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It’s time for the National Farm Toy Show!
By Debbie Behne High interest and high prices. A year ago, that’s how Tom Cornwell of Cornwell Inc. described the farm toy hobby prior to the 2022 National Farm Toy Show. It seems his assessment was correct: “Extremely rare toys and collectibles were offered through the 2022 auction,” said Cornwell, whose company has handled the auction at the National Farm Toy Show for about 30 years, as well as a variety of other auctions. “The high-selling piece at $18,500 was an Adriance Buckeye mower and reaper salesman’s sample. This rare collectible was designed for salesmen to demonstrate the product to potential customers in the late 1800s.” What will 2023 bring to the National Farm Toy Show, in terms of interest and prices? That question will be answered soon, as the 46th annual National Farm Toy Show will be held Nov. 3-5 in Dyersville, Iowa, at the usual three sites – Beckman High School and the National Farm Toy Museum – where general admission hours are 5-8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday. The third site is Commercial Club Park, where general admission hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and an 8 a.m. start on Sunday. The hours for outdoor sales are the same, although they can vary somewhat by location and vendor. General admission is $10 daily. A floor rights ticket costs $30 for all three days and allows the purchaser to enter at 2 p.m. Friday and be “on the floor” while dealers might still be setting up, as well as at 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, an hour earlier than general admission. Floor rights tickets offer an advantage (especially Friday afternoon) to beat the crowds and see many of the displays and vendor tables before crowds make it harder to do so. Those who wish to purchase floor rights tickets are encouraged to contact Toy Farmer in advance; general admission tickets are available at the door. For more information, see the Toy Farmer website at www.toyfarmer.com or call 800-533-8293. Toy Farmer sponsors the National Farm Toy Show. Upon entering the National Farm Toy Show, pick up a copy of the free show program, published by the Dyersville Commercial newspaper. The program includes information such as where vendors are located, specials at area businesses, show history and other feature stories, plus ads for upcoming auctions and shows. Hundreds of vendors will be located down the hallways, in classrooms and in the new gym at Beckman High, as well as in the gym at the National Farm Toy Museum and at Commercial Club Park. Additional vendors are located outdoors near Beckman and the museum. It’s nearly impossible to describe the variety of items available for sale at the National Farm Toy Show; a majority are farm toy related, of course, but there is much more to see and purchase. Displays in a variety of sizes, by youth and adults, are also popular and can be found at Beckman. In recent years, those displays have been in one location at the Beckman new gym, which makes it convenient for the show attendees. Where to stay? Dyersville is typically a quiet community of about 4,000, but things change during the weekend of the National Farm Toy Show, when the population swells, parking becomes a challenge and traffic backs up, especially Saturday morning near Beckman, which is located on Highway 136 just a few blocks north of Highway 20. Trying to find a motel room? That can be the first and most immediate challenge in successfully attending the National Farm Toy Show. Many make motel reservations and travel plans a year in advance. Dyersville features several motels, but don’t be surprised if you are looking in nearby towns, from Manchester to the west, Guttenberg to the north and Dubuque to the east or perhaps even farther away. Get on the internet and start searching for motels close to Dyersville. The earlier this can be done, the better. Besides hotels, there are other choices. The Dyersville Chamber of Commerce (563-875-2311 or www.dyersville.org) spearheads a program that matches local residents, who are willing to open their homes, with visitors in need of a room during the show. Make sure all arrangements (including the rental price for a bedroom) are agreed upon in advance, so there are no surprises once you arrive in Dyersville. What to do? When making lodging arrangements, consider everything you want to do in Dyersville. Of course, the main event is the National Farm Toy Show, which runs from Friday through Sunday. Leave plenty of time to see tables set up by the hundreds of vendors at the three sites, as well as those located outside near Beckman, the museum and at Commercial Club Park. In addition to vendor tables, numerous displays are set up at Beckman. These displays are always fun to see, especially when noticing how small details are so skillfully crafted. Displays are judged in youth and adult categories and receive awards during the show. Top entries in the various categories earn a “gold tractor,” which is a gold-plated version of that year’s show tractor. For those who wish to enter a display, see the contest rules at www.toyfarmer.com. Another attraction is the National Farm Toy Museum, established in 1986 and located within walking distance of Beckman High School. The gym area holds vendors associated with the National Farm Toy Show, so admission or floor rights tickets are needed for that area, but the rest of the museum is also open and the regular admission fee is waived during the show. More than 30,000 farm toys can be seen, as well as a video, farm scenes and historical displays. There is a collector’s showcase at the museum, a manufacturing showcase and a display of National Farm Toy Hall of Fame winners. For those who examine museum displays thoroughly, this attraction alone could take from a couple hours to a whole day. For more information on the National Farm Toy Museum, see its website at www.nationalfarmtoymuseum.com or call 563-875-2727. The auction conducted by Tom Cornwell and associates begins at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Beckman auditorium. A catalog will be available for viewing in early October. For more information, contact auctioneer, Tom Cornwell, by phone at 402-694-2216. In addition, auction updates can be found at the company’s website, www.cornwellauction.com. Crafts, food and more are featured at an annual Mercy Medical Center Holiday Festival on Saturday. Free bus service has been available in past years to this event (see more about the bus service below). The sounds of the National Farm Toy Museum sanctioned micro-mini pull fill the air at Commercial Club Park beginning Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. That event is usually held in the south building in the park area. A sanctioned pedal pull is also held for youth on Saturday only. