New Materials, Technology Revive Farm Toy Hobby

(Page 5 of 5)

July 2009
Bill Vossler 
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Collectors began turning to scratch-builders for specific, highly detailed toys. Early scratch-builders included Gilbert Berg, Martin Fast and Lyle Freiheit, among others, followed by the late Lyle Dingman, Roger Mohr, Weldon Yoder and Eldon Trumm. Today, Gilson Riecke, Paul Stephan, Gary Van Hove, Terry Rouch and others make these much-sought-after models.

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Other collectors customize mass-manufactured toys, adding lights, levers, 3-point hitches, front loaders or whatever their real machine had when they operated it on the farm. 

That activity was soon followed by growing interest in dioramas with colorful backgrounds, farm representations with toys in front, and farm layouts. Enthusiasts added scratch-built houses, barns and Quonsets representing farms real and imagined.

Today’s farm toy hobby is an entirely different animal than it was when Fred Ertl Sr. stoked up his furnace in 1945 and launched the modern hobby. Nothing stands still; the hobby will continue to evolve. But realistic, well-made farm toys will always find an enthusiastic audience. Miss the first installment? Read Part 1, “How Farm Toys Transformed into Collectible Treasure.” FC

Bill Vossler is a freelance writer and author of several books on antique farm tractors and toys. Contact him at Box 372, 400 Caroline Ln., Rockville, MN 56569; e-mail: bvossler@juno.com.
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