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Hello y'all. Would like to hear from those who have attended in the past, and some comments on the vendor situation/s. I definitely won't be attending on the weekend, if at all, and in fact I'd probably only be able to attend 1 day, Thursday. There doesn't appear to be any vendors on Wednesday. So, is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
I basically attend long distance train meets to obtain rare items, or to find juicy deals. Wondering if it's worth my time. Thanks.
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I'd say, yes, it is worth it if you are looking for unusual items, usually at good prices.? Wednesday night is dealer set up, so Thursday is the first real day for the vendor hall.? There is provision for a one-day admission.
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Hello y'all. Would like to hear from those who have attended in the past, and some comments on the vendor situation/s. I definitely won't be attending on the weekend, if at all, and in fact I'd probably only be able to attend 1 day, Thursday.
There doesn't appear to be any vendors on Wednesday. So, is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
I basically attend long distance train meets to obtain rare items, or to find juicy deals. Wondering if it's worth my time. Thanks.
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On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 08:18 AM, Chris Fauxturkey wrote:
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........ Your question is rather subjective and different folks will have different opinions.? Here is the way I look at it: One night hotel =? $135? Driving cost = $227? (IRS allows 67 cents per mile which resembles actual total driving cost.) Meals =? $80 ($40 per day to/from) Registration fee = not shown on website = $40 (guesstimate) Total out-of-pocket costs = $ 482 So, in order to break even financially, you would have to find $482 worth of "juicy deals" to make the trip "worth it".? Is that easy?? Or hard?? How "juicy" does a deal need to be?? One big "juicy" deal on a brass steam engine might do the job all by itself.? Or, numerous "less juicy" deals on smaller items might add up to match your costs.? Who knows how to predict what you will find? Not to mention all the intangible reasons for attending a convention:? face-time with good friends, clinics to learn new skills, real RR experiences and so forth.? All of these intangible reasons are probably more important to many folks than the cold hard financial facts.? Each to this own, I suppose. How much is pure unadulterated fun worth? That's how I look at it.? Good luck and have fun..........Ed Loizeaux -- Ed Loizeaux Los Altos, CA
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Hello Chris and All, Thanks to Jace and Ed for saying positive things about our convention, well, conventions in general, but we're next. One day registration is $30. No NASG membership required. You can pay at the door.
?The vendor hall is slated to be open Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. Friday it will be open from 9:00 until 5:00, and Saturday 9:00 until noon. I can't promise anything, but there are usually deals?to be had. Too bad you can't stay for the auction Saturday night. There are often some very good deals there.?
If you, or anyone else still needs a hotel room, contact me. I think I can still get you in at the convention rate.
And while I'm talking about conventions and auctions, remember good items make good auctions. Clear off some shelf space. You get 90% of the sales price with only 10% going to the NASG.
Jamie Bothwell Susquehannock II Convention Co-chairman
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 08:18 AM, Chris Fauxturkey wrote:
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........
Your question is rather subjective and different folks will have different opinions.? Here is the way I look at it:
One night hotel =? $135?
Driving cost = $227? (IRS allows 67 cents per mile which resembles actual total driving cost.)
Meals =? $80 ($40 per day to/from)
Registration fee = not shown on website = $40 (guesstimate)
Total out-of-pocket costs = $ 482
So, in order to break even financially, you would have to find $482 worth of "juicy deals" to make the trip "worth it".? Is that easy?? Or hard?? How "juicy" does a deal need to be?? One big "juicy" deal on a brass steam engine might do the job all by itself.? Or, numerous "less juicy" deals on smaller items might add up to match your costs.? Who knows how to predict what you will find?
Not to mention all the intangible reasons for attending a convention:? face-time with good friends, clinics to learn new skills, real RR experiences and so forth.? All of these intangible reasons are probably more important to many folks than the cold hard financial facts.? Each to this own, I suppose.
How much is pure unadulterated fun worth?
That's how I look at it.?
Good luck and have fun..........Ed Loizeaux
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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For many years I thought of the NASG
convention as the hi-lite of my summer and routinely
attended.--(then I got old)? I've always enjoyed the tours, the
auction, the clinics, sometimes a great meal or two, and sure, the
sales tables too.? I never thought of searching for bargains as a
big motivation although some cash always seems to disappear into
other's hands.?
