PORTLAND, Ind. — Two of the top finds at a recent Indiana Antique Tractor Auction in Portland, Ind. were a 1959 Farmall 340 Row Crop tractor and 1958 Oliver Model 18 pull-type combine.

“That Farmall was in mint condition. It was completely restored, had new torque and new parts. Somebody put a lot of time and money into it,” said auctioneer Charlie Hill, for Town and Country Auctioneers and Realtors in Decatur, Ind.

The Farmall went for $4,600, while the Oliver combine sold for $600, Hill said.

“You don’t see too many pull-types (like the Oliver) ... It sold pretty good,” Hill said.

At the Sept. 17 auction, Hill said there were 500-700 lots of machinery parts for International, Allis-Chalmers and John Deere. A few antique plows were also attractive to attendees, he said. A Massey Harris No. 28 pull-type, two-bottom plow brought $400, Hill recalled.

Hill hopes to build up a tradition with the antique tractor sales that he and his wife are heading up. He will host the antique tractor and parts sales in the spring and fall each year at the Jay County Fairgrounds in Portland, Ind. This is his third such sale.

“It has the potential of being a good sale. The market’s there. I hope (our antique auction) will be built up big as time goes on. People come from Tennessee and Canada to the sale. It’s something to look forward to. A lot of people like those antique tractors,” Hill said.

He said many farmers and collectors will restore and resell or simply add to their collection. He has heard of plow days in which various farmers bring their antique tractors and plows and collectively plow a farmer’s 80-acre field. “They will plow the whole field up. It’s a community thing,” Hill said.

Despite the downward turn of the world economy, Hill said he is still seeing a good crowd and good merchandise at auctions. About 180 people came to this sale, while in the spring, which is usually better, Hill saw 250 attendees.

Antique farm toys are also doing very well at auctions. At last fall’s sale Hill saw an Oliver pedal tractor sell for $3,650; and at this sale, a true-scale Allis-Chalmers CA Original sold for $1,300.

Town and Country routinely takes consignments. Hill thinks consignment works better over direct advertising. “In my own opinion, the auction method works best. A lot of people like the auction way. With advertising, you might sell it in a month versus selling it in one day,” Hill said.

Next year’s antique tractor and parts sales are set for Saturday, March 31 and Saturday, Sept. 8.