Some may think I am crazy, but I did it anyway. I spent some time this afternoon trying to make my Micro-trains log cars look a little more realistic, and that included the N Scale Collector Banquet Car.
That was my thought. Some great looking logs, but your attention is immediately drawn to those shiny little pizza cutters. If you can weather the trucks like you can the logs and throw it into a detailed scene, I'd be hard pressed to tell its in fact a model.
YOU WEATHERED MTL CARS!!!!!!!!!! HORRORS!!! OH GOLLY GOSH DARN!! You realize that there N Scale Collector Members having major heart attacks RIGHT NOW! You weathered a NSC Banquet car also?!?! Something must be wrong! You DO NOT weather KD/MTL cars PERIOD. It doesn't matter that the cars are YOURS. You destroyed the value! This is the exact reason that after the 2008 Derby City Express Convention here in Louisville, I realized that most, not all, NSC members could care less about Model Railroading. All they cared about was collecting and owning KD/MTL cars in the little plastic jewel cases. NEVER running the cars on a layout. I've realized that I am a MODEL RAILROADER, not a collector. My NSC membership will NOT be renewed after it runs out in 2010. Your cars really look very good!! Now slop on some more rust, more dust, more weathering and run 'em on your layout. Real rolling stock NEVER is clean.
WOW at least you got the banquet car... i signed up ...even went to convention activities ...but had to work that sat night... so no NSC car for me well that is the last time i go to an NSC convention... sorry guys there should have been a Goody Bag at registration with goody's in it ... not just a bunch -o- paper... whoo hoo...( take a tip from a Porsche Club member the PCA conventions ROCK ) ... and i too agree with you ... if they are collectors... why have a "Layout" tour ... a prototype tour? and Ntrak layouts set up... and oh my the height of blasphemy is getting a new C-50-9 mtl SP bay window and actually running it... by the way the weathering looks Great !! you did a god job keep up the good work... and LONG LIVE MODEL RAILROADERS... kd7
WOW!!! The Cars look great I never thought to weather and detail the log loads WOW!!! Now put some Fox Valley wheels on those cars and weather the trucks and you will never be able to tell the difference!!!:tb-ooh:
kd7, I know what you mean, the Portland Convention was my first and it'll be my last N Scale Collector's Convention. It wasn't nearly as much fun as some Ntrak conventions that I've been to in the past. I was part of the United Northwest Club's Ntrak division layout and I understand that the layout planners had a really difficult time in getting the layout areas arranged because one of the NSC officers felt that the layouts weren't really needed and that they (the NSC) were doing the clubs a favor in allowing them show at their convention. I personally locked horns with the current NSC convention chair on Friday morning and if it hadn't been for the intervention of the previous NSC convention chair (on my behalf), I'd probably would've wanted to take our layout out of the convention that morning.
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. The banquet car has always been the "banquet car"-- you had to buy a ticket and show up at the banquet to get it. The non-warm welcome received is, sad to say, not especially unique as far as I know. I think some of these unfortunate experiences at Portland related here underscore a couple of things: - First, Porkypine is right about the "collector mentality" and I could provide some examples of this myself, but I honestly don't think it's "most" among the members of the NSC. Certainly some of the better-known names among the NSC are in the "buy and hold and don't open" arena. But I know from personal interaction that some of the better known names aren't. It would not be inaccurate to expect that those camps don't get along. - My experience with the proportion of the "silent majority" that I know, a number of which overlap NSC memberships with UMTRR readership, just reinforces my use of the term "accumulator" versus "collector". An "accumulator" is someone who has more equipment than can fit on the layout at any one time-- and that's nearly all of us, which is the point. There's not any real point in N Scalers throwing rocks at each other as far as I can see. - I don't think that the attitudes of some few folks are indicative of the entire group. There wouldn't be layout tours, N-Trak etc. if the membership at large didn't indicate that this was what they wanted, year after year. I've been to two NSC-cons and due to the sheer expense involved, I doubt I'll be at another one anytime soon. Full disclosure: Those of you who read the NSC magazine know that I contribute to each issue an excerpt from the UMTRR (except for the first issue of the year for which I do the MTL "Year in Review" piece). It's never about "how much I can resell this car for" though, but on the "story" behind the car.
Tongue-In-Cheek Itinerary of Events Arrive with Micro-Trains not sold on eBay Registration Purchase all of NSC Special Run Convention Cars offered Discouraged Room Sales Excursions Clinics on Investing Excursions Swap-A-Rama with every Micro-Trains ever made being out for sale but nothing being sold Clinics on the value of letting the NSC auction your Micro-Trains for you and the evils of eBay Live Auction of Micro-Trains not sold at the Swap-A-Rama Excursions Rubber Chicken Dinner with awards and accolades for each of the NSC officers Manufacturers Breakfast Room Sales of Micro-Trains not sold at the Live Auction Pack-up all Micro-Trains brought to NSC since they did not sell Pack-up all non Micro-Trains purchased at convention Departure Seriously, very nice job on the cars.
