Anyone here from Southern California going to the Great Train Expo at the Ontario Convention Center this weekend? I'm planning to be there on Saturday... It's 10-5 this Saturday and Sunday, $7 admission, kids under 12 are free. For more info, visit: http://www.trainexpoinc.com/shows/2009Ontario.html
Missed it again! And once again, I missed it. I never seem to see these things until it’s too late. I have missed almost every train show in the last 5 years. So anyway, how was it? Tomorrow the wife has very specific plans to put up Christmas decorations before it rains and I’m on notice.
It was alright; I wasn't a big fan of the fact that parking ($8) cost more than admission ($7) and that there was no other options available nearby (no cheaper/free parking within walking distance; no Metrolink station for several miles, ugh...) You're an N scaler too, right? There were a few vendors, all selling used or New Old Stock. If you go to CA train shows often the elderly gentleman (his name escapes me) from Buena Park, CA who sells N scale was there, selling several tables of rolling stock. I ended up buying three structures, the most expensive one was $5! There was also another guy who sells at all the train shows, selling his locos and rolling stock at 50% off sticker price. Most of it still a little too costly. In fact, I mostly bought just structures at the show. I wasn't too hungry for rolling stock here (and nothing really jumped out at me) and I didn't have enough money for a loco so I bought a few other structures from the other vendors, which is interesting since I'm not quite at the structure-acquiring phase of my layout (still laying track) but I did find another industry to go with one of my sidings. I also found a cool yard tower, a Burger King, a general store, and a gas station. I also found a few 20' Deluxe containers at about $2 each...and that was it. The most expensive item still cost less than my admission, to say nothing about the parking fee! There were quite a few N-scale modular layouts...I believe the Antelope Valley club, Orange County Ngineers and another N scale club was there. Most of the vendors and layouts will be at the Del Mar Great Train Expo next weekend and the Anaheim Great Train Expo on January 2-3, so if you can make it to those you won't really miss out. On my way home I ended up passing by the Train Stop in San Dimas and found some (new-generation) Bachmann Amfleets for a good price...now to change the couplers...
Thanks for the info. For years I’ve been reading about such great deals people got at the shows. Once I had to go to Orange County and stopped in a store there. While I was looking at their N-scale clearance stuff, I overheard someone in the store talking about raising the price on a couple of items to take to a show he was going to. That kind of confused me and then I read about someone here on Train Board over paying for some show items. I guess it depends on the show. I went to a show in Bakersfield a few years ago and I bought about $500 worth of stuff, mostly locos, but at the time I really didn’t know what a good price was.
I attended the GTE here in the Bay Area a few weeks ago with fellow TB member RBrodzinsky and we both agreed the prices on most N scale items seemed to average just under the usual MSRP. I concluded the only way to find a "deal" was to get a cheap (5-10 dollar) dead loco as a fix-er-up project, but that would require labor which almost negates the effect. We did find a few tables with tools and media at "deal" prices though. We have another Bay Area GTE coming up soon and now that I know what to expect, I will be on the look out for those "Fix-er-uper" deals.
I was actually a vendor at the January 2007 Bakersfield show - I was selling off my HO scale collection and remnants of my old layout. I was so desperate to get rid of most of it I was the "good deal" at the show! One guy offered me $300 for everything I had. I turned him down. On the Saturday of that show, I must have made about $400+... On Sunday, about $40...all the bargain hunters are there on the first day. If any of you are going to the Anaheim GTE in January, msg me privately and I'll tell you where to find free parking within walking distance!
Been lurking here for a while but never posted, anyways... Got to the show around 10:30 and looked around. Nothing really caught my eye as I circled the vendors. The last show I attended was Anaheim which seemed to have a little more variety. I ended up buying 6 MTL boxcars for cheap from a couple different vendors, which I found worthwhile as I'd probably pay a little bit more parking and admission included. I saw one table had a deal for the Kato PA/PB set in DRGW orange/silver which was tempting but wouldn't be more than a collector's item to me. I enjoyed the modules and layouts but I noticed there seemed to be as many N-scale layouts as there were vendors with more than a couple of items. No large scale displays either. All in all I enjoy going to the shows and this one was no exception. I'll probably skip Del Mar but I'm planning on Anaheim and Long Beach, talking to a couple of vendors led me to believe a bigger turnout to those.
This happened to me once. I was in the process of moving and got a dumpster to throw everything away. I was moving from northern CA to Southern CA and it was too costly to move everything. A friend stopped by as I was tossing things and suggested I take everything to the flea market. On Saturday I sold over $1000 including a broken birdcage that I never got around to fixing. And then on Sunday I barely made $100. They took the big dumpster away only 1/3 full. I haven’t been to either places and I was wondering which one to go to. I had planned to go to the Long Beach show last year, but someone told me there wasn’t any N scale. I want to go to the Anaheim Show, but that might not be a good time for me. Well now that I at least know when it is and I can at least plan for it. :thumbs_up:
The Great Train Expo in Ontario was a let down for me. I have been to a few differently sponsored shows over the years and those that include the manufacturers are the most interesting. This show had mostly old stock, some never out of the box but most used, and the prices were ridiculous. It seemed most inflated by 50% then had a sign discounting for 30 or 50%. Like I said to one of them you purchased this car at wholesale 20 years ago and will still triple your money in your so called 30% off price. I wished him luck and walked away without purchasing. If you are traveling a fair distance I strongly recommend you be sure the manufacturers will be there so you can take in some first hand info and a couple how to seminars. I think it was the GATS or WGH shows that were the best ones to attend with manufacturers and clinics. Some layout tours to. Also if you go through the Riverside/Corona area drop me a PM and come run my DCC layout with me.
I assume there would be more manufacturers at the WGH show in Long Beach. I agree, the "discounts" are an advertising ploy but it all comes down to bottom line price. If you were looking for a deal you should know what a good price is, unfortunately there weren't very many.
Yes the WGH show a few years back had some big names show up plus the manufacturers. I missed last years. I do agree that the deep discount signs are simply a ploy to get you in the area so they can BS you into a purchase. Unfortunately some fellow model railroaders are used car salesman to.
The WGH show is the only one where the major manufacturers go. The rest might have smaller, independent manufacturers. The Ontario show had the Bullfrog Snot traction shoe guy and some guy who makes scenery out of liquid foam.
