The Changing Face of the TCA York Meet

Now THAT’s what we like to hear!  Member-to-member dealing — just like the good ole days!!!  Although I always attended York for the trade-show atmosphere of the 1990’s through 2015 or so, I always like to hear success stories from folks who were hunting for that something special as well as those impulse buys too.  😊

Personally my eyes can not take it all in moving that fast.

After an absence of several years, I renewed my TCA membership
and went to the October York Meet.

I, too, noticed that there was a distinct lack of presence by
the Major Manufacturers and Dealers.

However ... I was impressed by the large numbers of "regular folks"
who were there FOR THE HOBBY! (This was a big reason O left TCA
a while back because the "collectors" were more concerned with their
"investments" of their "valuable antiques/collectibles" than the
hobby and fellowship that TCA was supposed to be promoting, as per
their Mission Statement.)

I was also impressed (HAPPILY!) at the LARGE number of YOUNG PEOPLE
getting into the collecting and operating hobby! This includes not
only younger adults, BUT THEIR CHILDREN AS WELL! Made my heart glad!
This gives hope of the hobby surviving another century! This is one
of the last hobbies that gives participants the ability to actually
"go hands on" in collecting, maintaining and building things to their
personal tastes and limits.

Was also VERY impressed with prices! Things were actually affordable
for a change. Even my cousin's grandson was able to make several nice
major purchased with his own money! (He is 7 years old and purchased
a nice HO GG1 and a couple of O Gauge tinplate cars for his collections.)

Aisles were a lot wider, people more friendly and courteous and almost
no tables were covered and almost all were attended. NICE! It was a
good old fashioned TRAIN MEET!

Plenty of contemporary stuff as well as "collectable" and "antique"
trains and equipment. It seems that the Big Manufacturers have maybe
gotten too big for their britches and think they are above going to
York and other meets like this. But that is where most people will get
to actually see and touch new merchandise and talk to real people about
the products. Not the same as impersonal internet pictures and E-Mails.

York seemed to be just as well attended as in years past.

And a great pat on the back to the TCA Staff who manned the tables in
the Silver Hall! Courteous, efficient and FAST! I was in and out in under
30 minutes of getting in line! (And that included a computer system
crash that was not expected!) Got all signed up, enrolled, paid up and
back in service in one stop! (Thank you! Miss Maria!) They even printed
a temporary membership card up for me! Got my permanent one in today's
mail!

After seeing all of the young people there and seeing the interest in
their eyes and hearing them talk excitedly about what they were seeing,
I don't see the doom-and-gloom of years past about the hobby.

And as a final note, I was very impressed by the increased number of
ladies in the hobby! Have never seen that many lady collector/vendors
and as many lady collector/buyers before! Again! Bravo!

This is sad. I don't go to train shows to buy anything. That is secondary. I go for the experience and meeting and being with people.
But that being said, part of the expressive is meeting the big players in the hobby.

I’m planning on going in April 2024, already have my badge, but after that I’m not sure. I go for the opportunity of meeting up with some friends for dinner. I’m pretty much done buying as my layout is complete and I just don’t have the room for displaying any more items.

I don't think that assessment of the Orange Hole is really fair. In fact I don't remember seeing "empty" booths. On the right of the hall, it was slightly less densely packed. In terms of vendors... Mr. Muffins, Trainworld, Henning's, Berwyn's, Just Trains, Stockyard Express, and Grzyboski's were all there.

Both Atlas and MTH showed up, a long with some other manufacturers like Ross Custom Switches, Altoona Model Works, Glenn Snyder Displays, Millhouse Studio, TW Trainworx, and MNP.

I have gone to York 77 straight times and I'll be going as long as I can. Even though I buy less now I still enjoy the show, talking and seeing friends I have made thru out the years. Ill be there next April if my body is able and I just may buy a train or not but it will be fun.

Dave