The weekend of Feb. 1-3 was the 32nd Gateway Mid-America Toy Show in St. Louis. Audrey and Roy Lee Baker and their family, along with the Gateway Farm Toy Club, worked together to provide a quality show that has been a farm toy classic for more than three decades.

The show opened that Friday with vendors set up in exhibition halls and on three floors offering the unique experience of room-to-room trading. One of the vendors, Carole Wells and her little Yorkie, Cici, runs Southern Star. She said the unique name came from the name of a ranch she and her late husband owned in Tennessee.

“Everyone names their ranches down there,” Carole said. “When we moved back to Illinois, we kept the name for our toy business.”

Kevin and Nancy Collins are also show regulars who are able to find unusual company memorabilia. At this year’s show they brought a Cockshutt sign for a customer, and Kevin said, “I could have sold (it) several times over.”

Saturday offered vendors as well, as the consignment auction with Mark Krausz Auction Service out of New Baden, Ill. The auction featured 425-plus toys, most of which were 1/16-scale. The auctioneer provided scratch-built models from Pauly threshers, Clark Combines, Weber Gems and other custom-built models by Stephan, Yoder, Nolt and more.

Among the toys were more than 35 pedal toys, many new in the box, and a variety of brands that included Allis-Chalmers, John Deere, International Harvester toys and memorabilia. There were also a variety of gasoline items from Hess, Phillips 66, Union 76 and Texaco.

The model and display contest was also Saturday and showed a variety of farm layout and model competitions. Seth Eberherdt of Mediapolis, Iowa, (previously featured in this column) walked away with the People’s Choice Award and the first-place adult display for his amazing depiction of a grain elevator based on one in his hometown.

Robert Denson of West Memphis, Ark., won the adult 1/16-scale competition with his remote-control Caterpillar 140 H road grader. Chuck Steffens from Sherrill, Iowa, won the adult 1/16 custom scale contest and Jeremy Klusman from Archbold, Ohio, won the adult 1/54 scratch-built competition.

Brian Long from Derby, Kan., won the adult 1/65 custom and Mitch Korynta came all the way from West Fargo, N.D., and nailed the adult miniature truck competition.

In the junior division Hayden Wylder from Litchfield, Ill., and Clayton Lyons from St. Louis, Mo., took honors, with Hayden winning first in display and Clayton first in model. For the younger crowd, Austin Randolph of Russellville, Mo., won the youth display and Gavin Chestnut of Ridge Farm, Ill., won the youth model award.

There was also a fun competition for ugly toys – Jerry Estes from El Reno, Ohio, won first, Kevin Tolka from Odin, Ill., won second and Zeb Mueller from Deforest, Wis., took third.

The show wrapped up that Sunday with a snow. The lovely white layer of cold didn’t stop visitors from flocking to the show to see its wind-up, though. Special thanks went out to Cathy Scheibe of Toy Farmer and Jason Hasert of Toy Tractor Times, which both cover the toy hobby worldwide. Many subscribers were at the show and enjoyed the chance to meet the faces behind the publications.

Kate Goelzhauser of Lawn and Garden Collectors and Sherry Schaefer of Heritage Iron and Oliver Heritage were also on hand to meet with collectors.

The 33rd annual show will be Feb. 7-9 2014. For more information about the Mid-America Gateway Farm Toy Show, log onto the website at http://gateway toyshow.com

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.