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The Huron Expositor, 1987-11-18, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR, NOVEMBER 18, 1987 — 3A Brucefield man collects tractors1 r TOY TRACTOR COLLECTOR -Robert LeBeau of Brucefield has collected over 200 toy tractors which he and his daughter Leanne will be setting up at the Mid Western ° • Ontario Regional Farm Toy Show which will be held in Seaforth on December 6: Cor- bett photo. Everyone's heard of stamp collections, bottle cap collections, butterfly collections, even rock collections, but there's a new one gaining popularity • in North America • -tractor collections. ' Toy tractors are becoming much sought after items by people other than kids. There • are still not a lot of collectors, but there are getting to be a lot more, especially in rural communities such as Huron County. Robert LeBeau, a Brucefield cash crop farmer, is one local tractor enthusiast who is seriously involved in collecting toy trac- tors. He got started in -1964 when he weniut and bought about 10 tractors to start a col- lection. But he soon lost interest. "When I was collecting them no-one else was and it was no fun," he said.- But aid.-But about four years ago he got started up again as • other people started to get in- terested in toy tractors, and there started to be more of a collector's market. Since he started again Mr. Lebeau's col- lection has really taken off and he has about, 200 tractors with a total dollar value well in- to the thousands. And he doesn't just collect any tractor, he tries to' get all the models in the CASEtractur-line-This-makes-him-a-bit of a unique collector, as most collectors go for John. Deere or International. lie has yet to meet another CASE collector. Mr. LeBeau said a lot of his tractors have come out of sand boxes, and he has bought a lot of new tractors for children in exchange for their old ones. There are also shows put on in the United States where collectors can get the few rare tractors they need to con- plete their collections. He has paid from $5 all the way up to $201 -for a single tractor. When he gets a tractor that is in•par- ticularly rough shape Mr. LeBeau sends them away to have them professionally urge and small "...I buy therm. because I enjoy them. redone: This touch-up includes a paint job, new tires, new decals, and can optionally in- clude custom decals such as "LeBeau Farms. Getting a tractor redone is expen- sive. In once case Mr. Lebeau paid $70 to the show and approximately 20 of them come from Huron County. Sometimes these shows can be very well attended, and Mr. LeBeau was at a show in Woodstock where the doors opened at 10 have a''tractor-redane-in-another;$170:'— a;m -and-closed-at 4-p:m-and-thr-oughout For his expenditures Mr. Lebeau has that time the crowd was so thick you could managed to get all but three of the tractors barely walk.' in the CASE line. One of those is worth Mr. LeBeau said tractor collectors are • generally a friendly lot and when they wheel and deal to try and get the tractors they need they are "not out to get you." He does say, however, collectors have to be careful when they buy tractors to make sure they get originals. and not reproductions. Originals are easy. to spot when you know what to look for, but are expensive. For one original he has which was made in 1951 Mr. LeBeau was offered $500 from another col- lector, but he didn't want to get rid of it. —Writ- actors they need -to coli plete-their---Although the t'octalb were -originally -in ------ line of `machinery'. and know what price tended as toys' for children, Mr. LeBeau's they will be expected to pay for it. children know the tractors are not to be played with. But his youngest daughter Leanne, who is nine, has taken an interest in her father's collection and helps him set up displays at shows, Mr. LeBeau has been involved with real tractors in a big way for a long time, and has collected life size tractors as well as the toys. At onetime he had 45 antique tractors he had personally fixed up and restored. He sold most of them, but still retains about 10. Another hobby he had and still has is buy- ing Allis-Chalmers tractors, doing • cess a TRACTOR RESTORED - One of Mr. LeBeau's hobbies is restoring Allis- Chalmers tractors and converting them to lawn mowers. To the right is a photograph of one of the tractors when Mr. LeBeau first got it, and above, the same tractor, after he was finished with it. Submitted photos. charge there14-year-oldsThe importancetoand from • toMr.the p g, P g Woods lawn mowers underneath them and selling them for ride 'em mowers. He has sold 22 of these lawn mowers all over the area from Goderich to Chatham. . He still has 10 Allis-Chalmers tractors and is going to get them ready for next year as a winter project. But it is the smaller tractors that have Mr. LeBeau's attention for the time being. At the•Seaforth show on December 6 he will gena chance to measure his toy tractor col- lection against some of the best around. In the meantime he will be looking to buy trac- tors to add to his collection. r Thousands of tractors on' display The public is invited to come out and see a toy tractor show at the Seaforth and District Community Centres on December 6. The show will feature 50 collectors from across the country. Huron County collectors as well as collectors from •Kitchener, Southampton and Essex will be among those present. • For an admission fee of $1 (children under 12 free with adult) anyone can see the show and vote • for who they think has the best display. