few items I was really hard time finding. I left empty handed after 1 1/2 hours. 

BTW, the show was advertised as COVID safe with social distancing. masks required etc.  But in hind sight, efforts by JSGEARE, who put on the show, were insufficient in my opinion. They did have signs to funnel people through one-way through rooms but they were often confusing andor ignored by some.  I didn't see much hand sanitizer stationed around the event either.  People were crowding around tables like always - social distancing was largly ignored by many. If I wasn't fully vaccinated, would have felt it at risk.

All in all, like many, I wanted to get out and see what I could find and the show was roughly what I expected.  It was a much smaller show than what would normally be held in the spring at the Timonium Fairgrounds and the selection of stuff was akin to smaller shows.  Yes, given we were in a pandemic, that was probably the best that could be done.

In conclusion, considering I had to drive over 2 hours each way, I wouldn't go back to another one of these - not worth it at that distance and for what it was. This "stand-in" Timonium show was roughly similar to the Greenberg show I go to which are much closer to where I live. Hopefully Timonium will be back in the large fairground building with layouts next fall and I would plan to return given it's back to it's former venue size.

JSGEARE was encouraging customers to purchase tickets for more than one session or come back on Sunday and get half price admission to the next show.  But at $12 admission per session for a substandard show, I don't feel many would pay to go back.  Most shows charge one fee for a weekend but per session?  As I mentioned earlier, you could browse all the tables 3 or 4 times over in the 3 1/2 hour sessions you got admission for.  I looked over all the tables twice in less than 1 1/2 hours, but granted I wasn't reading a lot of labels and was browsing particular brands or models.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Monday, April 12, 2021 11:39 PM

riogrande5761
 
PC101
 

riogrande5761, Just wondering, did you get tickets for more then one four hour session?

 

 

 
No.  My wife and I are only going to one session.
 

Well how did it go? Hope you had a good time and found it interesting. 

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, March 26, 2021 11:28 AM

ah.  True, but since I live over 2 hours drive away, it wouldn't really be free for me -it would either require a hotel or another 4 hours of driving and associated fuel, which is going up steeply in price lately.  (but glad I am getting 56 mpg in the current weather with the Prius).  But still, not "free" for me to go back, just cheaper.

If it were a half hour, I might go back. I think I've done that once or twice for the Chantilly Greenberg show.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, March 26, 2021 11:25 AM

riogrande5761
 
PC101
''We are going back tomorrow, right?''

 

 

Where?

 

It's just an expression saying. We had such a good time the first day of a show, our eyes and feet hurt, but we want to go back again the next day and do it all over again. Just in case I missed something the day before. In the case of the Timonium show, if you paided to get in Saturday, you can get in free Sunday. 

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, March 26, 2021 10:29 AM

PC101
''We are going back tomorrow, right?''

 

Where?

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, March 26, 2021 9:43 AM

maxman
 
PC101
Yes always a quick first pass though the venders to snatch and grab then a second go around to slowly look at it all and buy more stuff.

 

 Just part of the game.

 

 

It is a totally fun game. The only ill results I have sometimes, is eye strain at the end of the day.

''We are going back tomorrow, right?''Big Smile

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Posted by maxman on Friday, March 26, 2021 9:18 AM

PC101
Yes always a quick first pass though the venders to snatch and grab then a second go around to slowly look at it all and buy more stuff.

My procedure was somewhat the same.  Except that I would make the quick pass to see if someone had what might be on my list, note the price, and then continue on to see if the item was available somewhere else at a better price.  If second price was better, I'd stop to buy.  If first price was better, I'd try to find that table again.  Some times that worked, sometimes it didn't.  Just part of the game.

I also started at the far end of the hall and worked toward front.  Less crowded that way.

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Posted by nealknows on Friday, March 26, 2021 8:49 AM

Please let us know your thoughts on how the show was - more inmportant on how 'safe' you felt walking around.

Thanks!

Neal

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, March 26, 2021 6:31 AM

I can't remember that happening in memory but it probably has as I've been going to train shows since the mid-late  80's.  That would suck!

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Thursday, March 25, 2021 10:34 PM

Yes always a quick first pass though the venders to snatch and grab then a second go around to slowly look at it all and buy more stuff.

I should add I walk though the show all day, ''but Dear it's good exercise'', up and down the same isles 4, 5 maybe 6 times. Listening to the venders. I like to close up the Shows. 

One of the worst thing to experience at a train show is...  the person in front of you picks up something you want and holds on to it while he heehaws around, you say to your self ''put it down, put it down'', then he buys it.Sad Missed that one by two seconds.    

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 25, 2021 10:36 AM

PC101

 

 
riogrande5761
 
PC101
 

riogrande5761, Just wondering, did you get tickets for more then one four hour session?

