A Distant Prairie Province Neighbour Helps Out

Thursday, November 20, 2014
Overcast and cold - and it's not even winter!

A Distant Prairie Province Neighbour 

Helps Out

  Last week a reader wrote to ask me if I know that Lincoln Toys had manufactured tractors. I didn't know that, so I wrote back to ask if she would send  me photos of her rare tractors, and I'd write a post about her and her tractors. I haven't heard back from her, so I decided to search out these rare tractors and found two on ebay that were sold by a Canadian seller - I'm Canadian, eh! They must be rare because they sold for high values that I had no idea would garner these prices!

   I wrote to the seller, and Dana Tumback, a Canadian from Saskatchewan wrote back and gave me his permission. The distance from the Quebec border to the Saskatchewan border is 1544.6 miles or 2485 kilometers. We're neighbours - but very distant ones. However, in terms of human characteristics, Dana is very close. 

   My bother and sister have both driven west at different times, when they moved to Calgary. THe ride is very long,and until you get through Ontario (the province next to Quebec),you think you'll never get out of the province! Saskatchewan is part of three provinces called "The Prairie Provinces". These are for the most part, gently rolling hills that ounce had lots of buffalo and grasslands. Because of the rich soils, the 3 provinces became major world producers of all kinds of grain and seeds.

For those who don't know, Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia.

Even travelling in my home province of Quebec can take a day if you go from Montreal (where I live) to Gaspé.

The Provincial Flag of Saskatchewan

I selected the clipart illustration of some parts of the wheat plant from www.clipartbest.com

These are great sites that allow use of their clipart. I used this illustration to add a watermark for Dana's images.

Dana Tumback is a longtime seller on ebay since 1997. In this computer era, 17 years is a long time,and to be an ebay seller for this long is long! That's 17 years. Naturally, I always like to look at what else Dana has sold,and what he had was quite interesting.I wrote Dana back to ask if I could select some of these "other" interesting items to write about, and he said yes. Nice neighbour!

Please click here to visit Dana Tumback's ebay store

The Lincoln tractor and manure speeder below are "heavyweights" in several ways. First, their die cast (Perhaps aluminum, so I've read but will need to authenticate). Ten the sizes are large, and of course, thirdly and most importantly they're rare!  

I'm not sure if Americans like to collect Canadian toys, but this item had a lot of bidders warning to win this item. Of course, as I've mentioned many times,farm toys and implements are in huge demand on ebay.When I whitened up these images, the toys came out great.

Massey Harris is more known and popular as a farm machinery manufacturer 

here in Canada than in the United States.

I especially like that large coiled spring that acts as a "cushion" for the tractor driver.

Here's another beauty - a  green Lincoln Oliver tractor.

I like how Dana used a wide-angle lens or focal length to exaggerate the tractor. The smaller wheels in the front are much larger in the photo than the rear ones.

What's also noteworthy is the use of decals on the front to replicate the air intake holes for the engine. I would have liked to know why decals were selected instead of an actual cast model design.

I'll have to research the dates when these toys were made. I'd say probably in the late 1950's or early 1960's. BUt what I can say is that these toys have lasted well over time, just like some of the old tractors that toy see on tractor websites.

I like how Dana photographs his merchandise.

 I paired up most of the photographs and they match quite well together. Each photo compliments the other, and has the viewer move back and forth to examine the features.

 ebay made an excellent decision when they reworked how sellers post their photographs. Before, the firs image was free, and all others after that cost. A few years ago, the new system allowed for up to 12 free photos with magnification features. This has allowed seller who have the time and know that more photos help sell more to flourish. 

Of course ebay has found lots of other ways to make more money.

You can see how Dana has a great "photographic eye" for photography. 

Thanks for dropping by, and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com