This 1952 Farmall H was the sale’s top-selling lot. Photos courtesy Mecum Auctions.
One of the things we enjoy about covering auctions for motorcycles, trucks and tractors is that the market seems to still be in its early stages; while some collections are forging the way by setting new price records, these auctions are also still accessible to the occasional buyer who is looking for a restoration bargain. With that premise, we took a look at last weekend’s fourth-annual Gone Farmin’ Iowa Premier auction, hosted on Saturday, November 7, by Mecum Auctions as the Mississippi Valley Fair Center in Davenport, Iowa. Top sellers over the three-day event included one real head-scratcher:
The top-selling tractor was this unrestored 1952 Farmall H with original owner’s documentation, which sold for $40,000. Granted, it had very limited usage, probably less than 200 hours in over 50 years, but similar unrestored Farmall Hs have sold in the $1500 to $2000 range over the last decade. We are not sure why this one was bid into the stratosphere, but it proves the premise that any lot is worth exactly what the highest bidder is willing to pay for it. A restored 1949 Farmall Model H sold at the same auction for $1,800, while two 1953 Super Hs sold for $3,000 and $3,250.
1969 Oliver 2150.
Other lots in the auction’s top-10 included a 1969 Oliver 2150 with a Hercules 478-cu.in., 131 hp diesel and front-wheel assist, which sold for $40,000; a 1970 Farmall 1456 diesel, which sold for $30,000; a 1967 Farmall 1206 FWA turbo diesel with Coleman front-wheel assist, which sold for $28,500; a 1970 John Deere 4520, which sold for $27,000; a 1969 Allis-Chalmers 220 with a Wheatland 426-cu.in. turbo diesel, which sold for $26,000; a 1970 International 1456, which sold for $25,000; a 1967 International 1206 Wheatland, with a 110 hp turbo diesel, which sold for $25,000; a 1974 John Deere 4230, which sold for $25,000; and a 1970 Oliver 1855, with front-wheel assist and a tilt steering wheel, which sold for $22,750. It’s worth noting that with the exception of the top-selling tractor, all lots in the top-10 were restored to as-new condition.
1964 Cockshutt 1900.
Also of note, the 1964 Cockshutt 1900 with the Detroit Diesel 4-53 turbocharged engine, featured in the upcoming January edition of Hemmings Motor News, sold for a respectable $13,500.
On the other end of the spectrum, there were numerous well-bought, lower-priced units from the same sale. A Farmer’s Union Co-op No. 2 Tractor with Chrysler 3.3-liter six-cylinder engine sold for $3,300; a restored 1944 Oliver 60 Row Crop sold for $2,500; a restored 1938 John Deere Model B sold for $2,800; a restored 1950 Oliver 66 Standard sold for $3,500; a 1929 Fordson with a recent engine rebuild and rattle-can paint job sold for $800; and a restored 1948 Cockshutt Model 30 sold for $1,750.
This 1944 Oliver 60 Row Crop sold for just $2,500.
Could someone purchase one of the $3,000 Farmall Hs and make a killing with a restoration? Highly doubtful, but, we think there were definitely some real bargains to be had at this auction, in addition to some excellent collector’s grade restorations. The tractor collector hobby still appears to be evolving, but it may eventually reach pricing levels that are, at times, just as confounding as those for vintage car and motorcycle auctions.
Complete results from the Iowa Premier sale are available at Mecum.com.
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