Seeing a pedal tractor sell for more than $11,000 would seem more likely to happen on an episode of “American Pickers” than in Highland County, but that’s exactly what happened last Saturday.
Klayton Juillerat with Nationwide Auctions & Realty in Hillsboro said the company auctioned off a McCormick Farmall M pedal tractor for $11,500.
Juillerat said there were about 400 bidders from 10 states, and as far away as Alabama, that came to bid on pedal tractors, toy tractors, antiques and other items owned by Bucky and Julia Newman that were being sold during an auction in Mowrystown.
The Newmans had about 40 pedal tractors in their collection and Juillerat said several others sold in the $3,000 range.
The Farmall M pedal tractor was likely made in the 1950s was in excellent condition, Juillerat said. He said that from what he could gather there were no more than five of that model ever made.
There were several people bidding on the Farmall M, Juillerat said, but a man from Northern Ohio ended up being the winning bidder. Juillerat said he did not know the man’s name.
“He was an older gentleman and he said he had always wanted one of those and he finally got to purchase one,” Juillerat said.
According to Juillerat, Bucky Newman was a former trustee and bus mechanic in the Leesburg and Highland area.
Juillerat said he knew they had some pricy pedal tractors to sell, but he didn’t know exactly what they were worth.
“We just didn’t know how things were going to go,” Juillerat said. “But that’s one of the good things about auctions – the crowd usually tells you what things are worth.”
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
