Collector shares tractor treasures
Managing editor
It wasn’t easy more than 60 years ago when Jerry Kline of Marion was saving to buy a toy tractor.
But he did. He bought his first tractor, a 1947 John Deere, when he was about 10 years old. It took him many weeks to save up enough money to buy it.
Kline showed some items from his collection April 7 at Marion Senior Center.
The 1947 John Deere of which Kline was most fond had a chrome farmer in the seat, making the toy worth more.
“Some of the toys have been played with, some haven’t,” Kline said.
Some also have been restored by Kline.
He had them lined up by age — some restored, some in their natural state of wear, some being reproductions.
So, how can a person tell a reproduction from an authentic tractor in its natural state?
“Mostly by the detail on the tractor,” Kline said. “The older tractors don’t have that detail.”
Although the April 7 toy display featured only a dozen or so, Kline has three or four cabinets at home full of the collectibles.
When he started his collection, the toy replicas of the full-size implements were available from the implement dealers. Often when a farmer bought a full-size piece of equipment, he would also buy or sometimes be given the toy replica.
Kline also likes to collect the full-size equipment. He owns and has restored two antique tractors. He can be seen driving his tractors in local parades.
Many of the toy tractors were destroyed during World War II as part of the war effort of melting the metal for scrap, Kline said.
“I really treasure these older ones,” he said.