Train Shows

There is a two-day train show coming near to where I live. I'm interested in attending, but the cost knocked me back a step. For two days the cost is $23 ($12 Saturday, $11 Sunday). Even just the $12 Saturday cost blunted my enthusiasm. This compares to the last train show I attended (in November) at only $5 entry fee (and free to children 12 and under).

I expect many who participate in TrainBoard are sellers at train shows. It seems a bummer for sellers when potential participants/buyers are turned off and don't go due to high entry fees. If my reaction to this entry cost is unreasonable I'd be interested in hearing justifications why.

 

I'll just start by saying that that is a bit higher than average, but not unreasonably so. Let's face it, if $7 is a big issue for you, you're in the wrong hobby and from a vendors standpoint, if you aren't willing to spend the extra $7 (above the $5 at the last show) you probably aren't going to buy anything anyway . But I agree I probably wouldn't go for day 2. It's hard to comment very much without knowing more........how big a venue is it......how many vendors.....are there manufacturers attending........are there classes/seminars........operating layouts........is the show to support a charity or museum? I shop for venues for our NTRAK club, and large venues can run $1000 a day and up and most people doing train shows aren't doing it for fun, they are doing it to make money.

 

True, I'm not a big spender at shows. At the one in November I kept it only slightly over $200 and came away with mostly non-powered rolling stock. Was also nice the November show had free parking whereas this one doesn't. But for me the main turn-off is the impression they are gouging people at the door that they should be attracting. And when I say "they" I'm referring to the organizers (a national outfit in this case), not the vendors. Probably a personality fault on my part, but when I sense gouging I just turn away, an immediate reaction, despite the rationality of a piddling seven dollar difference. Guess I'll wait for the next regional show.

 

Neither am I @Croat and it seems you and I are similar in our response to shows and their pricing.

 

Have to admit that $10+ seems to be the minimal entry fee these days but the venues drive that cost more so than the show operators do in many cases. The show that I do still attend in my area yearly is $10 and not sure what a 2 day pass would be, never checked. The parking is still free where the show is as well. it's not that far so only about a gallon or so of gas round trip. I actually thought about getting a table last year to sell some used stuff but cost was $80 per table. That seems outrageous to me but it's what it takes along with the entrance fees to cover the venue and what little advertising they did. Like others noted, I am not a "big" spender at these shows but I look at it like if I find a deal (which is getting harder and harder to do) or at least can find stuff at the same as on line stores, the the entry fee equates to the shipping I would have had to pay for buying on line.

The part that is the gamble is what if you don't find anything that you like or want at the show, then, yeah, that ticket cost is a bust. Doesn't sound like a lot but that could have gone toward other hobby items. Now then, this happened to me, not once but twice. There is a "big" show that is across town (60ish miles each way) and for many years, it was the show to attend in the area. Pre covid, it had started becoming a not so great (to me anyway) show. I went to the first return of the show in 2021 post covid and came away with nothing. In 2022, I went back and tried again. Walked out with two purchases, one was the $10 entry to the show ticket and the other was the receipt for the $10 parking fee. Add in another $15 to $20 for gas and that was a good bit of cash gone. I didn't attend in 2023 or 2024 but folks I know that went were disappointed. Had i found something I really wanted, I could accept that but it wasn't worth it at all to pay to fight a crowd and come home with nothing.

Just my thoughts, you mileage may vary........

 

I'm not really a big spender at train shows either...........In my select railroads there is very little (past or present) that I don't already have. But I always hope to find a hidden gem. A couple of years ago I found a Fox Valley 1935 Hiawatha set new in the box (with 3 extra cars) for $300.....those sets are currently fetching $600-900+ on the auction sites. I have no intention of ever selling it though.

Shows organized by national organizations are usually BIG shows , in big venues, with lots of vendors, big advertising, ect and they expect big profits .......so $12 doesn't sound too out of line. If you look at it as "entertainment", you can't do much for $12 anymore. A movie with popcorn and a drink costs more than that......my last trip thru McDonalds cost $13 .......I think the county fair this year was $15 (with $30 for a 4 day pass).