I've only driven to three conventions?
while flying to the rest and Amtrak for two!? As always, I've
never put a price on travel as an expense but an opportunity to
see the country and perhaps catch a train or two.? Most, in this
neck of the woods would think of your trip as being a moderate
distance.?
Probably the best part is making long
term friendships that could be renewed each year.? The downside of
that is that, if you don't renew often enough, those personal
contacts end--but never over disagreements!??
I hope the conventions will not become
just another trainshow!
Bob Werre
Phototraxx
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Hello Chris and All,
Thanks to Jace and Ed for saying positive things about
our convention, well, conventions in general, but we're
next. One day registration is $30. No NASG membership
required. You can pay at the door.
?The vendor hall is slated to be open Thursday evening
from 6:30 to 9:30. Friday it will be open from 9:00 until
5:00, and Saturday 9:00 until noon. I can't promise
anything, but there are usually deals?to be had. Too bad you
can't stay for the auction Saturday night. There are often
some very good deals there.?
If you, or anyone else still needs a hotel room, contact
me. I think I can still get you in at the convention rate.
And while I'm talking about conventions and auctions,
remember good items make good auctions. Clear off some shelf
space. You get 90% of the sales price with only 10% going to
the NASG.
Jamie Bothwell
Susquehannock II Convention Co-chairman
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone?
What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........
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I guess I don’t get the hit n run aspect of attending. The selling room is unlike anything else for sure. For me the NASG convention was 99% family reunion. Unfortunately many regular attendees have passed. ? Of course it adds to the expense but stay a while and meet your S friends. If there is a 2025 it will almost surely not be 170 miles away from you. ? Thank You,
Bill Lane
Modeling the Mighty Pennsy, PRSL & Reading in 1957 in S Scale since 1987
See my finished models at:
Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! ? See my layout progress at:
Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society
It's FREE to join!??
Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL
?
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I will not be attending as travel is too difficult for me at my age>? Pete Silcox
I guess I don’t get the hit n run aspect of attending. The selling room is unlike anything else for sure. For me the NASG convention was 99% family reunion. Unfortunately many regular attendees have passed. ? Of course it adds to the expense but stay a while and meet your S friends. If there is a 2025 it will almost surely not be 170 miles away from you. ? Thank You,
Bill Lane
Modeling the Mighty Pennsy, PRSL & Reading in 1957 in S Scale since 1987
See my finished models at:
Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! ? See my layout progress at:
Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society
It's FREE to join!??
Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL
?
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This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
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HI Chris.
I find Ed's cost estimates somewhat pessimistic. Before I break my estimated costs down, and as one who enjoys driving, a distance of a mere 170 miles is no reason to pass up a chance to make new S scale friends. So. assuming you have to budget time and expenses, here's how I would do one day of the convention.: - Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks. so:
- Leave Saturday morning at 5:00 am (no groaning) and arrive at the convention table by 9:00.
- Spend the morning at the dealers' tables and attend afternoon clinics or simply socialize.
- You can now return home arriving by about 9:00 pm, or:
- Assuming the closing banquet is sold out, grab a nice meal somewhere, preferably with new found friends, and:
- Return for the Saturday night auction. Great deals and Jamie's auctioneering is not to be missed.
- If you booked a room somewhere, grab a night's sleep and enjoy a leisurely return Sunday morning or, leaving the auction, plan to be home by 2:00 am.
That's how I'd plan things but that's just me.
I'd like to wish all of my American friends a happy Independence Day and say how sorry I am that I've had to change my plans to attend Harrisburg. Have fun.
Jim Martin
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 1:40?PM Jamie Bothwell via <jamie.bothwell610= [email protected]> wrote: Hello Chris and All, Thanks to Jace and Ed for saying positive things about our convention, well, conventions in general, but we're next. One day registration is $30. No NASG membership required. You can pay at the door.
?The vendor hall is slated to be open Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. Friday it will be open from 9:00 until 5:00, and Saturday 9:00 until noon. I can't promise anything, but there are usually deals?to be had. Too bad you can't stay for the auction Saturday night. There are often some very good deals there.?
If you, or anyone else still needs a hotel room, contact me. I think I can still get you in at the convention rate.
And while I'm talking about conventions and auctions, remember good items make good auctions. Clear off some shelf space. You get 90% of the sales price with only 10% going to the NASG.
Jamie Bothwell Susquehannock II Convention Co-chairman
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 08:18 AM, Chris Fauxturkey wrote:
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........
Your question is rather subjective and different folks will have different opinions.? Here is the way I look at it:
One night hotel =? $135?
