Auctions are fun in the country, especially if the auction is in the middle of the beautiful Amish countryside.

Eli Schrock, an Amish gentleman who runs Yoder’s Lamp and Antiques there, said, “The Arthur area is always a bustling place, with activities almost every weekend. In the summer there is an annual cheese festival that brings in around 50,000 people over the three-day festival. “Some of the largest antique shows around take place in March and November and they are located in Tuscola, Arcola and Arthur, all within 20 miles of the shop.”

Eli attended a Dec. 12-13 sale where Dean Yoder’s Tri-County Auctions offered a wide selection for those who love antique tractor and farm memorabilia. Vernon Yoder, auction sales manager, said the sale had a great selection for collectors – and mentioned farm toy collectors should keep an eye on upcoming sales, since more good farm toys sales are coming.

On Dec. 12 there were several items for sale, some in a special display case that included a Fuller & Johnson Co. Farm Implements and Gasoline Engines Match holder that sold for $225. A Kentucky Wagon match holder sold for $85 and a Milwaukee Binders & Mowers Match holder brought $55.

The display case with consignment items included several buttons with a variety of brands, from Samson windmills that sold for $15 to a Rock Island Plow Pin that brought $40. There were some colorful Minneapolis Moline calendars. A 1954 calendar brought $110 and a 1949 brought $95. Besides those, 1937 and 1945 MM calendars sold, as did a couple of brochures.

MM collector Jerry Erickson has always said the company’s advertising team was ahead of their time and he credits this to Bon Grussing Sr., the advertising and sales manager who was responsible for a lot of the memorabilia and sales information.

“As far as I am concerned, Bon Grussing Sr. had a lot of firsts, like color advertising in handouts and promotional literature, and the use of advertising trinkets. There are probably more variations in Minneapolis Moline advertising trinkets than any other company,” he explained.

International Harvester items were well represented, with one unusual wooden engine that brought $100. Two IH clocks sold; one brought $20 and the other, $425. An IH wagon seat sold for $185. Debbie Maxwell, a collector from Rossville, Illinois said the IH scales that sold for $925 was rare. Many of the IH items went home with a collector from Indiana whose family has an IH museum.

A David Bradley corn sheller brought $295, while a McCormick sheller brought $295. A Case plow sold for $300. The auction had a nice variety of signs available. One New Idea Genuine Parts sign sold for $275 and a beautiful Case original sign brought $925.

Following just slightly behind, a Massey Harris Better Built Farms sign sold for $900 even. A small Massey Harris porcelain sign sold for $285.

There were two Nutrena Feed signs – one brought $400 and the other, $375. A Keen Kutter Kuhn Hardware sign brought $95.

There was also a variety of cast iron seats.  A Keystone seat brought $45 and a John Deere and Oliver Chill plow cast iron seat sold, as well.

Dairy was a hot topic at the auction. Along with signs and milk jugs, butter churns also sold. A Daisy churn brought $45 and a beautiful old wooden butter churn sold for $95; a cool three-legged churn brought $255.

Many items were usable as well as decorative, like the Purina Chicken Coop that brought $300. If the buyer was thinking of going into the chicken business, he or she may have also purchased the Buckeye incubator with books, which sold for $250.

Another useful item that sold was a rope maker with an accompanying tool that brought $100.

Besides all the sales, Arthur itself has several draws, such as the amazing food.

“We have the best barbecue in the country and two of the best chicken restaurants around. We also have one of the best fabric stores in the state,” Eli said.

“Ladies often go to the fabric store and men come to the antique store. We have carpenter tools and old wrenches that are hard to find. If it is weird, we buy it.

“The thing is, Arthur is a little town; you are only a stranger once. If you can’t find it in Arthur, you don’t need it,” he laughed.

Yoder’s Lamp and Antiques is located at 214 S. Vine Street, in the main downtown area; call 217-543-2108.

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