Staff Report
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Gainesville —
An upcoming venue at Gainesville Civic Center will give farm toy enthusiasts a chance to buy and collect miniatures of the real thing.
The North Texas Farm Toy Show, now in its 27th year, is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23.
As in years past, nearly 100 vendors will sell or trade toy replicas of farm equipment.
The show now has a legacy in Gainesville that is ending the third decade. Companies such as Ford, John Deere, CASE, Kenwood, International and Peterbilt license companies to create miniature, toy versions of their tractors and trucks, a product line that caters to hobbyists. Scale sizes tend to include 1/32 or 1/64.
In 2011, organizer Ed Pick said he personally has around 200 toys, and explained the world of farm toy enthusiasts is like any other group of collectors. Visitors arrive and scrutinize the merchandise, and either gladly fork over money for another piece, or pass on items they already have at home.
But unlike many other hobby groups, these enthusiasts have a history of actually using the equipment that now has replicas.
“Most of the people who do it are farmers or have been on a farm, or grew up on a farm,” he said in 2011.
“There is a rural aspect to Gainesville and Cooke County, most definitely,” he said. “And it fits. We have the population. They’re come back year after year, so there certainly is a client base, and interest.”
For more information, call (940) 759-2876.