Good looking changes. I like the weathering. My wife and I both got one at the Banquet. As I don't model logging railroads, they will probably just make a few rounds on the club NTRAK layout every now and then to get people's attention. I managed to sell everything I took in the auctions or in room sales. I even sold some of Hemi's stuff. Most things sold well below the original sticker price. I was not looking to make a killing, just unload stuff. I think that is the aditude of most folks doing room sales. The few that were holding out for "Collector" prices did not move much inventory. Not counting the cost of the trip, registration and a week at the hotel, it is still not a good way to make money. Most everyone I hung out with was just having a good time and enjoyed being with fellow N scalers. The BS sessions in Kim Saign's and Kirk Ready's rooms were epic. The excursions and home tours were fun and I got to know a lot of folks face to face that I only met on line before. Most people I talked to had layouts at home and ran most of what they owned. I suppose there were some hard core collectors I bumped into but I don't know which ones they were.
I guess I was lucky, because I had a great time! I don't know where you ate, but the chicken I had was very good. Grilled, then topped with apples & chesse. Not to mention the 3 pieces Prime Rib I had were also very good. The food at the hotel was very good. It wasn''t cheap. It was higher than NYC prices in some cases. But there were other places nearby. Overall, I think it was a great convention.:thumbs_up:
SW and Russ, I don't think you were lucky-- I think the vast majority of folks that attend the NSC-cons really do have a good time. I know that I enjoyed meeting people I had only corresponded with previously, and it was nice to fit faces with names (or e-mail addresses and forum handles). To Bob's point, at the two NSC-Cons I've attended, there was a bunch of stuff at Swap-A-Ramas that didn't sell. I think that there is an amazing concentration of "buy low sell high" and "I already have this anyway" which results in, well, no results. Couple that with the current economic situation and I'm not surprised that sales under sticker price were found. It's my opinion that there's been an almost completely across the board collapse of the aftermarket for N Scale in general. Just look at eBay. There is a particular Micro-Trains car that is supposed to be extremely rare and as such hit a multi-hundred dollar high bid value (which is, in some circles, equated to "this is the minimum you should be paying for this car in perpetuity). At one table, a vendor had eight copies of this "rare" car. They were priced significantly under the "high bid" value, but can you guess how many sold? But that having been said, there is value in an association like the N Scale Collector's Society. (I wish they'd consider changing the name...) And that is the sharing of the interest in the various products in 1:160 that have been produced over the years. That's not just Micro-Trains-- you do know that Paul Graf, COO of Atlas, is the new editor of the magazine, right? And that George Johnsen, founder of deLuxe Innovations, was the previous editor? That's not just "rare" items-- there is a subgroup interested in Atlas First Generation stuff, and that's hardly a scarce or expensive commodity. And it's not even just rolling stock anymore-- Carter Fritsch and others have contributed content about the numerous N Scale vehicles available now and in the past. The NSCS really is a pretty big tent. If it weren't, I would have turned in my resignation a long time ago.
Thanks George. This is almost exactly my view too. I went to the Portland Convention, and enjoyed it. I also sold a significant number of kits. A lot of folks who went were modelers and run trains on layouts. It was also good to talk to so many folk who were knowledgeable and interested in N Scale. I have only been to two US Conventions, the NMRA at Anaheim last year and the NSC at Portland. I enjoyed the atmosphere at the NSC more, and although we sold slightly more at the NMRA the booth costs were significantly higher. Also the contacts that we made in Portland were significantly more focussed on N Scale. It can only be one trip a year for me, and it is more liklely to be the NSC rather than the NMRA I think. It was really good to speak directly to a number of key players in the hobby, both on the manufacturing side and modelers. Peter Peter Harris N Scale Kits N Scale Kits
Bob, I think you hit the nail square on the head. The guy behind me at the swap meet sold almost none of his cars but did have a few things walk off. As for me was busy both days selling to the none collectors. The structure weathering Clinic was well attended , I took 40 outhouse kits as hand outs and they were all taken fast and kit sales were great. So there were some builders and runners there. In fact I think everyone in the clinic said they had a layout. I also had the N scale .org special run car there sold 2 and that was at the bar, Think most just had MT car burn-out. As for the layouts they were right next to us and looked to have a good crowd around them most of the time. As going to another one unless it is back here in the NW is a question , next year in Huston is going to be one HOT sucker for sure BTDT. rich www.rslaserkits.com
As I am on the committee for hosting next year's NSC convention here in the Houston area (the convention hotel will be here in Sugar Land), I am leaning all kinds of stuff I did not know. The convention banquet cars are chosen by Micro Trains and the details are kept secret until the night of the banquet. This year's car was a tribute to the past NCS Convention Chairman Dean Daughenbaugh. One if his favorite sayings had something to do with "steering the log". Must be an old lumber jack thing from the Pacific North West? Anyway the joke had something to do with not really being in control as the log was really going wherever the railroad took it. Past years cars were not as facifull but were usually somehow related to the region where the convention was located. If you have any ideas for next years car I suppose you could send them to MT and maybe influence them. Gee, maybe they could do another version of an Imperial Sugar tank car. Our committee is working hard to make the next convention a great one and are trying to avoid the problems and issues that have serfaced in past ones. We have confidence that we can put on an awsome convention. Your feedback is always welcome.