Driving cost = $227? (IRS allows 67 cents per mile which resembles actual total driving cost.)
Meals =? $80 ($40 per day to/from)
Registration fee = not shown on website = $40 (guesstimate)
Total out-of-pocket costs = $ 482
So, in order to break even financially, you would have to find $482 worth of "juicy deals" to make the trip "worth it".? Is that easy?? Or hard?? How "juicy" does a deal need to be?? One big "juicy" deal on a brass steam engine might do the job all by itself.? Or, numerous "less juicy" deals on smaller items might add up to match your costs.? Who knows how to predict what you will find?
Not to mention all the intangible reasons for attending a convention:? face-time with good friends, clinics to learn new skills, real RR experiences and so forth.? All of these intangible reasons are probably more important to many folks than the cold hard financial facts.? Each to this own, I suppose.
How much is pure unadulterated fun worth?
That's how I look at it.?
Good luck and have fun..........Ed Loizeaux
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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As an old skinflint Yankee, I pass up the hotel dining area: there is a Panera perhaps a hundred yards behind the hotel, and a Friendly's not much further.? I did treat myself to the banquet (food was very good) for the auction (and because my ride was staying
until the next morning)
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HI Chris.
I find Ed's cost estimates somewhat pessimistic. Before I break my estimated costs down, and as one who enjoys driving, a distance of a mere 170 miles is no reason to pass up a chance to make new S scale
friends. So. assuming you have to budget time and expenses, here's how I would do one day of the convention.:
- Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks. so:
- Leave Saturday morning at 5:00 am (no groaning) and arrive at the convention table by 9:00.
- Spend the morning at the dealers' tables and attend afternoon clinics or simply socialize.
- You can now return home arriving by about 9:00 pm, or:
- Assuming the closing banquet is sold out, grab a nice meal somewhere, preferably with new found friends, and:
- Return for the Saturday night auction. Great deals and Jamie's auctioneering is not to be missed.
- If you booked a room somewhere, grab a night's sleep and enjoy a leisurely return Sunday morning or, leaving the auction, plan to be home by 2:00 am.
That's how I'd plan things but that's just me.
I'd like to wish all of my American friends a happy Independence Day and say how sorry I am that I've had to change my plans to attend Harrisburg. Have fun.
Jim Martin
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 1:40?PM Jamie Bothwell via
<jamie.bothwell610= [email protected]> wrote:
Hello Chris and All,
Thanks to Jace and Ed for saying positive things about our convention, well, conventions in general, but we're next. One day registration is $30. No NASG membership required. You can pay at the door.
?The vendor hall is slated to be open Thursday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. Friday it will be open from 9:00 until 5:00, and Saturday 9:00 until noon. I can't promise anything, but there are usually deals?to be had. Too bad you can't stay for the auction
Saturday night. There are often some very good deals there.?
If you, or anyone else still needs a hotel room, contact me. I think I can still get you in at the convention rate.
And while I'm talking about conventions and auctions, remember good items make good auctions. Clear off some shelf space. You get 90% of the sales price with only 10% going to the NASG.
Jamie Bothwell
Susquehannock II Convention Co-chairman
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 08:18 AM, Chris Fauxturkey wrote:
is it worth it to drive 170 miles for that alone? What is the cost of admission (for members obviously).
Hi Chris........
Your question is rather subjective and different folks will have different opinions.? Here is the way I look at it:
One night hotel =? $135?
Driving cost = $227? (IRS allows 67 cents per mile which resembles actual total driving cost.)
Meals =? $80 ($40 per day to/from)
Registration fee = not shown on website = $40 (guesstimate)
Total out-of-pocket costs = $ 482
So, in order to break even financially, you would have to find $482 worth of "juicy deals" to make the trip "worth it".? Is that easy?? Or hard?? How "juicy" does a deal need to be?? One big "juicy" deal on a brass steam engine might do the job all by itself.?
Or, numerous "less juicy" deals on smaller items might add up to match your costs.? Who knows how to predict what you will find?
Not to mention all the intangible reasons for attending a convention:? face-time with good friends, clinics to learn new skills, real RR experiences and so forth.? All of these intangible reasons are probably more important to many folks than the cold hard
financial facts.? Each to this own, I suppose.
How much is pure unadulterated fun worth?
That's how I look at it.?
