Pickers

[thoffman]

On the show I think it was the second guy, the 90 something year old, he gets on his ol' Dear John at takes the guys out to the barn. When they open the door, on the inside of the sliding door are two Giant red & white "Farmall" "Quality tractors/equipment" or something on that order. The signs must have beeen 4' x 8'. Those guys should be pickin' those babies. I'll bet those are $750+ signs!!

 

[dfrisk]

TOM - When You said "FARMALL" signs....I always think of the emblems above the main office front entrance, imagine a grill emblem off an H blown up about a Hundred times. From what I was told by people who knew back in '85. There were only two of those huge emblems. One on the main office front entrance and the other on the side wall of the foundry sand shed where the main entrance to the plant was. The one on the sand shed was destroyed in a remodeling project in the 60's or 70's.
The head of plant maintenance who lived out in Coal Valley, IL asked the plant mgr. when the plant sale to Tennaco was announced back in '84, and was allowed to remove the one on the office. I saw it sitting against the railroad tie retaining wall in his driveway! Flash forward about 6 years. I was buying CC parts at the Case/IH dealer in Freeport, IL and got talking with the parts guy behind the counter. He told Me the sign was in a storage shed on the back of their lot. I was in a hurry and never thought to ask to see it.
I've asked a hundred times over at the RPM forum if anyone has any idea where it has gotten to. I imagine it will show up some day at the FARMALL-LAND museum out in western Iowa.

I understand the "Ole ABE" Case eagle sitting on the Earth emblems are almost priceless anymore. This FARMALL emblem should be worth ten times as much!

 

[dross]

Figures, I remember the guy riding that tractor. I saw the end of that segment where they were in the shed to long. Didn't see the very begining of it, I was busy.

 

[thoffman]

Going the low tech route here as I can't find any ideo clips on youtube or anyplace. This shot was only about second or two when the "Pickers" wereentering the building. If you looks to the left of the door opening you'll see the "---LL" of the other sign.

Dennis,
You are correct, the Ol' Abe's are big, big money!! I remember about 15 years ago traveling on Rt. 72 near Stillmann Valley, IL. and seeing a "Open Barn Today" sign. Wee pullt into the drive and this guy had a Case collection open to the public to see. He had a SUPER rare 110hp. steam traction engine and a boiler for another one. He also had at the opening of the barm a OL' Abe that must have been 6' tall. I have some pix of this somplace that I'll have to dig up.

 

[thoffman]

Going the low tech route here as I can't find any ideo clips on youtube or anyplace. This shot was only about second or two when the "Pickers" wereentering the building. If you looks to the left of the door opening you'll see the "---LL" of the other sign.


Dennis,
You are correct, the Ol' Abe's are big, big money!! I remember about 15 years ago traveling on Rt. 72 near Stillmann Valley, IL. and seeing a "Open Barn Today" sign. Wee pullt into the drive and this guy had a Case collection open to the public to see. He had a SUPER rare 110hp. steam traction engine and a boiler for another one. He also had at the opening of the barm a OL' Abe that must have been 6' tall. I have some pix of this somplace that I'll have to dig up.

 

[thoffman]

<u>SON OF A -----!!</u> every time I use my wife camera I can't get it to post. Anyone have a simple to use site for resizing images so I can get this posted?

 

[kmcconaughey]

Tom, plan B, email it to me and I'll post it...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Here's Tom's photo:

 

[dross]

I found the big garage door at the front of the store they show. If your going through LaClare just north of Bettendorf (I 80). Look behind the BP at the top of a retaining wall.

 

[T-Mo]

I heard about the show from a Wheel Horse site. I watched a couple of episodes now. Those guys walk by old tractors, Wheel Horses, Cases, etc. and pick up cans.....

Good show, though. Interesting to see places and characters where this old stuff is. The show I watched last night, the skinny guy, Mike, got taken by the guy he was trying to pick from. He bought an old bike that he thought was worth something, paid $60 for it and it was worth nothing - too bad of a shape.

 

[aschumacher]

Terry, a few shows back there was a question by a seller ' wanna buy an old tractor?'. Answer by a Picker...Naw, everybodys got a old tractor. I guess the mid-west is flooded by some form of old yard tractors. JMHO

 

[thoffman]

On the last show they were i Sandwich, Illinois where the 2000 rpru was. On that same show the were about 25 miles from my house!