So I have a plan when I attend train shows..I move from booth to booth to see what scale they have., since I have HO as my primary guage, and O MTH for a distraction..I eliminate old Lionel and other guages of no use to me...then I revisit each booth that holds possibilities..I am seeking Heislers and Shays, with sound. and DCC. There was not one..I also seek steam with sound & DCC but all the "mobile hobby shops" had pretty much the same items...Then I look for rolling stock..I look for colors /road names that catch my attention or unique cars...especially ones with over sized loads..
but over all a pretty sad outing except for the lifetime discount deal I got on Atlas code 100
And the 3 MTH O cars I got for 20% off..but there was no Real Trax..sad sad sad
I remember when I went to the Queeny park Boing Show and got a Mantua 4-6-2 with a 5 car passenger set for $125..When I put DCC in it..it pulled like a real workhorse ..something like 40 cars
When I gave the owner, a guy who was going from HO to N, my license for security while I took it to the test track, there was 5 guys following me in case I decided not to buy it, but once I saw it run in DC I had to tell them it was a sold loco. I am hoping to find another private seller in March....
That is what a train show should be..I wish they would separate them..put the "Pros" on one end and the private sellers on the other
Whenever I go to a train show, I usually do a quick pass through first to:
And if I've been to a particular train show before, I usually recognize certain tables from years past and know pretty quickly whether they're worth another visit or not.
It hadn't occurred to me before but I peruse magazines much the same way as I visit train shows: Scan it to see what's in it then go back and read what I'm interested in.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
at the risk of stepping on some toes, i find that many train shows have degenerated much in the same way as ebay. very few private individuals and more and more hucksters trying to peddle the same old overpriced, tired merchandise.
i know these guys need to make a living, they just can't make it off of me. i have reached the point in this hobby where about all i ever need to buy are glue and paint. thank goodness for that.
grizlump (grouch german)
The Ft. Worth show went down hill for a few years and is smaller now. They still have a few good things but a lot of duplications. The best show I have ever been to is to is the Oklahoma City show. Lots of stuff and the manufactures are there too. OKC is a lot better than anything I have been to in DFW. I usually make a first pass and get a good Idea what I want. On the second pass I get what I know I want and make a third run to double check.
RMax
My recent experience is that once you are no longer in the market for cars or locomotives most train shows don't offer all that much, and that is true whether it is a dealer's only show or a swap meet type of show that also has previously enjoyed stuff for sale.
But now and then you luck out which is one reason I keep going!
Dave Nelson
Up here in Madison WI, we have Trainfest, Mad City, and host of other local train shows. In large part the local shows are indeed the same stuff floating from on show to the next with the prices slowly creeping up as they try and justify the gas they have spent carting the stuff around.
That being said Mad City and Trainfest are not generally attended by these people. There are a couple and sometimes I can find stuff I am looking for at these booths. But mostly I stick to a list and $ figure.
This year I have $300 and list about a mile long. If it's not on the list it gets ignored. It may get put on the list, but it won't be for that show.
So for the rapidly approaching Mad City Show, I'm looking for:
Go in with a list and a budget and I can generally find people willing to knock a couple of bucks off of thier price.
RMax1 The Ft. Worth show went down hill for a few years and is smaller now. They still have a few good things but a lot of duplications. RMax
The Ft. Worth show went down hill for a few years and is smaller now. They still have a few good things but a lot of duplications.
I haven't been to a Fort Worth show in at least 7 years. Are you speaking about the LMRA show or the Holiday show? Are there any N scale vendors that still set up?
I have a technique that I've been using for a years..
Here's a outline.
I make a slow walk through looking at each table to include under the front of the table.
I proceed to the layout area and look over the layouts.
I then proceed to make another round of the tables looking for any odd short line cars or club cars and I start my purchasing.
I now take a break for lunch and have my usual hot dogs and apple pie with a soft drink.
I make a slow final round of the tables to ensure I didn't look over any item.
I leave the show.
Total time spent a enjoyable 3-4 hours depending on the size of the show.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Just went to the Great Big Scale Model Train show in Timonium, MD. (Three connected giant buildings comprising what is called the "cowpalace", loaded with dealers and layouts.)
As I am just back into MR and have switched from HO to HOn3, I am over eager for rolling stock and loco's. I have been to the last three shows here starting in 2010 and find the selection and number of dealers tremendous.
The competition is superb and prices are worked down accordingly. I am saddened by the almost complete takeover of On30 in the narrow gauge biz, but that's life and I understand the logic behind the gauge. Nonetheless, I found a lot of HOn3 stuff there. I spent too much, of course, but could not resist the nearly 25% off on the DCC/Tsunami sound equipped, Blackstone K-27's, so I bought two!
