By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Farmers are generally thought to be loyal to one brand of tractor for their fields.

Many of them say it's simply a matter of practicality, of finding one thing that works well and sticking with it. Some others say it's also sentimental, as brand loyalties to John Deere or Oliver are inherited along with allegiances to Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

It seems fitting, then, that farm toy collectors are also loyal to toys of Allis-Chalmers or Farmalls past. After all, many farm toy collectors are farmers themselves.

Take Bradley Zender, for instance. He farms a small acreage near Butterfield, but he spends his vacation time going from one toy show to another, hauling his collection along with him. He has organized the New Ulm Farm Toy Show for the past 17 years.

"It's kind of the kid in me that hasn't grown up," admits Zender as some of the show-goers browse his collection. "It's a fun hobby, you meet great people. ... This is my vacation for the year -- doing toy shows."

For several of the folks staffing the tables inside Vogel Arena, New Ulm's show doesn't necessarily mean a large crowd but many from out of the state say they come back because they like the town and its people.

"I come here because No. one, I enjoy the town. I do about 30 shows a years and this is the only one in Minnesota," said Dick LaWinber from Weston, Neb.

LaWinber's table seems a rarity at the show. Instead of die-cast models of tractors, he sells scale models of semi trucks. He said in the past he's made models for both D & A Trucking and J & R Schugel, New Ulm trucking companies.

Pam Scheeley's table also features some less common items. Spread out on the table are older farm toys, many of them made from tin and many showing their age. She also has some old cans of oil and cans of lubricant, some old John Deere money and a BB pistol that bears an uncanny resemblance to a .45-caliber automatic handgun.

Scheeley said her collection started with her husband, who grew up on a farm. Over the years, the two of them went to several swap meets, garage sales, auctions and other toy shows.

"It's kinda slow today," she said Sunday afternoon. "Some people are already packing up."

Even though it's 3:30 in the afternoon and many of the dealers at the show are beginning to pack their wares into boxes, there is still a small handful of browsers and customers.

Nathan Stuck, from Millet, S.D., strolled along the tables and quietly looked over row after row of scale models and memorabilia.

"I came to town to visit some friends," he said when asked why he came such a long way. "I stopped by because I saw the billboard. I like going to farm toy shows."

Stuck has a small collection of scale model tractors at home, most of which are John Deeres. Like many at the show, Stuck has his own loyalty.

So does Tom Rauenhorst of Olivia. He walked the aisles, carefully looking over the many boxes of models. He carried with him a newly-purchased model of an International Harvester 1066 in a pale yellow plastic bag. He said it was an exact copy of the first tractor he ever owned. He now serves as the postmaster in Danube, a small town near Olivia in Renville County.

"It definitely has sentimental value," he said, looking down into the bag. "I'm going to put it on the shelf in my office."

Ruby McBurney and her husband Thomas came to the show from Humboldt, Iowa. Their table was stocked with shiny new die-casts of all the four major brands of tractors. It is a veritable sea of red, orange and John Deere green. Ruby said John Deere is a common sight at toy and memorabilia shows because it puts out nearly 75 percent more toys and similar items than the other manufacturers. The others are now owned by Agco, and so they're available in fewer quantities.

"The most gung-ho collectors are the ones who want replicas. They're really into it.," Ruby explained.

Among the many different models on display at the McBurneys' table is a die-cast scale model replica of the Waterloo Boy -- the tractor many say is the forerunner of John Deere. Ruby said it's not uncommon for someone to collect the model of the tractor they learned to ride on, the model their father had and even the models used by grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

"It's our Midwestern culture," Ruby explained. "There are more toy shows like this in the Midwest than in any part of the country."

Farm toy hobby marks way of life