I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question, but what is the difference between a train show and a swap meet? Will both have dealers selling model railroading items?
Really it just a play on wording…
I have seen flyers that read:Model Train Show And Swap Meet.
Technically a “Train Show” is a place where one goes to look at trains (usually model trains). A “Swap Meet” is where one would take your surplus/unwanted equipment to exchange with other people - however most of the time things are bought and sold rather than being swapped. Theoretically, anyone who shows up at a swap meet can sell stuff, but only those who are registered can sell at a train show. Vendors are more likely to show up at a “train show” because the turnout of people is usually higher, and they don’t have to compete with Joe who is dumping his entire HO collection for pennies on a dollar because he is switching to Sn3.
That may have been true at one time but,at either one you must rent a table or deal out of your car…
It is true SOME dealers will horse trade but,don’t hold your breath.I would when I was a part time Train Show dealer.
Vedors will be at both shows regardless…
Out here in the west a train show is put on by an orginization like gats was and you pay to sell and pay to get in, some bargins but not as many as you will find at a good swap meet and at a swap meet you ussually don’t have to pay to get in.
We are down to one show in Arkansas and that is just a train show. Very little swapping.
The last GATS I went to in Little Rock had retail pricing on half the stuff in the place, I could (And did) get better pricing at both of the LHS’s I go to. Imagine that.
Years ago there was a swap meet in a firehall mess hall and it was one of the last of the true swap meets I would see. Nothing but trains, personal collections and etc that was being traded, sold for little and otherwise talked up.
I would imagine there is a bit of swapping or trading that goes on but it is between individuals at a moment’s notice that is beneficial to both sides.
Oddly, I was just discussing this with my wife, explaining why, even though our four-year old granddaughter is staying with us for the weekend, I won’t be taking her to the swap meet tomorrow. Anyway, here in Mpls/St.Paul they’re very different:
“Train show” would be like GATS or something similar - a lot of operating layout displays, modular layouts, and maybe 3-4 toy train layouts the kids can play with. There could also be manufacturers (like Atlas, Bachmann, etc.) represented, along with quite a few sellers…who are usually not individuals, but hobby shops who pretty much are charging full price, figuring the show will attract people who don’t know much about trains and will spend money for something without knowing they’re paying too much. Often have door prizes, usually held at St.Paul Civic Center or someplace similar, with ‘professional’ concessions by the Civic Center.
“Swap Meet” (or “Flea Market”) around here is usually put on by a local model railroad club to raise a little money. The Newport Model Railroad club has about 4 of these a year, located at Woodbury High School, and the Twin City Model RR club holds two a year at the state fairgrounds (usually May and October) and two at the Prom Center in White Bear Lake. You pay say $4 to get in. There may be one or two operating displays, but it’s mostly table after table of guys selling trainstuff…usually individuals, a few booksellers or hobby shops (or semi-hobby-shops, guys who run a “store” out of their house, and can order stuff thru Walthers). In both clubs, they have wives/daughters who provide food for sale - hot dogs, fugde, pop etc.
So…tomorrow is the Woodbury High School meet. It’s just a lot of fat guys like me walking around looking at stuff and shooting the bull with other fat guys. Not much fun for a 4-year old I think. [:)]
wjstix,That’s the way I remember the old swap meets of years gone by.Now its “swap meet” in name only.[:(]
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I assume you’re talking "train swap meet ". The train shows here lately have been overpriced … mostly retail dealers . And the other guys seem to want darn near retail. They are alright to look at items you may want … but have’nt seen any “real” bargains . It’s like having to pay and drive longer to get into a hobby shop . But thank the lord for the few regular sellers there who just want to sell or have bought out a hobby store . If it’s a real swap meet you’ll find many more bargains . With admission … and gasoline prices it usually costs $25.00 - to get in the door of a train show — multiply that by you and your 2 or 3 buddies and they’re making a fortune . There’s a once a year huge train auction in my area every year and that’s where I only go from now on . Any other time it’s usually good old EBAY if I’m not in a hurry and where else can I get over 20,000 " O " scale items available every day ?
Getting back into the hobby I have gone to many “train shows”, “train show and meet”. In PA or here in NY. From what I see here on the forum, I am lucky where I’m at, cuz there have been many.
I have found them all to have “swap junk” and brandy-new in the box from what had to be a distributor, “out of home” LHS, and LHS’s. I have also searched quite thoroughly online. I have wholesaletrains.com only 45 mins away, and they have extensive listings.
I enjoy seeing layouts at these afairs, the larger having more than the smaller ones. I have seen new or recent vintage stuff that I may not have seen online or in my LHS (10 mins away). There have been things rarely available things here such as the european trains and buildings my partner is interested in.
I have found things like buildings cheaper than I could get new if I could get it new still, and RS that I havent seen elsewhere. I may pay retail, or “30% off for the show” or for a song or something, but if I want it and would pay (a dollar or two for used)for (this is new I mean) it in a LHS if I really really really had to have it, I buy it, as I would in the store. If I’m not willing to pay it, and cant bargain I move on. I have gotten some good deals, Im happy with what I got.
