The Minneapolis-Moline Convention has arrived
Collectors and passersby check out the vendor tables at the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors Convention Thursday. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
Frank Bollman and Delbert Schafer staff a vendor table with manuals and pieces of Minneapolis-Moline parts. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
Cherly Yearsly and Ann Woolls arrange shirts at their booth at the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors Convention Thursday morning. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
Len Vonasek speaks with another collector at the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors Convention at Floyd County Fairgrounds Youth Enrichment Center. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com
Red and gold lined the Floyd County Fairgrounds Youth Enrichment Center as the Minneapolis-Moline Collector’s Winter Convention began Thursday morning.
Around 50 vendor booths filled the area, all holding manuals and tractors parts so that it seemed like a motivated individual could construct an entire tractor just perusing the tables.
Memorabilia from a different time including toy tractors and other associated knick-knacks brought smiles to the faces of several of those present.
The convention has come to the home of one the factories that built Minneapolis-Moline tractors — Charles City’s White Farm facility.
There is a friendly rivalry between the collectors as originally the Minneapolis-Moline tractors were built in Minnesota before the company was purchased by White and production moved to Charles City.
The convention is part of a semi-annual tradition that Minneapolis-Moline Collectors take part in, with winter and summer shows each year. This is the 61st time that the collectors have gathered, and the 31st year of the convention.
Delbert Schafer had a collection of manuals on his tables with Frank Bollman.
Jay Groskreutz, Minneapolis-Moline Collector president, is staffing one of the tables near the entrance of the Youth Enrichment Center.
“We have farm tours lined up,” Groskreutz said. “We have six or seven of them around the area.”
The farms that can be toured include three in Floyd County and five around Bremer County.
“On Friday we have a tour lined up at Cambrex,” Groskreutz said.
In the afternoon there’ll be six former Minneapolis-Moline plant employees giving a talk at the Floyd County Museum.
“On Saturday we’ll have an auction set up in here,” Groskreutz said.
Saturday evening the collectors will have their banquet to end the weekend.
Groskreutz and the other collectors all have their own unique stories as to why they started collecting.
“My dad and grandpa farmed with Minneapolis-Molines all their life,” Groskreutz said. “My grandpa bought his first tractor in 1940, a Minneapolis-Moline. I grew up on them.”
As Groskreutz got older, he got fond of the toys and different items associated with the brand.
“I thought it would be kind of neat to start collecting the stuff,” he said.
There are about 550 members of the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors.
“Pretty comfortably we could have 600 to 700 come through here,” Groskreutz said.
There are usually about 130 people at the ending convention banquets.
The collectors association is nationwide with several coming all the way from Canada, Groskreutz said.
The group offers a preservation grant for people restoring tractors. Once a tractor is completed and taken to a show the restorer can get up $1,000 to help with the costs, Groskreutz said.
A $1,000 scholarship is also offered to children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren of the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors member.
“We try to reach out to the younger generation,” Groskreutz said.
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