Rolling stock is another matter. Not much love there as the dealers held pretty close to list or just 10% off at one dealer.
I have been to three Greenberg shows and find them only of use for scenic materials as I have never seen any narrow gauge stuff offered at a single one. Greenberg is big on, O (lionel classic), HO and N with some limited G gauge stuff.
Referring to the original posting in this thread, The big Timonium Show had plenty of old MRs sitting at tables selling off there stuff and I would say that 50% of the show was formal dealers and 20% were "Carnies" as I call them. (Folks with large number of tables selling all manner of stuff that you see at every train show) and the remaining 30% were individuals with one or two tables only selling mostly older MR stuff. (I picked up two old MDC and VARNEY kits real cheap- nostalgia)
The real win at this huge show was the massively discounted scenic materials! The selection was out of this world and you had to shop around fast as plaster cloth rolls were as cheap as 6 for $30.00. You didn't want to spend $9.00 for one roll at the dealer near the door or $7.00 per roll at the guy in the middle of building #2.
I can readily see where some old hands with fully built roads might see small materials replenishment on the cheap to be the only major draw or reason to attend outside of flap-jawing with like minds or old pals.
OH.... If you can't find something at the cowpalace just 3 miles down the road is the warehouse-retail store of "Model Train Stuff", my favorite mailorder house.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
The Boeing RR Club St. Louis (Formerly the McDonnell Douglas club) swap meet is coming up on Saturday March 10th. What is good about this RR Meet is that the table price is low enough that alot of non-dealers are there to sell. The show is large enough (close to 300 tables) that the selection is very good. Free parking & low entry fee ( $3.00)
Saturday, Mar 10 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. Boeing Employees’ Railroad Club Swap Meet Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park, 550 Wiedman Rd. (St. Louis, MO) Admission: $3.00 (Children under 12 free)
Saturday, Mar 10 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
Boeing Employees’ Railroad Club Swap Meet
Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park, 550 Wiedman Rd. (St. Louis, MO)
Admission: $3.00 (Children under 12 free)
That's generally what I end up doing, Larry. Three times around pretty much covers it all.
I also am looking for a location to start my new Taggart Transcontinental can anyone get me a deal on Reardon Metal?
And I am looking forward to the Queeny Park Boing Show
The FTW show I go to is the Holiday show. They still have a lot of N scale but this last year there was a lot of O scale. In fact I saw a pair of Lionel MOPAC FA's from 1957 on a table for $100.
Most of the train shows in my area are annual events. The only recurring show within driving distance is in Dekalb, IL about 2.5 hours away. I went up there once, just to see what it was all about. Haven't felt the need to return.
When I go to a show or a swap meet I usually go with an agenda. I have a specific item or list of items that I am looking for. And if I don't find it, the wallet stays in the pocket. That approach is usually successful, I'd say about 90% of the time. Occasionally I will come upon that one item that is simply too good/cheap to walk away from.
We used to have the Greenburg shows in town every year, but for the last several years they have passed us by for whatever reason. Now a local group has organized a swap meet which they hope will become an annual event. If you are in the Quad Cities area, the show will be March 31st at Trinity Lutheran school in Davenport. I have a table where I'll be selling off some used N-scale and On30, Feel free to come and give me money.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
i'll also be at Mad city. I'm with the Cedar Creek Central Railroad club. It'll only be my second time, but last year seemed pretty good.
schul4 - Welcome to Trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
Mad City, I find, is generally worth it. The Southern Wisconsin Sandhouse Crew will be there, but my wife and I will largely be absent, as we have a 1 month old son as a new addition and mom and dad are a bit frazzled. So I plan on doing all my shopping at about 2 on Sunday and the help the club tear down.
So that's right folks, NO SNARFING my Sacramento Northern Book. One of you guys did last year... I gots my eye on you folks... Nothing worse than a modle railroader that seas a bargin, worse than a polar bear in a penguin rookery.
dknelson My recent experience is that once you are no longer in the market for cars or locomotives most train shows don't offer all that much, and that is true whether it is a dealer's only show or a swap meet type of show that also has previously enjoyed stuff for sale. But now and then you luck out which is one reason I keep going! Dave Nelson
Probably the best reason to keep going!
-What I do when I go is make a mental checklist of what I want,
-see if they have what I want,
-check to see what shape it's in
-check the price
-decide if it's worth it
-if it's worth it and within budget, haggle with dealer
-if deal is made, buy.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad, the Route of the Black Diamond Express, John Wilkes and Maple Leaf.
-Jake, modeling the Barclay, Towanda & Susquehanna.
