Over 500 John Deere Toy Tractors and Implements Sold at UK Auction
At British auction house Cheffins on 16 October, part of collector Peter Green's John Deere farm-machinery model collection sold for about £24,000 (roughly €27,000). Buyers came from several countries, including France, Germany, Romania and Australia.
More than 500 toy tractors and attachments modelled on machinery from US agricultural equipment maker John Deere were sold on 16 October at the British auction house Cheffins. The lot raised around £24,000, equivalent to roughly €27,000. It was half of a private collector's holdings, and the sale drew buyers from several countries.
The collector
The models belonged to Peter Green, a 77-year-old retired building surveyor from Saffron Walden in Essex. He assembled the collection over about 12 years. At its peak he owned up to 900 toys and models. He has now sold around 50 percent of it in order to turn to other interests.
The items were farm models at 1:16 scale. They included rare and highly sought-after examples of American John Deere tractors and implements. Most were made by Ertl, which the auction house describes as the world's leading maker of agricultural toys. The rest came from Spec Cast, Gilson Riecke and Nolt.
Top prices
Among the highlights Cheffins named a John Deere RX830, which sold for £670 (almost €800), and a John Deere BR, which went for £380 (€453). Four John Deere 730 models together fetched £300 (€357).
Every item was offered without a reserve price, and all found a new owner. According to Cheffins, considerable prices were paid for the most unusual pieces. The auction house says the result reflects the collector's thorough research and attention to detail.
Green told Cheffins he was grateful for the attention the sale received and that the proceeds far exceeded his expectations. He is pleased that all the models went to enthusiastic collectors around the world. He does not plan to look at the market in the coming months, but at the start of next year he intends to use the proceeds to expand his collection of 1:32 scale models.
The models went well beyond Essex, to buyers elsewhere in Britain as well as in France, Romania, Germany and Australia.
