As I write this, boxes of the 2011 Farm Collector Show Directory are stacked in our stockroom, with thousands being prepared for delivery. Which means that you should have received your pre-ordered copy by the time you read this. If not, please call (866) 624-9388 and we’ll get you squared away.
At 421 pages, the FC Show Directory is the biggest and best annual guide to the year’s antique farm equipment shows. Needless to say, it can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t set up some parameters for your perusal. Then again, it’s a fun book to aimlessly get lost in.
While all of the shows listed are worth attending, the fact is there just isn’t enough time to see them all. So, one of my favorite activities this time of year is paging through every state’s listings looking for the most interesting gas engine related shows.
The two parameters I use when choosing a show are significant anniversaries and interesting gas engine features. When a show has been around a long time and makes special notice of a feature gas engine, I travel in confidence that the trip is going to be worth my time and the magazine’s money. I haven’t been burned yet by this approach.
Looking through the 2011 listings and considering my parameters, the following shows are on my wish list:
• June 2-4: East Tennessee Antique Engine Assn. 40th Annual Crank-Up, Elizabethton, TN; Feature gas engine: Otto. See more info on page 179 of the Show Directory.
• June 25-26: Sandwich Early Day Engine Club 40th Annual Gas Engine, Tractor, Truck and Farm Toy Show, Sandwich, IL; Feature gas engines: Sandwich and New Idea. See more info on page 230.
• July 16-17: Camp Creek Threshers 35th Annual Show, Waverly, NE; Feature gas engine: Canadian engines. See more info on page 283.
• Aug. 24-28: 46th Annual Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show, Portland, IN; Feature gas engine: Illinois-built. See more info on the front inside cover.
• Sept. 1-5: Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, Mt. Pleasant, IA; Feature gas engine: Bates & Edmonds. See more info on page 248.
• Sept. 23-25: 55th Annual Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, Ft. Scott, KS; Feature gas engine: Fairbanks-Morse; see info on page 251.
Whether I get to attend any of these shows remains to be seen, but half the fun of reading the Show Directory is daydreaming!
The 2011 Farm Collector Show Directory is only $16.95 and can be purchased online or by calling (866) 624-9388.