Tractor collectors a thing of the past?

I still see posts that allude to rare tractors that have been found. Many people still think that there is a large market for old tractors and wealthy people just waiting to drop ridiculus amounts of cash on their rare find. I will be darn if that is what I see these days.
As much as I hate to sell parts and junk the rest,I have to do it to break even sometimes.
It sure isn't like it was a few years back.

Tractor collecting will never be "dead." There have always been people that collect things because they like them. Not for investment purposes.

For those that have a true interest in the tractors - and not the investment potential -if anything - a downturn in "investor interest" is good for the rest of us "outsiders."

That and it seems like a lot of the older collectors who have gotten the complete "set" of whatever make and series they were looking for have had them long enough now to get bored with them. They're liquidating now and moving on to other things. Not necessarily getting away from tractors,just other models or series.

And when the old folks pass on, the younger generation may not have the same attraction to the old machines as their fathers and grandfathers did. Back in the 70's old Ford model T's and A's were getting big bucks at auctions. There isn't as much bidding on them now, the guys who wanted them are largely dead. 60's muscle cars have probably peaked - people collect things from their youth, and as they pass on, that stuff comes back on the market.

That sounds like me. I just took home a Ferguson F40, the third one I ever saw. Now I got the royal straight flush. When I get bored with fergies from the 50's, I think I will collect technicolor SAME's from the 80's...
I don't know too many people 'investing' in tractors, it seems to be 'an affair of the heart', not the portfolio. My..investments.... still work for a living....

I used to be into muscle and sports cars. BUT with insurance and fuel costs, licensing, and all that, I have just as much fun putt-putting around on my tractor as I ever did in a car. No cops with tickets, ignorant road hog drivers, and best of all, only ONE seat. A rainy day on a tractor at home in the field or woods beats the best day at work. Same thing could be said for fishin' too.

spook I think you got it right. People collect things from their youth. I might also add, people start collecting when they have some extra money. That does not happen until you have your family raised and out the door. So, you are about 50 when that happens and the ave. guy is dead at 75. Your only interested in things from when you were age 10 to maybe 15 yrs old. After that you are only interested in girls. With the economy in the tank right now you never reach the age when you have extra money, at least I won't. I have my 1930 "L" Case and 1936 JD."D" and plows to go with them that I bought or was gifted 15 years ago and that is all I will ever have no matter what I want.

The problem as I see it has a few causes:
1) Tractors are NOT muscle cars...unless you have a rare tractor, your tractor has a relatively rigid top value, no matter how nice you make it or how much you poured into it! Common JD A,B,H IH H,M C, Ford N, AC WD 45, Ollie 77,88 MH 33,44 etc are really $2000 and under tractors no matter what they have had done,,,but we see tons of people sking $3000, $4000 and even $5000 for theses tractors! That is the sellers perogative, but he has no reason to wonder why there is no movement on his tractor; that guy in New Hampshire that has been listing alot of really nice tractors for waaaaaaayyyyyy too much money is a good example.
2)Parts: Tractor manufacturers are trying to price themselves out of the antique parts business as it is just not profitable, yet they don"t want to pizz off alot of their customers (imagine if Deere discontinued all prior to 1960 parts, how many customers that still but new Deere tractors for their business would be turned off?) After market suppliers are popping up but providing parts that often need machining, ore reengineering prior to use, and the dealers as a rule don"t have a parts gut that even knows what a JD A or Farmall C is let olone how to find the proper part.
3) Fuel prices: moving tractors around to fun things like pulls, parades, plowdays, shows...is getting prohibitive, as long as we have leadership that wants Volts and non American and non Country ways, and will not drill or even appear to stand up for America...that"s just gonna get worse.
Of course rare tractors are their own market, guys will open their wallet for them...that";s great, but when I think of American tractors, I don"t think of a 720 LP HiCrop...I think of the tractors I mentioned earlier, if is stumbled on a rare bird I"s sell it and buy more As! But sellers that don"t know see a 720 HiCrop LP listed for 70,000 on Ebay and figure that the B that"s been sitting in the ding weeds out back must be pretty valuabe!
The other thing is the younger guys grew up on 4020s and 1066s...who can afford them? But they aren"t interested in As and Hs!

