Space, the Final Frontier…
(http://www.space.com/images/i/000/017/760/original/warp-drive.jpg)
Here in Toronto the Christmas train show and the Christmas doll, toy, and collectors’ shows were amalgamated this past year. A new thing for us up here.
Train dealers were very few, but over the past couple of years they had been dropping off anyway.
I had a non-sales display - an attraction, and we were busy.
I heard several people complain that there weren’t enough trains, though, and, had I been a paying trains-only customer I would have been disappointed.
I found a few very interesting train collectibles at non-train vendors, and was pleased by that.
My impression: the Promoter of these shows is trying to keep them alive in hard times. Right now it looks like times are a bit tougher in trains than in collectibles, which, you know, include dolls, plates, and all kinds of godwottery, but a lot of old toys were there as well; asking prices were high IMHO.
I like the idea of getting a BIG train display in your show. You gotta do whatever works business-wise. 50,000 feet is a lot of space.
Personally I liked the variety that resulted here in Toronto last November. Over the past 2 years or so it has been clear that attendance at the train show had been dropping off, and trains-only dealers either were quitting the business altogether or the ones that were staying in it were not coming to the shows anymore as it disrupted their bricks and mortar busiuness.
Additionally, up here a club-sponsored Christmas train show in a nearby town has caught on, being in a fairly affluent area, and has sortof overtaken the Toronto show lately, by a touch.
I think if you’re trying to get something going it’s tough all over, but I’d definitely say you should consider combining it with collections-type sellers, and maybe fantasy gaming dealers as well.
A couple of guys here suggested getting tool and fastener dealers in. I agree big time. I would add also electronics/parts. We have a couple of these kinds of guys up here who do very good trade at the shows. There’s the Canadian Rep for Micro-mark as well. It’s great to be able to handle the stuff, to buy just a small item if you want, and then just take it home without paying the freight charges. Their stuff is hard to get for a lot of folks, and shipping costs can double the price. When a hobbyist can see it right in front of him, and, better, take it home without shipping costs, these kinds of dealers can clean up and everyone goes home happy.
I definitely also recommend having a display that allows kids to operate trains. That’s what I provide, and so far it’s been the most popular attraction at shows up here. I started doing this to encourage growth of the hobby in a new generation, but you’d have to find a similar nut down there.
My display also gives grownups somewhere to put their feet up, as I make sure to have plenty of chairs around for them. Mom can watch the kids, Dad can go treasure-hunting, and everyone can stay a little longer… Or Dad sticks around and plays with the trains himself, or shows his kids how it’s done.
Yeah, masterminding a big show must be a heckuva lot of work. I’m glad my part is small…
Excuse me for rambling…
Hi Guys, Thanks for all the input, Let me just say that this will be a TRAIN SHOW EVENT with the possibility of a few odd craft or toy vendors not many. This show will be a big expense so for the 1st couple of years I want it as full as possible with vendors. Also there will be plenty and I mean plenty of train Displays of all shapes and sizes, Shawn knows what this looks like and I plan on doubling the train layouts as well.
Kids area is in the workings as we do this at our existing shows now. I will look into a tool guy but they are hard to find in this area but as Shawn said we hope to draw more from C.T. N.J and Penn. vendor and club wise.
Thanks for all your input on this and if you may be interested in vending or displaying contact me thue here.
Our goal is to make sure good Quality Train shows continue to exist for as long as we are around.
OK Guys, just thought i’d let you know, the Show is a go, With a high priority on Largescale.
Based on the floor plan we should be doing 250 table plus ALOT of room for some large displays
Z thru G. I will give you more info as we move forward. Rite now I’m looking for commitments from clubs who wish to attend from the NY PA NJ CT areas. You can PM me for the info. This will be a 2 day Train show event.
Nick
Hey Nick do you have the dates? As long as its not presidents weekend I might be abkle to set up a portable live steam track. (Scranton has their big steam-up that weekend). Have you spoken to Jason Kovac? He might be able to set something up for The Train Dept. Ill touch out to him as well.
Send me an e-mail or call me.
The Roseville (CA) Roundhouse Model RR Club in conjunction with several other model RR clubs in the Sacramento area has been running such a show for over twenty years. It’s at the Placer County Fairgrounds, and fills between two and three buildings. It also has a large scale live steam set up outside.
It’s a purely local show. No big vendors, but a lot of retail stores set up. They have a consignment store with real bargains (trust me on that).
The quantity and quality of vendors has varied over time. Last year was better than the year before, so maybe the economy is turning around in California.
In addition to the vendors, there are usually two or three or maybe more modular railroads in various scales set up and running indoors.
The Sacramento Valley Garden Railway Society sets up its modular RR at this show. For us, it’s a good way to show and explain Large Scale, allow members without railroads to run their equipment, and have a good time. We even permit people who’ve bought large scale equipment to test it out!
Shawn Viggiano said:
Hey Nick do you have the dates? As long as its not presidents weekend I might be abkle to set up a portable live steam track. (Scranton has their big steam-up that weekend). Have you spoken to Jason Kovac? He might be able to set something up for The Train Dept. Ill touch out to him as well.
Send me an e-mail or call me.
Hey Shawn, I tried to call you and I must have the wrong # can you pm me it.
Thanks
Nick