Are they good places to buy “low risk” items, e. g. used rolling stock and track? I’ve attended one show and found some vendor's prices competitive on some new items but not all.
Thanks.
Depends on the show.
I have found good prices and great deals on stock...The majority have been very good experiences.
Look for knicks in wheel flanges, mismatched parts, breaks/cracks in shells, repainted items, and re-bluing on the wheels and frames.
As usual buyer beware.
Kurt
If buying engine at trainshow, test it on site. There usually are a number of layouts running that will give you a moment with the engine.
I have not been to a O gauge in years but I recall much reproduction parts that are availible to bring your old units to life at some cost in value. They are useful for those who wish to run equiptment instead of accruing value.
In smaller scales, prepare yourself for mountains of 20+ year old rolling stock. Some of which are useful for weathering practice and perhaps one or two is a find worthy of restoration and running again with updated couplers, metal wheels etc.
The vendors who have stores as well, usually have some pretty good deals on certain items they are trying to move. On those that just travel from show to show with the same items they have had for some time, seem to have premium prices on older items in less than premium quality. At least this has been my experience. Best advice I could give is to know the items you really want, then, know what they are selling for on the internet. If you can score a buy for about that price but not pay shipping (gotta include tax on total for show price), then it is a deal... I also find shows good places to pick up parts for broken or missing items on my pike. Best to make a list of what you are looking for. I have also come across great deals, if I had only brought some extra cash.
dennis
TCA#09-63805
I would classify both "rolling stock and track" as low-risk items since neither have any electronics and both are relatively cheap. Your best defense against getting ripped off is to know the going prices for the items you are buying. Ebay is a good source for going prices. Remember to include the shipping costs in the ebay price.
Earl
My personal experience is 'caveat emptor' rules the day - if a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is... Trains shows are fun for both their immediacy - you like it, you can buy it; and their variety - you can find odd things. I've never found them to be full of bargains. Then again, my experience is based on Chicago's annual O 'scale' show (delightful, odd-ball items, 2 rail only) - and monthly GATS show in Wheaton, IL.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Train shows are nice because you can find stuff you never realized you needed. Mainly, I go to shows to be entertained for a few hours. I also exhibit at shows with our modular layout group.
I live in what may be the "train show capital" of the US, with many shows within a 1 3/4 hours drive in PA, MD, DE, NJ, and, of course, York.
RIGHT ON JOE. I'm with you as the HOT BED on train shows right here in the Mid Atlantic region.
laz57
I too am fortunate to be surrounded by venues, and feel sorry for those cats that are kinda isolated (all the more reason to try and hook up with local TCA/TTOS/LOTS etc). Been going to every sized show from YORK to the local firehall for over 20 years. Never tire of it. Kinda like the hunter/fisherman that likes outdoor shows. I enjoy the friends and acquaintances I've met over the years, and enjoy helping steer novices in the right direction.
Funny, it's when I go simply for the "therapy", not planning on buying anything in particular, I wind up finding something I really like or can use on my layout.
I envy you guys that have train shows/swap meets at a stones throw... here in the upper midwest (UP Michigan/Wisconsin) there are fewer of them, but are very much looked forward to. Unfortunately I just learned that the First Thaw show in Appleton has been cancelled, a very quality show. Last show (First Frost) had lower attendance and sales were low. I suspect the economy is weighing in on shows. I enjoy them to view whatever might be on display/ for sale. Our regional train club, Northeastern Wisconsin O Gaugers, also attends many with our modular layout to add to the atmosphere. Are you folks seeing a drop in train shows generally speaking? There is nothing quite like it - to touch, inspect, and carry on conversations. Can't do that on the computer....
They can end up about as Ebay ... 90% of the items costing retail prices . The pain is you have to pay pretty good bucks right off the top to enter ... gasoline to get there ... and munchies .. etc. Then add that to the prices you pay ... the deals get smaller . Ebay has turned into a 60% retail sales floor and wastes our time having to go through over all the retail and many overblown prices there . Some sellers make me laugh at the prices they try to get ... and don't fall for that phoney " rare " label they put on many items . The good part is you can have hands on inspection instead of looking at a pic .... usually not the same item you're getting .... as on ebay . But Ebay is the place to save bucu dollars from honest sellers... and you'd never have enough time and gasoline to travel around to get the merchandise you can get there . Just wish I had bought 100 times more k-line engines and all manufacturers cars 1-2 years ago there than I did ... still kickin my own rear as the prices have skyrocketed .
kehoesjI envy you guys that have train shows/swap meets at a stones throw... here in the upper midwest (UP Michigan/Wisconsin) there are fewer of them, but are very much looked forward to. Unfortunately I just learned that the First Thaw show in Appleton has been cancelled, a very quality show. Last show (First Frost) had lower attendance and sales were low.
I got the same notice in the mail yesterday. I will miss those shows. I think it was just getting to be too big of a burden on the promoters more than anything. Someone will likely take over. GB TV always showed up with good deals on new Atlas, Lionel, and MTH. Then there is the guys in the far corner who always brings in an assortment of neat MPC classics for decent prices.
I thought the turn out at the last show was pretty good. The vendors who whine the loudest need to be more realistic in their pricing. You aren't going to get what you paid for PS-1 MTH or Lionel Collector Line. You see a lot of that.
We still got the big annual Title town show in Green Bay. Then there's the annual National Guard Armory show and the De Pere show but those two are primarily HO.
I agree with Laz and Joe. The fellowship with trainheads is the biggest kick of all. As long as they aren't serving grits.
I would rather buy stuff at a train show than on ebay. I can see what I am buying and not what somebody wants to post a photo of, also people on ebay don't know what they have about 25% of the time. Shipping is another thing that you must consider with ebay!