 

 

 
No.  My wife and I are only going to one session. 

 

riogrande5761, I just read the list of venders and saw the floor plan. It should be covered fairly well in one four hour session. Have fun. 

Even when the GSMTS is in the Timonium Fair Grounds I can make a first pass on all the tables fairly quickly.  That way I have a quick survey and then can go back to tables I want to check again.  My wife keeps me on the path to make sure we cover it all in one pass first.  Big Smile

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by PC101 on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 11:45 PM

riogrande5761
 
PC101
 

riogrande5761, Just wondering, did you get tickets for more then one four hour session?

 

 

 
No.  My wife and I are only going to one session.
 

riogrande5761, I just read the list of venders and saw the floor plan. It should be covered fairly well in one four hour session. Have fun.

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, March 22, 2021 9:53 AM

PC101
 

riogrande5761, Just wondering, did you get tickets for more then one four hour session?

 
No.  My wife and I are only going to one session.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by dknelson on Monday, March 22, 2021 9:40 AM

mbinsewi

Trainfest, held in Milwaukee, according to convention and events listings, is listed, but I haven't seen any "official" anouncement.

Wait and see, I guess.

Mike.     

The good news, Mike, is that the emergency hospital that was placed in the Trainfest venue at State Fair Park (at a cost of $15 million) is being removed in a few weeks.  This resolves a big element of uncertainty, but we are still waiting to hear from vendors and exhibitors.  We know what it takes (in the way of ticket sales and sales of space to vendors) to break even or make a small gain with Trainfest, and we also know how little needs to go wrong to lose money with Trainfest, and I mean serious money.  I suspect the vendors have their own sense of what it takes to make it worthwhile to come to Milwaukee for Trainfest.  It is a high wire act to be sure.  I cannot tell you when we'll know for sure but the advertising "buys" have to be locked surprisingly early, so the decision will come sooner rather than later.  And I'll be sure to post the news here.

The idea of a ticket being good for four hours is intriguing but in my opinion you cannot really "do" Trainfest (or the NMRA national show, or I am sure Amherst) in four hours.  Back before I got involved in recruiting volunteers and working at the show office, I would go both days, from opening bell to closing the doors: so, maybe, 15 hours of Trainfest (maybe 90 minutes total lost to eating lunch?) and I still missed stuff every year.  And since I worked the registration desk for 5 or 6 hours on Friday's set-up I knew where everything was, so that was not the problem.

If there is a Trainfest 2021 there will be one big difference: since we are an NMRA Division we abide by NMRA rules and last year the decree came down from HQ -- no activities specifically targeting youth and other vulnerable populations are allowed.  We can't afford the liabilities that made the Boy Scouts and our local Catholic Church archdiocese both declare bankruptcy.  A huge part of the Trainfest floor plan was stuff totally aimed at young, often the very young; Legos, the coloring books, the  bouncy house.  The make-and-take and train ride were aimed at kids but would not have to be.  There is still plenty for kids to see and do - they just cannot be the target.  Sad but I sure do understand the reasoning, and as volunteer recruiter and coordinator can also breath a sigh of relief.  I had my qualms about some of my volunteers.  

Dave Nelson  

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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 21, 2021 1:03 PM

Trainfest, held in Milwaukee, according to convention and events listings, is listed, but I haven't seen any "official" anouncement.

Wait and see, I guess.

Mike.

 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Saturday, March 20, 2021 10:48 AM

My club, the Virginia Train Collectors is holding a show May 22- May 23 2021, God willin' and the creek don't rise!

There'll be 80-plus tables (we're hoping for 100) of toy trains and railroadiana for sale.  Admission price is $6 for adults, children under 12 free, and the admission's good for the two days of the show. 

The show will be held at the Westchester Commons Mall in Midlothian VA, Saturday 10 till 4, Sunday 10 till 3. 

Address is 301 Perimeter Drive.  (Between Regal Cinemas and Target)

Plus, there'll be an open house of the River City Three-Railers club next door!

Right now it looks good, but check the VTC website for updates, 'cause in this day and age you never know, do you?

http://www.vatraincollectors.com   Events-Calendar 

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, March 19, 2021 11:04 PM

riogrande5761
 
maxman

But I don't care for the 4 hour limit.  By the time I BS with people I haven't seen for awhile, I can easily eat into an hour or more.  And I like to go through the show more than once.

On the other hand, if the number of vendors is less than what they get at the fairgrounds, maybe 4 hours is more than adequate.

If some of the forum members go to this show, a first hand report would be appreciated. 

 

Yes, conditions aren't ideal but thats been the case for more than a year now.  I did buy tickets and do plan to go.

 

riogrande5761, Just wondering, did you get tickets for more then one four hour session?

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