One thing I have found is that going to 3 of them all within 10-20 miles, all within 6 mos. is that you will see the same people (and goods) over and over.
I am going to the one in Springfield/Amherst MA (4 hr dr) this weekend and hope it to be spactacular, with some different vendors.
Go. enjoy them, if you dont like whats there, dont go again. Think of it as an adventure!
-G
I doubt that there is any difference between the wording or many of the shows, but I look foward to going ( Springfield this weekend and Timonium the following) just to look at stuff, and renew acquaintances with old friends. Keeps the juices flowing and the winter spirits up. I find things to buy that maybe somewhere else wouldn’t have and I also see neat stuff from other scales. But the best thing is the number of kids I see at these shows and at open houses. This is where memories will be made for these young people and where tomorrows model railroaders will first be introduced to this hobby. [:)] My two cents: take a kid or two to a train show/meet/swap or by any other name and grow the child and the hobby.
When I think of a swap meet, I think of a place where the vendors buy, sell, or trade items with the public. I so no vendors buying or trading items at the trains show I attended today in Columbus, OH. They were there to sell merchandise. I suppose if someone brought in so stuff they might do some horse trading but I so no evidence of any of that going on. They were trying to move their merchandise, whether it was new or used.
A show is where manufacturers show off new products, a swap meet is where people and dealers swap or sell whatever they got. But like the one guy said, thats no longer holds true.
While that may be true in some places, swap meets still exist here in the Northwest… while GATS and other “shows” mainly have new, high priced stuff and lots of layouts, there is a great swap meet put up here in Washington by the Boeing Model Railroad Club (Sorry if I did not get this perfect). This year was my first time to it and WOW… what great deals… PLUS, some real rare stuff there. I went nuts and found some great RARE vintage Suydam Kits for only 10 bucks, plus some other great deals (Cambpell’s Brewery , Proto2000 FA and FB for a steal)… at least they seemed great deals to me! Plus lots of used cars and a WESTERFIELD kit for only 15 bucks!!!.. anyways, if you like vintage mixed with new with great prices, the swap meets are great. If you like seeing layouts, then the shows are better (I take my son to them).
Brian
Like Hobo, here in the Northeast I’ve seen these venues evolve from reasonably priced, low entry fee, swap meets to nothing more than mobile hobby shops, the same sellers apparent at nearly every show, offering their wares at list (and above!) and where it cost $7 to $10 just to get in the show…plus paid parking.
I’m afraid that the days of dickering over price with the seller and getting really good deals, which once was a standard at swap meets/hobby shows, are long gone in my area (NY). I see most sellers’ wares today largely split between more or less the latest issued items and mostly dated secondhand and old junkers. To the newcomer such shows undoubtedly seem initially enticing. But to veterans, except for a select few shows, they are gatherings most often better avoided…unless you come specifically to view the layouts.
CNJ831
In Chicago area, we got the once-a-year “show” in McKormick Place. Its all Manf. and Dist. Actually is a general hobby show. Once a month there’s a “swap” at DuPage Co. Fairgrounds. Like you, it’s mostly hobby shop owners. Usually the prices are better than in their own stores, and pretty close to mail-order prices, but some still jack-up prices anyway(what makes them think someones gonna pay $50 for Athearn SD40-2 when the guy right next to him selling them for $25-30, I don’t know). Their’s also some collecors that will bargain, though. Then their’s the guys in their cars selling off enough of their 20 year old tycos to buy SOMETHING at the show.
I had my first experience selling stuff at a train show/swap meet last weekend in Central California. There was a train show the weekend before in Southern CA and a couple of the same vendors were there – and still had the same stuff! A lot of the stuff was overpriced, and nobody bought from them.
I had some pretty brisk sales, then again I was trying to liquidate my HO collection, and ended up selling half of it. Some vendors need to use some more creativity and marketing smarts. To just stand around a table of trains isn’t gonna cut it. I set up an ersatz “layout” made up of sectional track and just ran short trains back and forth…eventually people bought the power packs I used to run it! I also had some smartaleck/humorous posters I printed out for display. I had one such sign reading. “I JUST CAN’T CONTAIN MYSELF!” with a picture of a container on top and a list of prices for my HO scale containers and trailers…Long before the end of the say ALL OF THEM SOLD OUT! The laws of supply and demand were in effect here; I was probably the only used vendor selling intermodal items!
I had some pretty good prices for my stuff and people gobbled it up. I even sold a box of old broken Tyco/Bachmann/AHM junk (I could have just chucked it in the trash) for $7!
If you’re selling used stuff at a swapmeet and your prices are too high, you might as well not waste your time selling them.
I once went to a show some time ago and one person was selling off his handmade log cars for a few dollars. Before I knew it, I was in the logging business for less than 10 dollars with a hat full of logcars that were pretty good beating the Riverossi cars that were like 20 dollars apeice.
Do I still have them? No. The material in the log cars were stripped to use as bracing in some of my structures. Heh.