Like others have said you can test the engines to see how they work, if it is a post war steam loco that you want to buy run it around the test track a few times in case the armature overheats(bad armature) too soon because it will stop if that happens. I even try to test switches I buy at train shows unless I buy the switch just for parts I need.
Lee F.
phillyreadingrather buy stuff at a train show than on ebay. I can see what I am buying and not what somebody wants to post a photo of, also people on ebay don't know what they have about 25% of the time. Shipping is another thing that you must consider with ebay!
Yea, I bought some Fastrak at a discount price. When shipping was tacked on, it ended up being more than MSRP.
I personnaly prefer going to train shows vs. going to eBay. I will look sometimes for trains, in particular TT scale, as it is very hard to get, and have only seen TT scale stuff at one train show, when I started my TT collection up with a single purchase.
However, it is so easy to get ripped off on eBay, quite a few times in the past year I have gotten something that needed more work than the seller insisted, or was in terrible shape, despite the ad.
Quite a few times I have been surprised with what I have found at train shows, for example a Bachmann HO scale 2-10-4 in top shape for $20.
If it was not for train shows, I never would have gotten into TT scale, and would likely have delayed entry into Standard gauge for around a decade.
Train shows are a great way to meet other people interested in the hobby. I have gone to train shows and did little more than talk with other model railroaders, and since I deal with multiple gauges (N, TT, HO, S, O, G, Std., 8 3/4") I can find somebody to relate to quickly.
Model railroading is not just trains and track, it is also about sharing a collective love of trains with others. Often I find it helpful to just meet with like minded people. (Such as a train show I went to the day after my son was born. The hospital refused to let me see my son (as it had turned away many fathers that day), so my wife told me to go to the show.) I spent most of that show discussing the merits of DCC vs. analog control for HO scale with people that could easily been twice my age or more. I may have been agitated that day, but being around other railroaders is definitely good for the nerves.
So many scales, so many trains, so little time.....
One trick I just learned two Sundays ago: Leave the wife home. I went with my son only. With the wife, we may spend an hour or two, tops, but this time we stayed much longer. With a half-hour till closing, there were so many price drops we bought stuff at half price and got great deals.
One of the things I really like about train shows, even though I see it less and less, is the "junk boxes" under the tables. Used to love digging through those and coming up with a handful of treasures.
One of those train-show junk boxes is where I found my 1950 773 Hudson a few weeks ago, dirty but with only a few superficial repairs needed. I had to pay the full retail price however--$50.
Bob Nelson
We have an annual swap meet here, in the past sponsored by the local LCCA chapter, but now sponsored by the TCA. This particular meet use to be twice a year, but it has since scaled back to only one in November.
In any case, my general observation has been that you have two sorts of people: The dealers and serious collectors, who tend to have nice pieces at fair to high prices. You then have the guys with too much stuff who are just trying to clean up their basement or train room. They tend to have average to below average quality stuff, but usually with good and very flexible prices.
Just for example, I'm always in need of UCS operating tracks. At the last show, there was a guy selling them in bulk for $3 each, with controllers(bad wiring) for another dollar. With a little bit of haggling, I walked away with a half dozen for $20-not too bad considering that you'd easily pay that for one in similar condition on Ebay, shipping included, or nearly twice that for a brand new one. A few years before, I bought a pair of milk cars-a 3462 and 3472-for $12 total from the same guy.
Another time, a guy was selling postwar junkers for $4 a pound. I picked up a rough 2020 for $30, which, with a few dollars in parts, became a very nice runner.
Even the collectors and dealers occasionally have deals, too. A year or two ago, I grabbed a really nice ZW for $150-what a similar one would have sold for on Ebay, but without the associated cost of shipping.
Be patient, and you'll certainly pick up some deals at train shows.
I only got into the hobby because of my young son's obsession. Our first visits to the local train shows (there are three per year in our town) we did not know what we were looking at, and the resulting purchases were disappointing (for example, AHM engines). Having these experiences under our belt, subsequent purchases yielded better results. You definitely want to be careful.
The good part is you get ideas, there are deals to be found, and it is a nice afternoon to spend with your kids.
My only problem with shows is ... I can't walk away as easy without buying ! Once it's in my hand ... visions of me home drooling over it take over... LOL . And ... NEVER TAKE THE WIFE !!! Geez ... did I misquote what i paid for something to her .... .... and I hate her remarks of "Don't you think you have enough of those ? " We know we never do ... but they don't .
Our family moved from Columbus to Portsmouth Ohio in 1998. In Columbus there were several local shows and once a year GATS and Greenberg. It was my objective to miss none. Usually I could buy parts for my Flyer stock, Marx and Lionel stock at the shows. Usually the local and very popular store "The Blue Caboose" had as much in selection and quality if not better. Sadly it closed.
Living in Portsmouth we have one local show Thankgiving weekend, always good layouts and a few vendors. Then in March the Huntington C&O show at Greenbo Lake Kentucky near Greenup. At the Huntington C&O show some vendors have parts, and some bargins. Most sell as represented, those who are in these shows are honest. In Portsmouth the place for toy trains is Market Street Hardware-Toytown, where the people are honest and above board with fair prices and willing to share knowledge.
When I first started going to regular shows I din't know too much or many people. now its both hunting trip and social gathering. Prefer to buy new stuff in the box and mostly its accessories,rolling stock etc.
One recent purchase that caught my eye was a modern era BP gas station.Even though it was 1/64 or less , I knew I could find a place for it. It is something I would have probably never run across as it was last made in 1995-96. It really helped to force the perspective. Next lights.
There are lots of reasons why the price could be different, especially on older or discontinued items.
model in O. the Western NY and Ontario Railroad
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