This is going to be BIG.
And GREEN.
A new event coming this June folks, the Classic Green Reunion, a 3-day get together in Grand Island, Neb. June 13-15, 2019 for John Deere enthusiasts, collectors and anyone with an affinity for John Deere green. The event has come together quickly and powerfully thanks to a dedicated and tight knit group of volunteers who bleed John Deere green and have been extremely determined that there needed to be a bigger on-going event/get together for John Deere fans.
Check out the event's web site (http://www.classicgreen.org) for more info and importantly, to pre-register if you'd like to bring your John Deere ____tractors/combines/implements/memorabilia____. 100,000 square feet of indoor, air conditioned space will be filled, along with expansive outdoor areas as well.
The event is not limited to just the vintage 2 cylinder tractors, but open to anything and everything John Deere. One of the event organizers and a long time Machinery Pete friend from the auction trail, Steve Plambeck of Nebraska, highlighted just a few of the high interest John Deere items expected at the event...including:
The Oldest John Deere D in Existence
Owned by Kenny Read of Richmond, KS, this is the 4th D built by John Deere. The 3 prior D's are not known, making this the oldest known John Deere D. Pretty darn cool.
1st John Deere 4850 2WD Made & 1st 4850 MFWD Made
The pair of "1st made" John Deere 4850 tractors are owned by Steve Just of Funk, Neb. A chance to be up close and eyeball these babies and talk to Steve about them will be special as our auction sale price data has shown over the past few years the rapidly increasing interest in 1st and last made SN# tractors....like these 4850's.
John Deere Patio Series Garden Tractors - Complete Set
Owned by Danny Redding of Indiana, these retro oddball John Deere garden tractors have really become HOT items recently. I recall a windy auction in Springville, IA back on 11/2/13 where a collector sold a similar complete set of all 4 colors (Red, Yellow, Orange and Blue) of 1969 model John Deere 110 Patio Series garden tractors...they sold for $6,700; $6,700; $6,700 and $5,950. Deere came out with the Patio Series hoping to woo women buyers. They flopped initially, but as can happen, are now red hot collector items, cool pieces of retro history.
Rare John Deere 4430 Factory Open Station, Factory FWA, Power Shift
Owned by Bob Herring of Tipton, IA, this 4430 is a rare bird, very low production number made. Open station Deere models from the 1970's and early 1980's have been rising in value the past few years and here you get the double bonus of a rare factory front-wheel assist model. This 4430 will be sure to draw a crowd at the Classic Green Reunion this June.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg folks. The connected John Deere collector community is very engaged and excited about this new event, the Classic Green Reunion, and there will lots of very intriguing John Deere items to discover.
Happy to report that I will be at the event and will be the dinner speaker on Friday evening, June 14. I'll share my favorite green tinted tractor/combine/equipment stories from almost 30 years on the auction trail. I'll have our trusty Machinery Pete camera crew along with me as well and we will film a couple of Special episodes of Machinery Pete TV show (http://www.MachineryPete.com/mptv) for Season 7 of the show which will start Fall of 2019.
Again, if you are interested in attending the 1st ever Classic Green Reunion in Grand Island, Neb. June 13-15, 2019, head on over to their web site for more information and to pre-register your John Deere items you'd like to bring: http://www.classicgreen.org
Hope to see you in Grand Island in mid June!