Farm Toy Shows

Went to a Farm Toy Show in Urbana, IL on Saturday. I just hit one of these events a year. In talking to the dealers, people are not buying like they once were. I thought the prices for this stuff seemed high to me.
Have we reached a price correction for toys?
Thoughts?

I would say it started a few years ago. The Toy show at Dyersville Iowa has had lower turn outs and pries the last 3-4 years. The entire tractor hobby is waning. Whether it is old tractors or toys. Many of the younger generations were priced out of it 10-15 years ago and now that they are older they are into other things. Todays young people have little interest in old tractors. Look on this site how we have maybe 4-5 younger members. Compared to hundreds of old farts. LOL Like me.

I went to a show in early December. First one I'd been to in 8-10 years. I pretty much quit buying 10-12 years ago because of all the new "old" stuff coming out constantly and the stupid high prices for it. There's no way humanly possible to keep up with it. That show last month was no different. A boat load of new stuff and most of it priced higher than real collectable stuff from the 50s and 60s.
I guess if that's what people want to collect,it's their business,but it's not what I'm in to,and what little bit of old stuff there is out there,I already have.

My "younger" auctioneer friend has seen the antique tractor market sliding at his sales, he believes that as less people are involved in farming the interest declines. I would assume this will also be the case in the toy market.

I go to a few each year but it doesn't seem like anything new has been coming out. I'd still like a precision MM G1000 Vista.

Talk about timing, our local toy show is next Sunday the 17th. They have some venders that have "tractor " memorabilia, like manuals, books, and advertising. And to top it all off homemade PIE and other food. I always go, don't always spend a lot, however get to see and talk to some friends. joe
Winamac, Indiana toy show

Well it depends. Old original mint toys in boxes still bring a premium. Common toys are down and repaint toys are down. Custom toys seem to hold their value well. One thing that I think hurts some poeple is unwillingness to change price. Say a toy was hot 6 or 7 years ago like the 4020 precision or 15 years ago the original 1206's or split rim 400 farmalls and the price was 425, 1200 and 900 respectively. Today those toys are much less. The 4020 can be found for 275 the 1206 for 800 and the 400 for 500. Some people bought when these toys were sky high and aren't willing to take a loss, so they carry these toys for years to shows trying to unload them for an unreasonable price. If I carry something for more than 3 years it is time for it to go. Sometimes I sell it at a loss just to free up the money and freshen up the inventory. I might try to trade it but sometimes it just has to go. Some people will not unload it for anything less than what they paid for it evwn though the market has changed. There are several people like this at the shows. Another example is at St. louis I have gone to this show since the beginning, theer is a gentleman that carried a JD cornpicker new in the box that he wanted 650 for, which is high. I tried to buy this picker for over 10 years. I always offered 550, finally he said that he had 600 in it and would not take a loss. I ended up buying one from somebody else for 425 about 5 years ago. This guy has carried this picker for over 15 years. Come to St. Louis in Feb for the show there. I set up there and usually do realy well. Sales last year were my worst in 5 years there as well as me neighbors across the hall. However some people said they had an average or above average year. I try to take a mix of toys from 1 dollar to 500. I also take memorbillia and always do well with that. Come by and say hi I will be in room 349 set up. I will warn you though if I am not in the room and you want to buy anything and have to deal with my 13 year old son he is tougher to deal with than I am.

I have an old MM toy. Not sure what its but looks like its got some sort of a large V engine in it with 2 stacks. Any idea what this is? Prob from mid 70s.

when I was a kid late 70s-80s all I wanted was toys. As I got older I started collecting the deere precision while I worked for deere. Now if I see a toy like a tractor we have at home I will buy it. Did buy several of the 4020 peddle tractors and still have them in the box.

It's a shame that no one makes Ford toys in 1/16 scale. They did a few things, but, finding 1960's 70's and 80's blue has always been hard.

Meanwhile, you can get about 10 variations of the farmall cub, with various implements from spec-cast. It could be a licensing thing, but when you see Ford Tractor playing cards, and coffee mugs, I'd assume Ford is still willing to hand out licensing rights.

I'll just have to keep customizing...