Good luck and have fun..........Ed Loizeaux
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
|
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 01:28 PM, Jim & Cheryl Martin wrote:
Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks.
Jim.........With all due respect, gasoline is not the only cost of driving a car.? Ask the IRS.? Things like tires, brakes, oil changes, etc. all wear out due to driving around.? ?The less obvious items like depreciation, insurance, appearance, etc. are all related to driven miles as well.? The IRS has added it all up for us to be about 67 cents per mile.? A small econo-car will be a bit less.? A monster truck-like vehicle can be a lot more.? Worth thinking about.? Cheers........Ed L. ? -- Ed Loizeaux Los Altos, CA
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Hi Ed. I get what you're saying and my use of the word "pessimistic" doesn't imply inaccuracy. Most of us don't think like CPAs or tax accountants when we're behind the wheel. If we did we'd never take pleasure drives. A 340 mile round trip is a miniscule amount in the overall life of an automobile and calculating all the diverse costs per mile as a way of evaluating the worth of a trip gets us where?? For Chris, the upfront cost is just the gas and it's not a lot when weighed against the benefits of attending the Harrisburg convention.
Take the drive Chris. have a good time.
Cheers Jim Martin.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 01:28 PM, Jim & Cheryl Martin wrote:
Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks.
Jim.........With all due respect, gasoline is not the only cost of driving a car.? Ask the IRS.? Things like tires, brakes, oil changes, etc. all wear out due to driving around.? ?The less obvious items like depreciation, insurance, appearance, etc. are all related to driven miles as well.? The IRS has added it all up for us.? A small econo-car will be a bit less.? A monster truck-like vehicle can be a lot more.? Worth thinking about.? Cheers........Ed L.
?
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Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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I'm looking forward to my first NASG Convention...and as a new S Gauger I'm coming with a lot of questions !? It's a 7 hour drive for me.? But isn't that what retirement is all about?
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024, 9:22 PM Jim & Cheryl Martin via <themartins= [email protected]> wrote:
Hi Ed. I get what you're saying and my use of the word "pessimistic" doesn't imply inaccuracy. Most of us don't think like CPAs or tax accountants when we're behind the wheel. If we did we'd never take pleasure drives. A 340 mile round trip is a miniscule amount in the overall life of an automobile and calculating all the diverse costs per mile as a way of evaluating the worth of a trip gets us where?? For Chris, the upfront cost is just the gas and it's not a lot when weighed against the benefits of attending the Harrisburg convention.
Take the drive Chris. have a good time.
Cheers Jim Martin.
On Thu, Jul 4, 2024 at 01:28 PM, Jim & Cheryl Martin wrote:
Gasoline costs in Penn are less than four bucks a gallon.? If your vehicle gets between 25.30 mpg, total fuel costs should not be more than 50 - 60 bucks.
Jim.........With all due respect, gasoline is not the only cost of driving a car.? Ask the IRS.? Things like tires, brakes, oil changes, etc. all wear out due to driving around.? ?The less obvious items like depreciation, insurance, appearance, etc. are all related to driven miles as well.? The IRS has added it all up for us.? A small econo-car will be a bit less.? A monster truck-like vehicle can be a lot more.? Worth thinking about.? Cheers........Ed L.
?
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Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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Guys ... at best I could be there on Thursday for a few hours. Not likely I'll make new friends, can't stay overnight, fri - sun just ain't happening. So for me it's admission plus gas (I eat everyday so that's not an extra expense).
?I do have to be at work Friday morning. So it's looking like it may be too much for justb1 day. If there were crazy deala on scale equipment likely to be had, then I just might venture out there. It seems I may have to pass this show up. Thanks for all the input though.
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This will be my first NASG Convention, as well. We're driving from Flagstaff, AZ to Harrisburg, via Raleigh NC. That's about 2500 miles. Of course, we're making an adventure of it, stopping to visit friends and family along the way. After the convention, we're heading up to Maine to visit our son, then down the east coast to Florida, with more visiting stops along the way, then back to AZ along the southern I-10 route - also more visiting. In all, about 5 to 6 weeks and I don't even want to calculate how many miles. So for us, it's more than just attending a convention. But that was the original motivation for the trip. Besides our friends and family, I'm looking forward to meeting many of you in person, especially those I've been working with on Dispatch article submissions.
Our adventure begins Sunday morning!
Phil Scandura
Flagstaff, AZ
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Bob Werre
Bill Lane
Pete Silcox
pscandura