By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Last weekend, Aumann Auctions’ annual Thanksgiving auction was held at the Christian County Fairgrounds in Taylorville. Aumann, a Nokomis, Ill.-based company, hosts this annual event to which collectors from all over the Midwest flock every year.

This is the event that kicks off the collector’s Christmas season, where they gather to buy that toy, literature, memorabilia or tractor that they just can’t live without. The event is twofold: For some, it is a chance to sell what they no longer want or have duplicates of, while for others, it is a chance to buy.

While the weather is usually cold, rainy or snowy, this year the sun was out and the weekend event was dry. The only weather problem occurred Friday, which dawned with thick frost that melted, causing driving lanes to turn to mud. Collectors just donned their boots, though – and the auction went on.

Friday was the day for toys, literature and memorabilia. Several items caught attention with a few prime signs, pedal toys and even a memorable hay salesman sample that had many gathering around to see how it worked.

The salesman sample hayshot was a wooden operating model, 30 inches long with a 12-inch basket that was 8 inches wide, and had three height extensions. The sample also had the carrying case and tie-down strap.

One item that caught a couple of John Deere lovers’ eyes was a porcelain 2-by-6-foot sign with the deer leaping over a log; Aumann’s rated this sign 8 out of 10. There was also literature and some unusual items such as the Case Award, an Agri-King store operations improvement award given to a J.I. Case retail enterprise, Region 3.

There were also several custom-made toys that had toy collectors raising their bid card high. Some of the custom toys included a Bud Wall planter, Don Campbell JD pull-type combine and much more.
Saturday was the tractor auction, which always brings in a heavy crowd. With tractors of all makes and models, they seemed to sell at a pretty good price.

“There were several I wanted, but none that I am taking home,” one Oliver collector lamented.

A neat John Deere AO went for around $6,000 and there was an amazing array of restored and original tractors to choose from. There were also engines and a few buggies, and a miniature gas Model T car that 4-year-old Elijah Aumann had a good time exhibiting just how well it worked.

As the auctioneers chanted “All in and all done,” it was a fine sale with good weather and a chance for a collector to add what he or she really wanted to their Santa list. Check out www.aumannauctions.com for details on upcoming auctions.