The generation that grew up as kids driving these"old" tractors is tailing off.I know at least two collectors in their seventies that are selling off their collections while there is still a chance of getting back part of their money. Its run its course and the misconception exists that old tractors are valuable and rare.
Antiques and collectables are suffering the same fate,local auctions have ceased to function,as old,antique and used things have no more market. Young folks want brand new things..its come full circle..maybe down the road again..who knows

The answer is D. All of the above.

At least thats how I see it. I think the biggest factor right now though is money. People are just being cautious with their money. I think that when the econemy gets better collector tractor prices will follow but I doubt that they will get valuable.

Rick

(quoted from post at 10:45:31 11/30/11) Tractor collecting will never be "dead." There have always been people that collect things because they like them. Not for investment purposes.

For those that have a true interest in the tractors - and not the investment potential -if anything - a downturn in "investor interest" is good for the rest of us "outsiders."

Click to expand...

John, Sorry for the Hi Jack. Did you get Harvey Cleveland's new email address?

Just had a local sale here in Wooster Ohio guy had a very large collection of JD literature and signs and odds and ends etc. Not a large crowd but things sure seemed to be selling well.
Next day they sold a few tractors. They sold decent too.

Not going to go away but take a steady decline. Only tractor and equipment to stay in demand. Is hobby farm,horse farm and rural estates. THose will be loader tractors with live pto and 3pt hitch.

As a "younger" collector, part of me hopes that there is a slight loss of interest.. Hear me out before you make conclusions..

I started "collecting" at 16.. I bought my first tractor then, and since, I've had 10, as well as various pieces of machinery, several parts tractors, and a few L&G tractors. I still have 7 of the "complete" tractors.

I don't have a family so to speak, I'm not married, no kids of my own, no live-in companions.. At going on 31 years old, I have a "steady job" where I make ok.. This year has been the worst since I hired on 8 years ago, but it's not their fault, most of our short comings have been weather related.. We're usually about wrapped up by the first week in December, this year, we still have a month's worth of work to go.. I have a feeling we won't get done before the weather freezes us out.

After I pay my bills (which I live rather "simply" for a person my age) there's about 4-500 a month to save/spend, so I try to save half and spend half.. Don't leave much to buy too much..

All but 2 of my 7 tractors were "parts machines" so to speak when I bought em.. None drove themselves on the trailer, and all needed (or still do need) work to make em anything.. But they're still just a "common tractor".. I'd like to buy something "unique" or "rare", but with the money the stuff brings at sales lately, I can't even afford junk anymore.

My only hope is that the prices come down.. WAY DOWN.. I don't buy for investment, I buy because I love old iron (but someday someone will have enough stuff to have what I'd call a successful sale, provided someone is interested come that day)

I guess a loss of interest isn't what I'd like to see, but more a drop in price.. Like I said, all I've ever bought is the "rough stuff" and nickle-and-dimed the stuff back into something..

By the way, I grew up around my grandpa's farm, and the oldest tractor he ever had in my lifetime is one I own now.. A 1967 AC D-17.. Coincidentally, that's my newest tractor.. There's a couple things from the mid 60's and up I would love to have, but most things I seem to like are older.

Brad

Exactly

i would agree with MOST of what you guys are saying. I think that the "muscle" era of tractors will be collected because my generation (im 19) is into the pulling side of antique tractors. I think that in the future the Deeres and IH's will get collected even more ( the 4010, 3020, 4020, 4320, 806, 1206, 1066, 1466, 1468 etc) Kids nowadays only know deeres and IH so i think thats where the market will go.

Kinda stinks but the way i look at it, more olivers and whites for me at a cheaper price.

I agree things have slowed down. I don't think antique tractor will just disapear. As far a what there worth, that's up to your marketing and the buyers you are able to get to look at your tractors. I give you an example. Went to a sale in Leola Pa Fri and Sat. Tractors sold Saturday and the Top three tractors in my opinion that were restored were a 730D narrow frt, and 60 Jd with frame wts, wide/frt, and 3pt, and a M farmall. All three had new tires and very nice paint. Last year they couldn't get more than 10,500 for a 730D with wide/frt, this year the narrow front went for 13,500, the 60 went for 7700 and the M went for 5000. They had an 88 with ok paint and 30% tires went for 3100. So you still can get the prices just how you go about it. ED