As anyone can attest...this is NOT a cheap hobby. So are there regular swap meets that happen or if not where is the best place to buy used stuff. Ebay seems like it's mostly full of newer stuff or what is there is waaay over priced. I'm in Ohio BTW.
Thanks!
Allen
In my area there are 6 sales sponcered by train groups. There is also an annual auction sponcered by our Division of the NMRA. There seems to be similar events in many areas. You local hobby shops will know as will the Divisions in your area.
From the home page of this website, click on "Events", this will take you to another page where any and all railroad and model railroad related activities sent to Kalmbach are listed. You can select "Swap Meets" and get a list af all upcoming swap meets in the US and Canada, and you can narrow the search down by state or province.
Swap Meets are one of the fundamentals of the hobby for me. In addition to the chance of finding a great bargain, you can meet a lot of new friends with similar interests. Most swap meets will have a modular layout or two (or more ), or will be held at a permanent club layout.
John
If everybody is thinking alike, then nobody is really thinking.
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Allen, I live in northern, Ohjo, Cleveland area to be exact and there is a large number of train meets to go to. Can keep you busy every weekend if you want.
Wayne
SUPER! Just what I was looking for.
jfallon From the home page of this website, click on "Events", this will take you to another page where any and all railroad and model railroad related activities sent to Kalmbach are listed. You can select "Swap Meets" and get a list af all upcoming swap meets in the US and Canada, and you can narrow the search down by state or province. Swap Meets are one of the fundamentals of the hobby for me. In addition to the chance of finding a great bargain, you can meet a lot of new friends with similar interests. Most swap meets will have a modular layout or two (or more ), or will be held at a permanent club layout. John
Allen - Let me add some additional background to the above posts in the way of clarification.
First off, there are very few true "swap meets" to be found in our hobby today, ones where attendees honestly swap an item of theirs for one owned by another, with or without actual money changing hands. These sorts of meets did exist in the hobby's distant past but are very few and far between these days.
Today there are mainly "train shows", which in most cases might be considered more akin to mobile hobby shops. In some areas of the country these shows will include a modest selection of older, or used, cars, locomotives, etc., while in other regions they are dominated by sellers offering mostly brand new items.
As to obtaining bargains at shows, that situation is equally highly dependent on one's particular location and luck. Here in the Northeast one use to be able to regularly find a whole host of bargains at train shows (back in the 70's and 80's). Since the mid 90's, however, many of the shows have folded and those that remain are mostly far less favorable to bargain hunters, with newer items (which are decidedly in the majority) offered at list, or even above and dealers unwilling to negotiate price. You will also encounter some dealers who feel that older car and structure kits are somehow "collectible" and adjust their prices accordingly. In coming months it will be interesting to see just how the now OOP Athearn Blue Box kits are priced, for example.
If you are looking for a pleasant Sunday afternoon out, are new to the hobby and enjoy looking around at tables full of items and perhaps some display layouts, then you'll likely enjoy train shows. On the other hand, if your main thrust is a search for particular older items, especially in any volume and at bargain prices, I'd tend to stick with eBay.
CNJ831