Wayne County Farm toy show not just for the agricultural community
To be sure, there are people with varying types of agricultural backgrounds who will be on hand, said vendor Bob Platt. Some will come in search of replicas of tractors they've used or memorabilia from a favorite shop or elevator. But others will come because they collect toys, regardless of genre, or because they're nostalgic about something they recall seeing on Grandpa's farm when they were young.
This is the fourth year the show has been hosted by the Smithville FFA alumni and the first time it will be in the new Smithville high School. Previously held at the now-demolished Greene Middle School, Platt said the move to the new facility allows for more room and, hopefully, more vendors.
Prior to the Smithville location, the show had gone on for several years in Creston and was overseen by the Norwayne FFA. Once that group opted out, Platt suggested it to Smithville FFA officials. “We have such a good, rich agricultural county,” he said, “I thought we should keep it in the county.”
The FFA alumni include past members, parents and members of the community, said Smithville FFA adviser Mandy Atterholt. The group's long-term goal is to build a greenhouse on site, she said, but that was not an option before the construction of the new school. Now, she said, the time to approach the school board with the idea is getting closer, though any actual construction would still be a few years off.
In the short term, proceeds from the show support scholarships, leadership training and other FFA activities, according to Atterholt. And current FFA members are required to be on hand at the event and to provide labor throughout.
The show opens at 9 a.m. in the Smithville High School cafetorium and will continue until 3 p.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Admission is $2, with children 10 and under admitted free.
The alumni raise funds from booth rentals, from the admission cost, and from the lunch service, Atterholt said, leaving not much more overhead than advertising. She expects 20 to 30 vendors using 42 tables for the upcoming show. What visitors will see, Platt said, is a variety of farm toys, many of them die cast, as well as miniature implements. There will be items from Ertl, Platt said, and also from SpecCast. And, he said, “there will be some other go-with stuff there,” both new and vintage, from calendars to dealership memorabilia to old burlap and cloth sacks.
Though not quite as popular as antique shows, Platt said, there are farm toy shows around the state on a fairly regular basis, including a recent one in Sugarcreek and others in Ashland, Urbana and Zanesville.
And equipment seen today might be the nostalgia of tomorrow. “Eventually,” Platt said, “even the existing things are going to be collectible at one time or another.
For more information about the Wayne County Farm Toy Show, including vendor inquiries, contact Atterholt at 330-669-3165, ext. 3119.