By Dee Goerge
Note: This feature is in the Feb. TF 2017 issue.
Note: This feature is in the Feb. TF 2017 issue.
 Click to view electronic issue. | Shawn Lockwood is determined to inspire young people to enjoy collecting, customizing and scratch building farm toys, as he and his brother have for the past 30 years. He has two plans of action–organizing Oklahoma's only farm toy show and creating kits for young collectors to assemble. Shown, 53, of Glencoe, Okla., is the toy customizer and scratch builder in the family. His younger brother, Justin, 51, of Prague, Okla., is the collector, with about 2,500 toys. Because of his brother's collection, Shawn says he understands what toy collectors want and need that might not be available commercially. He focuses on smaller farm and ranch toys that aren't in production. That, along with access to the Internet and 3-D printed parts, has opened up new opportunities in the 21st century, he says. Starting from Scratch The Lockwood brothers grew up in the midst of a farming culture, spending a lot of time on the family farm. Their childhood began with Matchbox cars, but quickly expanded. "I was probably about 8, and I remember us finding the first three tractors that Ertl released on the market. We took them home to add to our Hot Wheels collection," Shawn says. Crowing up, they spent hours together assembling plastic kit models and were involved with FFA. Even as they began careers in their 20s, the brothers' interest in tiny toys continued. Justin began collection 1/64 scale toys in the mid-1980s, and Shawn customized them for Justin and his collection friends. With their families and careers taking priority and time, the brothers put their toy hobbies on hold in the early 1990s. But they didn't stay away long. To read the rest of this story, subscribe to TF at: http://www.toyfarmer.com/subscriberenew.html or buy the online version at: http://toyfarmer.epubs.forumprinting.com/publication/?m=26489&l=1 |
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