Farm Toys: What Do You Collect?

Often when collectors begin to collect a certain items, it's out of fascination for that particular item.  It's when you really dive into collecting that you find that you become interested in one specific type or brand within a niche.  For farm toy collectors what does this mean?

For most collectors of toy tractors, there are usually two different ways to differentiate your collection.  The first way would be to collect just one brand of farm toys.  The more popular brands include Ertl or SpecCast, but other brands like Britains Farm Toys are also popular among collectors.  It's always interesting to see the evolution of farm toys made by one manufacturer and each goes through seasons of building good quality farm toys as well as poor quality ones.  It's when a company really tries to cut costs that collectors and enthusiasts end up getting the short end of the stick when this happens.

Another way to collector farm toys is to collect based on brand of tractor.  Maybe you're a fan of John Deere tractors and the earlier Waterloo Boy tractors, or maybe it's a Canadian brand like Cockshutt.  What about some of the other obscure brands like Universal, Zetor and Fendt that only enjoyed moderate success in North America?  It's always interesting to watch the evolution of the actual real tractors as well.  It doesn't matter if you're a farmer or you live in the city, these are fun toys to collect!

Pedal Tractors

Now for a something a little different. While collecting small diecast farm toys is exciting and fascinating, what about some larger farm toys? Pedal tractors have been around for many years and early on they were enjoyed simply as toys, before becoming popular collectibles. Made to look much like their larger counterpart, pedal tractors are most often made with diecast metal and feature steering that works along with a working 3 point hitch in some cases. You can either purchase a new pedal tractor, made to look like an older model, or if your budget permits, you can get a nice antique pedal tractor. An antique pedal tractor will likely cost a few hundred dollars or more, but owning such a unique piece of history is certainly worth it!

Universal Hobbies Tractors

Die-cast toys have been around ever since the 1920s. These early toys were usually made of zamak (an alloy of zinc and aluminum). Scale models of automobiles, aircraft, construction equipment and trains were very popular. Dowst Brothers were the pioneers of die-cast metal toys in the United States. Impurities in the metal alloy used meant that the models then produced were not very durable. Cracks would soon appear and the model would soon be unusable. This explains why so few models of the 1920s still exist.

With the increase in technical proficiency, models became not only durable but also very detailed and realistic. Die-cast toys emulated their originals in true perfection, and if it were not for their size would certainly have been mistaken for their real-life counterparts.

Universal Hobbies is one of the leading die-cast toy manufacturers in the world, offering a very wide variety of products, each one more realistic than the other. Among the brand replicas that are offered there are Massey Ferguson, Fordson and many others.

Here are some examples of the Universal Hobbies products:

The 1/16 Massey Ferguson TEA20

This is a fine example of the farm vehicles of the olden days. Immortalized in this die-cast model, the Massey Ferguson TEA20 offers an elegance that it shares with the original vehicle. Rustic and simple, it is affordably priced at  less than $100. It is a genial entertainment for everybody.

The 1/18 Kuhn FC303 Mower

This slightly smaller model emulates the Kuhn mower to the perfection. Its bright red color is attractive and excites the imagination of both the child and the adult. Very cheap (around $40), it is an affordable toy for all ages.

The 1/18 Krone Big X Combine

The Combine is an agricultural vehicle that is very useful in land preparation on a large scale. Enjoy this tiny replica of this powerful machine and imagine yourself as the modern farmer that is cultivating hundreds of acres of prime agricultural land.

The 1/16 Fordson Power Major 1961

This antique tractor is now a collector’s item par excellence. Smallish, yet very detailed in its design, this model exactly replicates the original. The blue and yellow color makes it an attractive piece on its own. Priced at less than $100, it is still very affordable.

1/16 Massey Ferguson 35X

Another memorable tractor immortalized in this die-cast model. This model brings all the realism that a die-cast model could bring. Details of the engine, wiring and chassis have all been replicated to the perfection. This masterpiece is priced at less than $100 in most cases: a bargain!

Universal Hobbies has a very wide range of farm tractors and implements, one rivaling the other in realism and design superiority. Excellent pricing coupled with a quality and design sleekness, Universal Hobbies is one of the market leaders in die-cast toys.

Collecting Antique Farm Toys

People have been making farm toys ever since agriculture has been practiced. Archaeological evidence from around the world, from the Mayans to the Mesopotamian and Indus Valley civilizations bear testimony to the fact that farm toys were regularly used in ancient cultures. Most farm toys of these eras were handmade. The most famous ancient farm toy was a small cart and plow made for the children of King Edward I in the thirteenth century. Commercial farm toys made their appearance as late as the 1800s in the United States. Even so, harsh farm life and poverty of that period meant that there was no real market for such products. Commercial farm toys really took off in the 1920s. However, few records of this period have escaped the damage wrought by time so that it is difficult to ascertain the first toy manufacturer. The earliest known commercial toy was a horse-drawn fire pumper wagon with a tin boiler and pump apparatus.

As the 20^th Century progressed, farm toys became more and more popular. Increase in standards of living made toys in general very popular and farm toys were a prized gift for children. Changes in farm equipment were closely mirrored in the toys produced by the manufacturers. Thus, these toys are a blatant testimony of the times they have been made in. Some of these toys bear the printed names of the makers of real farm equipment such as International Harvester and John Deere. Cast-iron was the preferred material in which toys of the olden days were made. No toy manufacturer uses cast-iron nowadays so that these antique toys have become finite. Most toy manufacturers also no longer produce farm related toys as the fashion is more towards science-fiction and the more modern trends. For all these reasons, old farm toys have become a collector’s item. Prized and looked for, antique farm toys can fetch hefty prices. At times, the collectible rare farm toy may be worth more that the actual machine!

A few examples of antique farm equipment include:

• Case farm tractors

• P&H power shovel and hay loader

• Corn planters

• Hay rakes

• Mowers

• Combines

• Potato diggers

• Horse carts

• Tipping trailers

Some manufacturers are Vindex, Arcade and Hubley, Tootsie Toys and Kenton. However, since farm toys are replicas of farm equipment, the equipment manufacturers were often involved in the manufacturing of these replicas. Thus, Ford, Case and Caterpillar all have been involved in farm toy production.

Some farm toys are more attractive for a collector. For example, farm toys based on steam engines or two-cylinder models often fetch a higher price. Unique designs, such as those that can be found in early agricultural countries (Germany, France, Britain…etc) are also quite in demand.

Impressive Toy Farm

You might enjoy this video that I found on YouTube of a pretty impressive Toy Farm.

Farm Toys For Sale

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