By RACHEL SHALLENBERG
Auction Exchange & Collectors News

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A complete farm toy collection might have roughly 400-500 toys in it. So, what do you call it when you have a collection with more than 1,000 different farm toys and Tonka trucks? David Helmer of Braun & Helmer Auction Service discovered that you call it Charlie Hertler’s collection.
Hertler was an avid collector to say the least. He was well known in farm toy circles for more than 30 years. When he died in December of 2009, he left a large, well-compiled, well-maintained collection to put up for auction.
“The estate (Charlie Hertler’s) that we were handling had the most farm toys that we’d ever handled; for as many toys as Charlie had it was a well balanced collection,” Helmer said.

“While most people collect one brand or one series, our seller collected them all,” Brian Braun said. The auction featured every possible genre for farm toys. But Hertler definitely liked John Deere the best.

Helmer, being well-versed in farm toys himself, knew that this collection was going to attract buyers of all different kinds. The auction drew collectors, dealers, family and friends from more than 12 states. There were a lot of attendees from Indiana and one bidder drove more than seven hours to add to his own toy collection.

The auction ran in two rings and was divided up into the following categories: Vintage Precision, FFA and Toy Farmer Runs, Farm Show Editions, Oliver Collection, New in Box and Loose, Construction and Industrial, Pedal Tractors, Majority 1/16th scale with some 1/8th scale & 1/64th, John Deere NASCAR, John Deere Collectibles, Tonka Toys Restored and Vintage including a large selection of State Hi-Way Dept, Custom Farm Vehicles, Ertl and Nylint Semi Trucks.

The Tonka collectibles and the older customs highlighted the auction. Prices were as follows: Tonka Sanitary System Tonka Truck, restored, sold for $600; a John Deere Yellow Top Grain Drill, restored sold for $125; a John Deere 4020 custom made by Coleman Wheatly sold for $175; John Deere 320 custom made by Dave Nolt sold for 150; John Deere 1010 custom Crawler by Eldon Trumm sold for $75; a John Deere Industrial 1010 by Stephan sold for $150; an Oliver 1655 with Custom made New Idea Corn Picker sold for $150; a John Deere 5020 Pedal tractor by Ertl sold for $325; John Deere Precision Toys brought prices ranging from $70 – 275; an Oliver 2255 custom made by Berg sold for $200; a Tonka 1960 Power Boom, restored, sold for $175; Tonka Farms Truck, restored, sold for $225; a Tonka Toys Stake Truck, restored, sold for $225; a Jewel Tea Tonka Truck, restored, sold for $250; a Big Mike Tonka Hi-Way Dept Truck, restored, sold for $275

The evolution of a collector is complex. For most people, collecting farm toys starts with getting the ones your grandpa or dad had. Then continuing on with the toy version of the tractors you wished you had or buying certain brands like John Deere or International.

When you purchase, you buy the shelf model toys from a dealership or a store. Then the collector typically works their way up to buying the exclusives and the limited editions.

Most collectors start attending shows to really amp up their collection and often that’s where they learn about customs.

Some tractors were never produced into toys or in limited quantities and that made them rare and expensive. A custom toy is created by purchasing a regular toy and then adding things like wheels, levers and a 3 point hitch on the back.
Some customizers would even go as far as to paint mud on the tires or to paint the tractors exactly like the weathered old tractors they grew up seeing.
To take customizing one step further, some ‘barnyard engineers,’ would make their own castings of toys. These customizers soon realized collectors would pay a decent price for these toys, sometimes up to $300 or more. At the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa, there are custom made pieces selling for more than $3,000, according to Helmer.

“Some farmers are making a living out this; people want really intricate toys and are willing to pay a lot of money for them,” he said.

Hertler was no exception; he restored and customized toys.

He even collected toys from other famous customizers.

“One of the things that takes the longest to learn (in farm toy collecting), is that a tractor’s value is not necessarily based on looks,” Helmer said. Braun & Helmer Auction Service was pleased with the turnout of the auction and excited that the toys brought what they were worth.

“Remember, at the end of the day, it’s not really about toys. It is about building friendships and settling the restless need that collectors all have. Some people bowl every week, some people play sports and some people collect toys.”