Individual Exhibits Top The Thousand Mark At Michigan Show
International Harvester Collectors (National and Worldwide) is a group on the rise. “In 1990, a small group of us met at a show in Indiana,” said Larry Meservey, president of the group. “There was probably less than 100 people at that show who signed up as members.” This summer, though, when the group met in Oakley, Mich., nearly 6,000 members were on hand for the annual meeting, which coincided with an existing show.
“They came from all over the country,” Larry said. “At least 40 states were represented.”
At times, the numbers were overwhelming: Clyde Berkshire, an International collector from Indiana, said traffic was backed up on Saturday for miles as people tried to get in to the show.
“It’s just had phenomenal growth,” he said.
At Oakley, members set up more than 1,142 individual displays of trucks, tractors, garden tractors, sales literature, memorabilia, implements, pedal tractors, cream separators, hand corn shelters, sickle grinders, toys and more.
“Anything IH is collectible because they’re not making it anymore,” he said.
Complementing the collections were vendors selling parts for restoration, parts and operators’ manuals, and other products for collectors. FC
For more information, contact Larry Meservey, 380 SE Daisy Lane, Trenton, MO, 64683; (660) 359-2467