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. There will be tractors specially made for the event. They will -be McCormick -Deering Model 10-20, 1/16 scale, and will bear the in- scription "Mid Western Ontario Region Farm Toy Show Seaforth, 1987." There will be 130 tractors made and they will be on sale for $46. Orders for the tractors received by September 25 will be ready for pickup at the Toy Show: Orders will also be taken at the toy show and should be available for pickup in January 1988. The show will start at 1 am and will be open until 4 pm. A country style brunch will be available -from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Collector displays are encouraged, and the charge for displays is $20 for a selling table and $10 for a display table. For tables or more information contact Bill Ireland at 392-6733 or Marlen Vincent at 527-0120. r Seaforth wants 45 per cent The Town of Seaforth has decided to sup- port a brief presented ..by the Town of Goderich to the Huron County Road Com- mittee, concerning county contributions to urban municipalities. The brief, prepared by Goderich Public Works Commissioner Ken Hunter, was cir- culated to all other county municipalities for consideration. It responds to a County Engineer's report and recommendations presented to the com- mittee in September, now currently under consideration at the committee level. The brief concerns itself, in particiular, with Goderich's objection to a proposed decrease in the amount paid to urban municipalities in order to increase the work " done on county roads. "It is as much a responsibility of the coun- ty road system to construct and maintain urban roads, as it is to construct and main- tain county roads," states the brief. One concern raised by the brief, is if the county road contributions to urban municipalities were reduced, it would result in a corresponding reduction in provincial funding. The contributions :from the county are matched by Ministry dollars to do the road work within urban municipalities. Without this contribution, in the case of the Town of Goderich, the town would receive $60,000 less from the county as contribution and would also lose an additional $60,000 from the Ministry, for a total loss of $120,000 worth of road construction within the town. The other urban municipalities would be faced with the same prospects. If council wished to replace the country contribution in order to match the Ministry of Transpor- tion dollars, council would be faced with a five mill increase on top of the regular infla- tionary increase. In its letter of support, the Town of Ex- eter, pointed out towns and village pay 34.59 per cent of the total highway levy in the county. Turn to page 16 • COMMUNITY CALENDAR If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaford' area residents.' phone the recreation office at 527-0882 of the Expositor at 527.0240, or mail the information to Communi- ty Catendar, The Huron Expositor. Box 69. Seaforth; Ontario, NOK 1WO welt in advance of the scheduled date. Space for the Community Calendar is donated by The Huron Expositor. Wed, Nov. 18 1 - 3 p.m. Moms and Tots 1:30 - 4 p.m. Senior Shuffleboard - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Tween Ringette 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Atom 1 practice 8:30 Horticultural Society Potluck Supper and 'Annual Meeting at Public School', bring own dishes 6:30 • 7:30 p.m: Centenaires practice 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Minor Broomball 9 - 11 p.m. Ladies' Broomball 8 • 9 p.m. Fitness le Fun 7:30.9:30 p.m. Wood Carving at S.D.H.S; 8 - 30 p.m. Mixed Volleyball at S.D.H.S. Thurs. Nov. 19 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Novice practice 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Bantam practice 6:30 • 7:30 p.m. Minor Broomball 7:30 • 12 a. atl 7:30 - 9:30:30 p.m.m. MenMen's's BasketbaBroombll Fri. Nov. 20 4 - 5 p.m. Senior Houseleague practice 5 - 6 O.M. Junior Houseleague practice 6 - 7 p.m. Midget practice 7 .4 ilkejaunler Ringette Practice 8:30 WolIaely ve. Centenalrem, Sats Nov. 21 4:30 rim. Oilers vs North Stare 9:30 a.m. Canadians ve Brulne 10:30 cm. Whalers ve Leafs 11.30 a.m.Flyers ve Jets 12;30 • 1:30 p.m. Mates prectice' 1:30 2:30 Storey Hour at the Library 1:30' • 2:30 p.m. Petite, Novice; Bunny Ringette 2:30 - 4 p.m. Public Skating 4 - 6 p.m. Bantams vs Oakridge, London Exh. 6:15 - 8 p.m. Pee Wee vs Clinton Sun. Nov. 22 1:30 p.m. Exeter vs Centenaires 4 - 5 p.m. AtOm 11 practice 5 - 6 p.m. Petite Ringette practice 6 - 7 p.m. St. Marys vs Tween Ringette 7 - 8 p.m. Junior Ringette practice 8 = 9:30 p.m. Penguins vs Hawks 9:30 - 11 p.m. Bruins vs Flyers Moo. Nov. 23 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. Figure Skating 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. WoOd Refinishing at S.D.H.S. Tues. Nov. 24 5:30 • 6:30 p.m. Atom practice 8:30 - 8 p.m. Mitchell vs Bantams 8 - 10 p.m. 'Midgets Wed. Nov. 25 1 - 3'p.M. Moms and tote skating 1:30 - 4 p.m. Senior Shuffleboard 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Tween Ringatte 5:30 - 6:10 p.m. Atom 1 praotice 8:3'0. 7:30' p.m. Centenaires practice 7:30 • 0 pari. Minor Broornball S - 11 p.m. Ladles` Broombetf 8.9 p.m. Fltneaa Is Fun 7:36.9 30 p.m. Wood Carving' at S.D.H.S. 8 • 10 p.tn. Mixed Volleyball et S.D.H.S.