DYERSVILLE, Iowa — Each year farm toy collectors from around the world converge on Dyersville, Iowa, for the world’s largest farm toy show.
The 31st annual National Farm Toy Show held in early November was a big success, according to Cathy Scheibe, owner of Toy Farmer Publications, sponsor of the show.
The community of Dyersville is known as the “Farm Toy Capital of the World.”
The elite farm toy auction of the year, managed by Cornwell Inc. of Aurora, Neb., is held in conjunction with the show.
Rare items
This year’s auction offered many rare and unusual farm collector items. A John Deere horse-drawn walk-behind single-bottom plow that sold for $13,500 topped the sale.
The plow was a 1937 replica of the first plow made by John Deere in 1837.
Another rare piece which brought $3,500 was a 1:8 scale, predominately wood, threshing machine made in the United Kingdom.
Hot new collector items
The major U.S. farm toy manufacturers exhibited their newest releases at the show.
The RC2 Corporation is known for their Ertl brand collector and play toys. Scale Models is best known for its Made in America line of toys. And, SpecCast specializes in high-detail collector toys.
Toy Farmer Publications offers two magazines for the toy collector buff. Toy Farmer covers the farm toy collection hobby and Toy Trucker & Contractor is for those interested in trucks and construction equipment.
For more information, visit www.toyfarmer.com or www.toytrucker.com or call 800-533-8293.
