Will Combines Become The Next Collectibles?

Will Combines Become The Next Collectibles? AG WORLD Ag World 20-1-19 After Successful Farming magazine published a story about the four antique Massey-Harris 35 self-propelled combines owned by Charles Plott and his son Wayne, in Southington, Ohio, they got a lot of calls and letters from farmers who wanted to sell - or give away - their own combines to the Plotts. "I got interested in collecting Massey-Harris combines because my father sold them for years," says Charles, who collects all kinds of Ferguson tractors and implements and wants to add to his collection. "In fact, three of the four combines we own are ones that he sold new in 1956 and 1957. These combines did a beautiful job and were some of the best machines of their time. "After the story on our collection was published I got at least 75 calls and letters from farmers who wanted me to pick up their combines so that they wouldn't have to find a way to get rid of them. Some farmers even sent in photos of their machines. However, we're not set up to pick up and restore combines." The Plotts used all four combines at the same time three years ago during a wet fall when fields were soft. "The big modern combines left wheel tracks 15 to 20 in. deep, but our old Massey-Harris models with 8-ft. headers left almost no wheel tracks. I also used them last year to harvest 40 acres of wheat." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Charles Plott, 2785 Warren-Burton Road, Box 97, Southington, Ohio 44470 (ph 216 898-2611).

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