Old Post .... I already posted once.
Hi,
I have been to a great many train shows over the years, but no longer have any desire to go to any of the major ones. Why????
Well, the last 3 times at the George Brown Convention Center (downtown Houston), I spent more time trying not to get run over by strollers the size of Smart Cars, and doing my best to work thru the crowds of small children that were not watched as they should be (IMHO).
Hey, I certainly feel strongly about exposing the youngsters to our hobby, but more often than not, it appeared to me that their "guardians" could not have cared less about the hobby or what their charges were up to.
It didn't take long to figure out what was happening........ The Brown Convention Center is huge, often running two or three shows at a time. Well, the women would be at the craft or wedding show (or whatever), and they would have their men take the kiddies to the toy train show.............
Anyway, over the last several experiences, it just wasn't fun anymore - and I quit going.
OK, this is just my experience and my opinion - and I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything - one way or the other - but somehow I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way...................
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I pretty much do what several other people do. I go around once to see what's available, and generally don't buy anything unless it's a once-in-a-lifetime deal, then go back and re-check the sellers that had something interesting and buy some stuff. Sit down for lunch, then maybe cruise around one last time.
One thing I have noticed is it works best if I don't go trying to find one specific thing, because I think sometimes I get too obsessed with finding that one thing and end up missing some good bargains on things I would like.
However, also as others have noted, it seems like in recent years flea markets aren't what they used to be. I suspect it's a vicious circle - more folks have less money to spend, so they don't go to the shows (or only go to one or two, instead of seven or eight), so fewer sellers bother to show up since they aren't selling as much. It ends up being the same folks selling the same big cardboard boxes full of Tyco freight cars.
Yikes, I must be getting really old.......... I'm gonna complain again!
Thirty-forty years ago I loved going to flea markets! It was a family outing and there were surprises everywhere. But gradually the flea markets turned to "craft shows", with the only "old stuff" being pretty much over priced junk.
These days, if there is anything old or "rare" that I want, I can go online and find a dozen of them - all overpriced of course...................
By the way, does anyone know when the next train show in Williamsport is? Just got wondering.
tstage Whenever I go to a train show, I usually do a quick pass through first to: See what's available See if anything "important" catches my eye, and Note which tables I want to visit the 2nd time through And if I've been to a particular train show before, I usually recognize certain tables from years past and know pretty quickly whether they're worth another visit or not. It hadn't occurred to me before but I peruse magazines much the same way as I visit train shows: Scan it to see what's in it then go back and read what I'm interested in. Tom
Ditto that. Same tried and true procedure
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
I too go around a show 2 or 3 times just to get a sense of what's there.
While I certainly have enough cars and locomotives in my primary scale, S, I also dabble in O27 and collect MDC Old Timer kits. So there is always stuff to look at. Plus, the LHS in my area doesn't carry S parts, figures, etc., so I look for those also.
But even if I don't find anything to buy, which has happened more than once, I still enjoy going to the show and just looking at the layouts and stuff.
Enjoy
Paul
mobilman44These days, if there is anything old or "rare" that I want, I can go online and find a dozen of them - all overpriced of course
I seem to find the better deals on line then I do at most train shows.
My policy while looking over e-bay is to check the first 15 pages of my five favorite manufacturers..I know that sounds time consuming and it is but,I've found some excellent deals which made it well worth my time..
For me, train shows have lost their appeal. Too much junk Tyco for crazy prices. The double wide stroller crowd is annoying. Table after table of Lionel. Dealers selling NOS for double the price and list price on current items.
The one thing I do enjoy are the layouts but how many times can you see the same ones?
The last 5 times I went I left empty handed. The money I used to waste for gas, tickets and breakfast is now spent at my LHS.
For a current item, my first choice is the LHS. This helps the local economy. Older, out of production stuff is now bought on idiot bay.
Jim
Soo Line fanFor a current item, my first choice is the LHS.
That would be my first choice as well if the shop had up to date releases instead of old release cars sitting on the shelf collecting dust..
To be fair I can special or preorder the items I need and he will get it but,then its full price and a 52 mile round trip and to tell the truth at 64 and with my health issues I no longer care to drive that distance like I use to.
Hi Folks!
Well, I posted twice on this thread complaining, and never did answer the OP's question - which is a good one.
Back in the '80s and '90s when train shows were fun for me, I collected postwar Lionel and of course HO stuff for my 1950s era Santa Fe / Illinois Central layout.
Like others stated, I would first do a fast walk down all the aisles to get first grabs on anything I had to have. Then, I would follow that with a second (and often a third) slow trip down all the aisles. Lastly, I would hit the layouts and and special displays or what have you.