2020 Spring Train Show Schedule for Upstate NY

Of the shows covered by this thread, all have been cancelled save three; the Amsterdam show sometime in the fall, the Fulton show postponed to June, and the Schoharie show which was scheduled for June anyways which I have an email out to check on. All of the other shows have specifically said their next show is either their fall show, or will be in 2021 for the annual shows. And all but the last three (Fulton, Lockport, Schoharie) would already have happened by now anyways.


I did a preliminary fall thread already, as about 75% of the September to December shows are confirmed, including BCT, Clayton, Massena, TTCS Depew, Syracuse, Fall Fulton, Batavia, Albany Polish Center, Hamburg, Binghamton, TTCS Rochester, TTCS N. Tonowanda, GTE Albany, and RIT. Those not yet confirmed were TCA Orchard Park, TTCS Olean, Port Jervis, Kingston, Scranton, the Cheektowaga Train-O-Rama, S. Glens Falls, Norwich, Broadway Market, Sanborn and add to that the postponed Amsterdam show. Thinking I might be missing an Elmira area show in that, but it could be a TCA show I'm thinking of and they cut back on their events in 2019. Of those not confirmed I can guestimate dates for all but Norwich (conflict on usual date), S. Glens Falls (moved a month back from usual date) and Amsterdam (all new). Because of that and my inability to edit an error in the post I will probably do a new post in July or August as before. Some of these shows never update until fairly close to their show dates.

When anybody be able to walk into a store and buy an N95 mask? That will be about the time train shows might open.

Per email Schoharie is still on as of this point. What, if any changes will be called for by social distancing are unknown.

It wouldn't bother me to set up outside, with my own tents and tables, frankly. That would solve most of that problem. Everyone could be set up 10 feet apart with guys most vulnerable to rain indoors and the rest outside.



You also have to consider the possibility that come fall this thing will come back and the same fools will play the same games with it.

Al Seebach, Old & Weary Car Shop owner and kit maker, has died from COVID-19. He's been a vendor and spectator at the shows over the years.

I saw that.. al was a nice guy to talk to... really sad

Just to put a cap on this while I haven't heard anything definitive the guidelines of the reopen plans appear to prevent the last two June events from taking place. Just the number of vendors alone would likely exceed the limits on people gathering. IMHO you need to be able to have a minimum of 100 people gathered at one time to have any chance of success and even then likely it would mean needing to count people coming in and after a certain point you'd have to make people wait to go in until someone leaves. Vendors would have to be restricted to one person manning their tables. Would be greatly frustrating for everyone.

The other alternative may be to put it outdoors under a tent. Schoharie likely can do that.




In other news I may try to do the Clayton show in the fall. The car show I normally do they have already cancelled even though it's four months away. I greatly question the sanity of this move. But it's okay, if I get to do Clayton and do well, I'll just do that for the forseeable future.

Well, I was wrong. Fulton show is on as of now for this weekend. 12 vendors. They say they figured it out. I presume masks will be required like everywhere else.

Through a last minute cancel I ended up with two tables at today's "protest". While the attendance was very slow, the sales were good considering, I did better than I expected and as good as at some much larger shows with 20 times the people through the door in a day. So I have no complaints.

Will go back in the morning. The department's kitchen was open and very reasonable prices, too. They managed to fit in layouts in O, S, HO, N, Z and even some standard gauge. Vendors there with a selection of used, new, HO, N, Lionel O, Flyer, books and magazines.

Presuming sanity returns, the fall Fulton show will also be held here, they may go one less layout for more vendor space but it works out pretty well here, easy access for vendors, parking is pretty reasonable, the only issue I see them having is I didn't see a real handicapped equipped bathroom stall, with the handlebars and so forth. But that's probably not a big deal to remedy.

Paid a visit to Volney Sunday. Certainly not crowded, but there were people shopping and looking around. I made several purchases, plus lunch, and had nice chats with several of the vendors.

Of course, the one thing on my list wasn't available - someone had cleaned out a vendor's complete stock on Saturday...

I think overall attendance was around 150. Considering everything the show had going against it, the date, the weather, being new, and of course everything related to the virus, they did okay. And those who did come, brought money; while I didn't set any sales records, it was very good for the crowd size, particularly considering I've done events where 800 to 1500 have come in and sold about the same money.

My guess is were they able to advertise more widely and hold it on it's actual April weekend they could pull that 800-1000, and likely a 50% increase in sales would come with it.

I almost thought I would sell something I've had for ages that's a fairly high dollar item, but the friend of the guy who spotted it had already bought one elsewhere.



Now, the Middleburgh & Schoharie museum's show planned for June 13 is showing postponed. I don't see any other info beyond that. They have other events during the year so it could get rescheduled for later on.

Me and my family went on a trip in Germany, to celebrate the ending of the year.