Lessons from York - Part One: Diversity

Dad and I recently returned from our semi-annual trip to the Train Collectors Association (TCA) Eastern Division toy train meet in York, PA. This is the largest such show in the United States and provides an interesting snapshot of the state of the hobby. 

It can also hint at the current state of collecting in general. As is our tradition, we spent a lot of time discussing what we saw a lot of (and what we didn't) -- and the reasons behind them.

Diversity

When TCA started back in the 1950s, the founders were interested in the toy trains of their youth. And that youth was ca. 1915-1928. As the organization aged, newer members were also interested in the toys of their youth. And as the demographics changed, so did collecting interests. And so did the mix of toy trains available at shows, such as the York meet.

The moving window of nostalgia
For a while, interest seemed to settle in the immediate pre- and postwar years. That included classic Lionel 0 gauge and American Flyer S gauge. Increasingly, though, other gauges have crept into the show.

Most folks join the organization in their late middle age (or older).  If you're 65 now, then your Golden Age of trains would be the from the mid-1960s. Bigger-sized trains were on their way out. H0 was on the rise. So these collectors are interested in vintage H0. And we saw many tables offering a variety of H0 sets and unassembled kits from the late 1950s through the late 1960s.

If you're in your mid-50s, then your Golden Age would be the early 1970s. That marks the appearance of N-gauge trains, with Aurora's Postage Stamp Train sets. We also saw an increased presence of N-scale rolling stock -- especially from the 1970s and 1980s.

Limited real estate for growing categories
The York train meet has a finite number of tables. Every table stocked with N-scale, H0 scale, or even S gauge American Flyer is one less table full of vintage Lionel trains. For years, the statement "I collect toy trains" was equivalent to "I collect Lionel trains." No longer.

The shifting product mixes indicate (at least to me) a shift in collector interest. And that type of shift only occurs when new collectors replace older ones.

It's a reality I've heard about from collectors in other fields. The hobby continues to mature. The real question is whether it will continue to grow. The collecting window is moving past the era when trains under the tree was a holiday tradition.

The good old days are different now
Most older collectors point to the first Lionel train they (or their family) received at Christmas as their entry into the hobby. Those trains were usually packed away and only brought out with the rest of the holiday decorations.

H0 and N scale collectors don't normally have that same association. Their first train sets may or may not have arrived at Christmas. But normally their layouts remained set up year-round. So the vintage trains they seek may have pleasant childhood associations, but probably not as strong as a childhood Christmas memory.

How will that different perception affect the hobby? I'm not sure. We'll just have to revisit the train show in April and see.

 Next: Deacquisition