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with pulling to be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Free bus service is usually available throughout all three days of the show. Buses run periodically and stop at Beckman, the museum and Commercial Club Park. Additional stops are usually made at several other locations, including downtown Dyersville, Samuelson Pedal Tractors and at three companies that help give Dyersville the title of “Farm Toy Capital of the World:” Scale Models, SpecCast and TOMY Outlet Store, which features numerous items for sale as well as scale models made by the company (formerly The Ertl Co.). But there is even more to see and do, although these activities are not necessarily farm toy related. The “Field of Dreams” movie site is located just outside Dyersville and is typically open during the National Farm Toy Show. Admission has not been charged in the past and visitors can run the bases, play catch or recreate the scene where ghost players walk out of the corn field (depending upon if fields have been harvested). For more information, call 888-875-8404 or 563-875-8404 or see the website www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com. A new feature at the “Field of Dreams” site sets nearby—a new specially constructed stadium, which has hosted Major League Baseball games. The movie site is owned and operated by Go The Distance, which is expected to eventually take over the new ballpark. Organizers believe the new park will bring more opportunities to the site; however, it is off limits to the public. The Baseball Hall of Dreams (phone 563-875-8970) “celebrates the magic, beauty and joy of baseball. Rare memorabilia, interactive displays and rich personal stories will enhance your love and appreciate of the game,” according to its website, www.thebaseballhallofdreams.com. The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is one of only 52 such structures in the United States and is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture. The basilica, which is open daily, is located in downtown Dyersville. More information can be obtained at 563-875-7325. More than 1,200 dolls can be seen at the Dyer-Botsford Doll Museum, located in a restored Victorian house, which is the original home of Dyersville’s founder. In addition to dolls, a rare revolving German feather Christmas tree and German ornaments are on display. For more information, call 563-875-2504. Plaza Antique Mall bills itself as “eastern Iowa’s largest antique, collectible and farm toy shopping experience.” This business is located close to the National Farm Toy Museum and can be reached by calling 563-875-8945. Several wineries and breweries are located in the area, including two in Dyersville: O So Good Winery (563-599-1262) and Textile Brewing Company (563-207-0357). Heritage Trail stretches 26 miles from Dyersville to Dubuque for hikers and bikers. Other recreational activities include the Dyersville Aquatic Center, local golf courses and Total Fitness Recreation Center. For more information, see the website, www.dyersville.org. Dyersville is located in far eastern Iowa, only about 20 miles from Dubuque, on the Mississippi River and right across the state line from Illinois. Dubuque is home to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, sponsored in association with the Smithsonian Institution. Many more attractions, scenery, shops and museums are available within a relatively short distance of the Dyersville/Dubuque area and might interest those attending the National Farm Toy Show, depending upon interests and available time. In addition, other farm toy businesses are located in the area. And finally… The National Farm Toy Show is sponsored by Toy Farmer, which has a booth at Beckman High School’s new gym area. If you need to renew your magazine subscription, pick up show tractors, buy a binder or want to meet many of the Toy Farmer staff at the show, this booth is the place to go. This year’s show tractors are a Versatile 124 four-wheel-drive, available in both 1/32 and 1/64 scales. Although the show is sponsored by Toy Farmer, with a great deal of planning required throughout the year by magazine employees, the event could not be held without help from Dyersville residents and groups, who also share in the financial success of the show. The Beckman Music Boosters, for example, appreciate business at the school’s lunch stand, with profits benefiting students in the music program. Local groups help with parking and ticket taking and, as a result, share in show revenues. Those who have entered the National Farm Toy Show by the main doorway at Beckman High School in the past saw a variety of display tables featuring wares from local groups, such as Chamber of Commerce, Iowa FFA, Lions Club, Sons of the American Legion, Historical Society and “Field of Dreams.” Those groups are not charged setup fees and are also able to retain profits from sales made at those tables. Toy Farmer organizers say such gestures are a way to give back to the community. It takes a community to put on an event like the National Farm Toy Show, that’s for sure. Think of hosting thousands of your favorite friends and the work it would take to keep everyone not only happy, but well fed, entertained and ready to come back the next year. The National Farm Toy Show has been called “the granddaddy of them all.” And it’s definitely an event you have to see to believe. TF |
For more info click on www.cornwellauction.comWeekend Highlights:
» Display Contest » Auction by Cornwell Catalog Available in Early October. Tom Cornwell & Associates, Auctioneers Phone: (402) 694-2216 » Sanctioned Micro-Mini Pull Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. » Mercy Hospital Presents Holiday Festival 2023 » National Farm Toy Museum Show Hours:
Floor Rights Hours: Friday at 2 p.m., Saturday & Sunday at 8 a.m. Floor Rights Passes will be available to purchase on Friday, November 3 at Beckman High School and at the Museum. General Admission Show Hours: Fri., Nov. 3: 5-8 p.m. Commercial Club Park: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sat, Nov. 4: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Commercial Club Park:8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sun, Nov. 5: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Commercial Club Park: Opens at 8 a.m. |