Question

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Wonderful photo. True to life with kitties. Noel used to explore all over the layout, esp. into the tunnels . An indicator I had that she had been present were the tufts of fur globbed onto the utility pole arms . And of course, the random pedestrian carnage, occasionally . It was all okay. We were all happy.

[Wolf]

That's DEFINITELY a very wide load in that train!

[MurphOnMillerAve]

This month's TCA Meet @ York, PA is admitting "the public" for the first time. If I recall correctly after reading a lengthy conversation on OGR , as well as a recent posting by MTH about this, Friday and Saturday will be the days for admittance to non-TCA hobbyists/customers.

Anybody have any viewpoints, predictions or theories about this change, and/or about our hobby in general, as possibly evidenced by this change?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Anybody have any predictions or theories about the this change,

There appear to be those that believe that the world will come to an end; these same individuals also fear changing their socks and interactions with the opposite sex other than their mother whom they still live with.

I for one don't feel that it will matter at all nor do I actually care other than to seize the moment to point and laugh, preferably while staying upwind of the entire debacle..

and/or about our hobby in general, as possibly evidenced by this change?

Our hobby has very little to be measured by this event alone, if at all. It is at best an inconsequential blip of static above the background of random white noise.....

[Mitch]

'bout the only thing that would be different is that there may not be as many "good deals" for the regulars on Thursday and Friday as many of the dealers might hold out for the "suckers" (not too train educated), on Saturday. Don't affect me one way or the other.

[webenda]

and/or about our hobby in general, as possibly evidenced by this change?

Our hobby has very little to be measured by this event alone, if at all. It is at best an inconsequential blip of static above the background of random white noise.....

Exactly Rufus, exactly so.

[HONDO74]

York has always been a train MEET and not a train SHOW. The big reason for that was because of Penn state taxes. If it is now open to the public will the members now have to collect and pay taxes on what they sell ?????

This does not affect the dealers because they do anyway.

And if individuals now have to deal with taxes will they also have to declare the profit they made and declare it on their income taxes. I don't know, I am just asking how it will work...

[MurphOnMillerAve]

There's no question about having to include what anybody makes/ earns at that meet, dealer or not, as income, reported to the IRS.

As a dealer in the Orange Hall, I can assure you, taxes were reported after each meet, based on total sales, and PAID. If a vendor does not pay those taxes, and on time, they are not granted a space in a hall at the next meet.

[HONDO74]

Since I have never been to York I don't have a clue how any of it works. I am going by what I have seen posted on OGR in years past.

What about in the members halls where they buy,sell and trade the older trains and related items. Do they give sales receipts for every item they sell. How do they value what is being traded ??

[Rufus T. Firefly]

What about in the members halls where they buy,sell and trade the older trains and related items. Do they give sales receipts for every item they sell. How do they value what is being traded ??

Those are not open to the public and considered to be operations within a private club by the members thereof; lots of cash only transactions and no records keeping in general. Value is set by what you can sell it for today.

[rogruth]

I have never understood the difference between a "meet" and a "show".
Would some of you please explain?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I have never understood the difference between a "meet" and a "show".
Would some of you please explain?

My interpretation is that a "meet" is for those in the club - in the hobby, actively.

A "show" is for anybody with the means and mind to wander in, to gawk, wonder, peruse, and maybe even buy, or at least, get hooked.

[rogruth]

Murph,
That makes sense.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

New question:
Aliens. Are "they" already here?
In the last ten years, it has been my observation that scientists have been discovering a great deal of life forms living in "our" oceans that had not been seen previously, let alone studied. In fact, I heard it said (on TV) that we know more about the Moon than we know about what is in our oceans.

Now, I'm not saying everything has to have 2, 4, or even 8 limbs, or an endoskeleton, or an exoskeleton, or a carapace, or shell. HOWEVER, yeegods, some of the diaphanous (look the word up and you'll see some of them pictured there as illustrations), wispy entities flowing and drifting or "swimming" around in the oceans, especially in the deepest parts, seem to be, well, alien. Maybe they are from another planet.

Sure, one can say that since they are able to live in our world, they are natives, with the same chemistry and all. Well, I am not from India, and if I go there to live, that doesn't make me a native.

Some of these ocean-dwellers almost look "made-up," like they were designed for a science fiction movie about aliens. Some look too fanciful to be used in such a movie, seen as too far-out to be believable in such a tale. Have you seen some of these creatures?!

Don't say I didn't warn ya'.
Murph (no, I don't think the sky is falling ; I just wonder if some of its already been here.)

I await your imaginative and open-minded replies, if you please. (Scoffing and ridicule would work, too, I can take it.)
P.S. And how about viruses? They do not fit into the plant or animal kingdoms. So, what are they and where are they from to be able to be so lethal to humans? Hhhhmmmmmm?!!!! Did meteors bring them to Earth?

[rogruth]

It seems that there are many that think "aliens" must have built all of the large buildings that have been found on Earth that pre-date written history.
At least that is how it seems since there are so many programs on TV about those things. Primitive man, which to some seems to be anybody from before the 15th century, could not have made that stuff. Also remember that man was probably brought to Earth by Aliens just to see what would happen. Now I like science fiction.That doesn't mean I believe all that I have read. I'm still waiting for the flying cars and the rolling roads. Oh wait.
We don't have those things because GM, Ford, et al are against them. And I'm still waiting to see a Yeti.

This is fun.