Wrenching Tales by Cindy Ladage Aumann Auctions was started by Nelson and Karen Aumann 53 years ago, and the annual Antique Tractor & Toy Auction is coming up on its two-decade anniversary. Aumann Auctions is located in Nokomis, Ill., but last year’s massive sale, the 19th, was held at the American Farm Heritage Museum in Greenville, Nov. 14-15. The auction began that Friday morning with a toy, memorabilia and literature sale. Auctioneers Mark Sypherd and Nelson Aumann presided over the sale while other lots were being sold outside. The tractor auction took place the Saturday of this highly-awaited event. Mark said, “I think the auction went well. The four-wheel-drive customs (farm toys) were the high-dollar items.” He said these custom models were made by Valley Patterns, Trumm and Precision Engineering. The farm toys included 1/16-scale, a variety of pedal tractors and more. One item that was a little different from the norm was a battery-operated remote control tank that sold for $150, and a collectible John Deere pedal gear box sold for $400. An Eska Allis-Chalmers Model C Type 1 pedal tractor, with a steering rod behind the gas cap, sold for $825 and an Eska Farmall Model M mid-sized closed grill toy with original pedals sold for $500. Another $500 sale was an Eska Farmall Model H with a small open grill and original pedals. Mark said, “Memorabilia high sellers were signs and clocks.” Memorabilia comes in all shapes and sizes. A John Deere Waterloo Boy pin brought $140. The pin was 3/4-inch in size, red and white with a crest on it and a gold edge. While there were other brands at the auction, Deere reigned supreme. One JD award was a Centennial medal dated between 1837 and 1937. This medal sold for $300. This was the first metal award Deere offered; accompanying it was a pamphlet. Another fascinating JD medal was an appreciation medal from Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was given to a Mr. Peek, who was John Deere’s great-grandnephew. Peek served as both president and chair of Deere & Co. This medal sold for $150. The medals offer insight into history, like the John Deere TrendSetters Medal Coin Display that had six medals of engineers. The engineers included W.J. Wilgus, who tunneled under the Hudson River, Louis Sullivan, father of the skyscrapers, and W.J.M. Rankine, who designed dams. Ferdinand De Lesseps, who designed the Suez Canal, John Smeaton, known for lighthouses, and Joseph B. Strauss, who designed the Golden Gate Bridge, were all included in this coin set that sold for $150. Literature varied greatly, from more common materials on the JD Model 60 and 70 standard that sold for $35, to a Canadian catalog that was a whopping 988 pages with the description: “Everything you ever wanted to know about John Deere Tractors Horse Drawn to letter series.” This unique piece of literature sold for $325 to an internet bidder. One item that many collectors said they had never seen before was John Deere “money” – $25 bills in green ink. The lot held 200 $25 bills that were to be exchanged for goods or services in 1982 or 1983. “All were signed and endorsed on the back by dealer and Deere,” Mark explained. Other memorabilia included everything from pocket ledgers to plates and more. Signs caught a lot of attention. There were other tractor brands, as well as seed signs, such as a Schwenk Hybrids sign from Edwards, Ill., that sold for $100. These were just a few of the items sold indoors. Outdoors held an array of tractors sold that Saturday; Sypherd said pulling tractors were one of the attractions. “The UB Special was one of the ones you don’t see come up for sale,” he pointed out. “It sold for $725.” For more information about Aumann Auctions or the sale, log onto http://aumannauctions.com
Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication. |
