If the doors to York were opened...

[Anonymous]

I think opening up Saturday afternoon would be good because:
1. it gets pretty darn slow on Saturday
2. the society needs to grow, yes membership is strong, but what is the average age?
3. our division meets do it all the time, its great
4. I think inclusiveness is better than exclusiveness (the attitude that kept me from joining for years and keeps good people from joining)

[Anonymous]

If the membership is so "strong" then how come they have lost over 2000 members in the last 4 years? In just the last two months alone they have lost 200 members.* I sure don't think that many have died! I have talked to many people who say that TCA has out
lived its time. They tell me that TCA is made up of mostly dealers, antique brokers, rich investors and speculators. I attended a TCA show at York once and that seemed to be the case. There wasn't much there that was affordable to the regular train person.

When you read items in the TCA print now days they are mostly about how much a certain train is or could eventually be worth, how a train is not worth anything if a part has been replaced or missing, articles on counterfeiting and fraud, "collectors standards",
"finders fees" for collectors and investors and how much money people have to throw at train collecting. (An add states that "I wnat to spend $500,000 on train collections this year")! All of the things I mention in this paragraph are plainly mentioned in the TCA Headquarters News this month! There is only ONE article that even REMOTELY mentioned operating trains in the WHOLE ISSUE and it was about the Kids Club. What
happened to the "fellowship", "history", etc. that TCA is SUPPOSED to be about?

I remember seeing an article two years ago in a national toy train magazine that told how a dealer at York got so tired of having people ask him about the price of some articles he was selling that he pitched a fit, took a hammer and smashed these supposedly
"valuable collectors items" into pieces rather that sell them at a lower than asking price!
BTW that "other magazine" is your competitor! They even published pictures of the broken items!**

Complaints were made to the TCA President about this and other incidents and were dismissed with the comments "It's their stuff." and "Its all about the money anyway."
What happened to "conduct unbecoming a member"? Or "unsportsmanlike conduct"?
Or setting an example for the younger folks? (I'm one of those.) One day I hope to have children and I sure don't want to expose them to the immature and greedy actions of people like I have seen at the York meet I went to. ("What's it say on the sticker? Can't you read?")

Maybe TCA won't open their meets because the public would see things TCA doesn't want seen!

*source....TCA National Headquarters News. July 2004. page4

**source....O Gauge Railroading Magazine. August 2002. page102 "Crunch Time at York" w/picture

I know I'm going to get flamed about this, but I am a "younger person" and I'm just pointing out plain facts that are in print and everyday people see around them when they go to some of these "family train shows" sponsored by special interest groups like TCA.

Some of us just try to get by, make a living and have a hobby to enjoy when we have some free time (very little) and hopefully have a little something to pass to our children.

[Anonymous]

Pease;

Sorry that you've had a bad experience with TCA. They're
not all bad guys. I do remember the incident that you've
written about. Not good. All families have a "bad child",
try to look beyond that. I have to agree that this seems to
be becoming a rich person's hobby. I and others here have
posted about this as well. (How are you doing, Brianel?)
It's sort of hard to refute your comments as it looks like you
did your homework. Any TCAers want to comment? I do
feel your pain on this one, but I don't know how to help.
Just try to keep an open mind.