An all-green grand opening Any green guy or gal who made the mecca to Moline August 10 to 11, 2001 was richly rewarded with an all green (and yellow) event like no other in history.
The cause for celebration? The official grand opening of the new John Deere Collectors Center, a restored 1950s-era dealership named Moline Tractor & Plow Co. that serves as headquarters for green enthusiasts. Just a block away from the famed John Deere Pavilion and John Deere Commons area, this new building is sure to draw diehard Deere fans to its doors. And everyone who sets foot inside will certainly be impressed. Speaking as someone who saw this dilapidated shell of a building just one year ago last August at the inaugural auction, the site has undergone an amazing transformation. Much praise is due to the people who helped achieve the extensive and thorough renovation of this 116-year-old building in downtown Moline near the riverfront. Hungry for history? Feast on this fabulous facility More than 30 antique tractors from the famed two-cylinder time prior to 1960 are on display at the John Deere Collectors Center and Moline Tractor & Plow Co.
A few horsedrawn implements and other equipment are also on display in the showroom. The property contains 25,000 square feet of indoor space, plus a 45,000 square foot outdoor exhibit area. The showroom inside the restored 1950s-era dealership also includes a retail store with items that represent products made before 1960. A parts counter and restoration department round out the dealership setting. Staffed by passionate professionals, this facility is sure to educate, enlighten and entertain enthusiasts. While it clearly earns the honor of being the premier place for folks who bleed green, the building itself didn’t hold all the charm though this weekend. Visitors could also feast their eyes on more than 150 tractors and implements on display in the surrounding parking lot areas. Brought in by John Deere collectors from several neighboring states, these displays were another impressive aspect of the event. From parade-perfect tractors to colorful implements and other unique creations, fans had lots of fun wandering between the rows of green and yellow.
In fact, it’d be hard to find fault with the brand-new Collectors Center or Moline Tractor & Plow Co. The only thing that posed a problem last weekend was that the building wasn’t big enough to hold all the people who came to see it. Rough estimates range from 10,000 to 15,000 visitors on Saturday alone. Collectors needed an extra pinch of patience to deal with the long lines for buying John Deere goodies that stretched through the retail store almost all day long. Other than that, a diehard Deere enthusiast couldn’t complain. John Deere fans could feast on free doughnuts in the morning and yummy grilled pork chop sandwiches in the afternoon. Staying hydrated was easy with plenty of free coffee, water, and Coke, in retro glass bottles, of course. The atmosphere is truly a blast from the past. Nitpickers would be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t match with the 1950s-era dealership theme. Even the background music played in the building is retro-appropriate. Going once, going twice... In addition to the official ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning, the main events were the two auctions —Ýa memorabilia/toy one on Friday night and a tractor/equipment one on Saturday afternoon.
These well-run Dennis Polk auctions managed to sell more than 250 lots of memorabilia during Friday night’s 4-hour sale. It was standing room only in the Metro Centre Station where collectors crammed shoulder to shoulder to see a variety of things sell…everything from toy tractors and tools to belt buckles bicycles, books, brochures, and so much more! One source said this auction totaled more than $50,000 in value. Saturday’s sale saw almost 150 green machines parade past the large crowd of curious onlookers, serious collectors and active bidders. Top dollar went to this year’s "show" tractor — a BWH-40 that brought a cool $74,000. One of only 13 made, this elite restored relic went to a new home after the sale ended. Mother Nature bleeds green While it was hard to count everyone in attendance, crowds were estimated at or above 10,000 people over the weekend. And every last one of them was grateful that God gave Mother Nature the order for better weather. After suffering through a miserable Midwestern summer swelter earlier that week, greenies awoke Friday to a much-improved outlook. Finally, the oppressive weather system that had plagued the Quad Cities area with high humidity and stifling summer temps cleared out just in time for the weekend’s activities. Now everyone could enjoy the pleasantly comfortable summer sunshine, bright blue skies, glossy green paint and the familiar pop-pop sounds of those trusty two-cylinder tractors.
Busy with book-signings The Green Girl greatly enjoyed her book-signing sessions on both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Many autographed copies of the JOHN DEERE COLLECTIBLES book went to new homes. And many more who had already enjoyed the book stopped by to compliment the author, which was greatly appreciated! Some fans took photos with the author, others asked for special requests in their personalized notes, and still others just wanted to shake the hand of the person who penned the so-called "Bible" of John Deere memorabilia and antiques. Exchanging business cards, telling stories and showing photos of pieces in personal collections were all part of the very memorable experience. In addition to the main event, The Green Girl also met many interesting local people who are connected to Deere history by their homes. Stay tuned for a future story about these historic homes and Deere family properties. For those of you lucky ones who were there last weekend, I’d love to hear what you thought about the Collectors Center and the grand opening event. Please email me with your comments. If you weren’t able to attend this "Grand Green" event, mark your calendars for next August and plan to meet me in Moline for all things green. Chances are, it will be even bigger and better…in fact, I’ll personally guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Next week, The Green Girl will delve deeper into the John Deere Collectors Center. We’ll go beyond the building to talk about what it means to be a member of this unique group and how the John Deere Foundation fits into the Moline Tractor & Plow Co. facility and others.
Text and photosÝ © 2001 Brenda Kruse. |
