By my count, we’re in trouble. Last January, Richard and I were looking for a single iron seat for the cultivator in the fencerow. As the 2002 show season draws to a close, we have six iron seats, each utterly compelling in its own special way. Richard swears he can use them all…
Here in Kansas, we made it to the Ottawa show, where we got to see an Ottawa ‘mule’ (about which you will read in a few months) and we plan to take in the October corn-husking competition up near Atchison.
On the road, our final trip for the year will be to New England, to the Connecticut Antique Machinery Association’s Fall Festival the last weekend in September in Kent. The Shaw Du-All Show, to be held the same time and place, will be a special bonus, in part because Shaw has Kansas ties. New England in autumn always draws crowds, and who knows what surprises a New England show might hold.
Here at the office, the 2003 Farm Collector Show Directory entries are pouring in. They indicate you will have more opportunities than you know what to do with next year to get together with your tractor buddies and do a little tradin’ and showin’ off. The listings also reflect the fact that tractor collecting didn’t just start in the 1990s. Many of you have been saving, restoring and showing old iron for decades. An event such as the Old Threshers Reunion at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, for example, already has been held for more than half a century!
In the natural progression of things, a lot of old iron now is being passed along to the next generation, often from father to son or daughter but also through auctions, collecting clubs, and of course, at shows. One look at all the young folks attending these gatherings tells me the next generation is getting up steam.
Lastly, the promised lantern story, with a bit ‘o luck, will appear in the December issue.
