The National Farm Toy Show was found by Toy Farmer Magazine in 1978.   Farm Toy collectors can trace the strength of the hobby back to this show.   Before Toy Farmer and the National farm toy collecting was limited to individuals scattered around the country.  Right from the start collectors attending the National had an opportunity to carry home a commemorative tractor offered by the Toy Farmer.  Today there are 26 National Farm Toy Show tractors marking the longevity of the show.  Toy Farmer has worked with the Ertl Company on all 26 models from the 1978 IH 560 show tractor through the 2003 John Deere 7520.  The first 25 show tractors were 2wd tractors featuring all American brands.  In 2003 Toy Farmer decided to start the next 25 years of the show with a 1/32 John Deere 4wd.  The new series allows younger and new collectors to join the Toy Farmer series from the start.  It seems that collectors voted overwhelming in favor of the new series by ordering 10,700 tractors. This is good news because Toy Farmer helped the hobby for years offering classic Steiger and Big Bud 4wds.  Now collectors have new classic 4wds to look forward to each year at the national.   If you did not order a 7020 you missed out on a super model with a windowed cab, hand rails and 3pt hitch. 

       "Things That Used to Be" will highlight some of the scarcer National tractors. The early show tractors like the 1978 IH 560 were made in small quantities.  Only 500 560's were made for the show. A new box model shown on the November TTT Index will bring $1,000. This model from Ertl comes in the first Toy Farmer box. Each box had a sticker with the Toy Farmer name placed on it by hand.  The early tractors are scarce were limited to about 1,000 units.  In the early days of the hobby  there were not as many collectors.  Today with thousands of collectors world wide these early show tractors are in demand.  With very few on the market and many tucked away in private collections, a collector looking for a full National tractor set can expect to pay top dollar.   In our modern times it pays to order your national show tractor when Toy Farmer announces it.   The models offered over the past few years have doubled and tripled in price at toy dealers tables and on e-bay. Below are some of the top dollar models offered by Toy Farmer over the years along with production numbers in brackets. 

1978 IH Farmall 560 $750 (500)

1979 Allis-Chalmers 7080 $400 (1,000)

1980 Case 2590 $595 (1,000) 

1981 Massey-Ferguson 590 $595 (770)

1982 John Deere 4250 $595 (1,550)

1983 Ford 7710 $395 (1,250)

2001 John Deere 4520 $165

2002 Oliver 1950T $125 

2003 John Deere 7020 already $55

Two excellent on-line Toy dealers offering quality top condition National Farm Toy Show tractors are http://www.redwagonantiques.com  and http://www.bossenimp.com/

TTT November 2003 Page 14

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