Remembering Halloween Collector Auction in 2015 with John Deere WA-17 4WD Tractor

Can’t believe it was 4 years ago.

Halloween 2015. Our two daughters were both grown, both graduated from college at that point. Mrs. Machinery Pete wasn’t too upset about me not sticking around to help hand out candy to trick or treaters at our home in Rochester, MN, so I hit the road, to Belleville, IL to cover the Verlan Heberer collector estate auction.

October 31, 2015.

The tractor that really drew my attention was Verlan’s rare John Deere WA-17 4WD. If I recall, word was only 27 were built.

The sale was by my good friends at Polk Auction (www.polkauction.com). Here’s Youtube video I filmed of the John Deere WA-17 selling for…Wow…Big $$'s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdFjqwqdaBg&t=14s

$80,000. Like I said…Wow.

Since that day 4 years ago rare vintage 4WD Tractors have definitely RISEN in value. You probably recall a few of these beauties I’ve posted about over the past couple years:

IHC 7788, only 2 made, this is 1st one, SN# 501, 2517 original hours, sold for $140,632 (U.S) on 8/16/17 Manitoba farm auction. Here’s video: https://www.machinerypete.com/media_posts/ihc-7788-tractor-1-of-2-only-made-with-2517-original-hours-sold-yesterday-on-manitoba-farm-auction

IHC 7588, only 2 made, this is 1st one, SN# 501, sold on 12/16/17 farm auction in Moravia, IA, sold for $151,000…despite being found in the fence row months before the auction. My good friends at Sullivan Auctioneers (www.sulllivanauctioneers.com) sold the heck out of it! Here’s blog I wrote the day of the auction: https://www.machinerypete.com/media_posts/rare-ihc-7588-tractor-sold-for-151k-today-on-iowa-auction

IHC7588-6

1961 John Deere 8020, only 100 made, sold for new record price of $178,500 ($170K hammer price + 5% buyer’s fee) on 3/30/19 Mecum Gone Farmin’ collector auction in Davenport, IA…here’s video of it selling: https://www.machinerypete.com/media_posts/1961-john-deere-8020-4wd-tractor-sold-for-record-price-today-on-iowa-auction

More recently, this totally cool 1967 Steiger 1250 4WD, 1 owner, SN# 112, sold for $31,000 on a farm auction in northwest Minnesota on 9/21/19:

Hope you enjoyed these happy vintage 4WD tractor memories on this Friday evening. Have a great weekend everyone :slight_smile:

Pete
Machinery Pete
www.MachineryPete.com