SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. — Salesman samples are still hot - particularly among the ever-loyal, green-and-yellow-forever John Deere crowd.

At Chupp Auctions in northern Indiana a John Deere No. 40 two-bottom tractor plow cut a deep furrow in the market - crossing the auction block at $33,000.

Salesman samples always attract attention at a Chupp auction. A salesman sample brass and walnut Cayuga Chief mower which was fully functional sold for $11,500. On the heels of the Chief was a 21 inch long Planet Jr., horse-drawn cultivator which had good stenciling, was mostly brass. Despite having two shoes missing from its hooves, the Planet Jr. kicked up enough dust to sell for $8,500.

In the early 20th century it was common practice for a salesman of farm implements to carry a case containing a smaller version of his company’s product. The salesman could easily demonstrate the features of his product with the sample.

Once the order was placed, the salesman would put the sample back in its case and he was off to the next town. This was a very cost-effective way for these companies as it was much easier and less expensive to tote a small, working example of the piece of machinery around than to send a piece of the machinery itself.

Joseph (Joe) Dain, Jr. was a vice president at Deere & Co. in 1918 when he designed the first model John Deere tractor. Only 100 of these tractors were built and only 44 of them were sold.

They were not a commercial success because the Deere Company had purchased the Waterloo Boy tractor and this tractor was less expensive to produce. Only two of these are known to have survived with one being owned by John Deere in Moline, Ill.

There is one known loose toolbox for this tractor and it was offered at Chupp’s northern Indiana auction. The toolbox was complete with a brass tag that indicated it was built for tractor no. 54 out of 100. Being a piece of agricultural history, it sold for $21,000.

Other salesman samples included: a walnut and brass high-wheel spring wagon, complete with a seat, that was 6 inches wide, 20 inches long and 6 inches high and garnered a final bid of $6,200; a 13-inch high wooden hand water pump from the South Bend Pump Co. in South Bend, Ind. that saw $4,000; and a metal horse-drawn demonstrator sulky plow with three different points that crossed the block for $3,000.

The stenciling indicated that the salesman’s sample washing machine was from the Barnard Washing Machine Co., Toledo, Ohio, selling for $3,200. A cook stove from the Qualified Range Co. sold for $3,300, while a sample of the cast aluminum Ilinoy wood stove sold for $2,300.

The booby hut, which is a carriage body put upon sleigh runners, was in its original condition. Many were interested in this very interesting conveyance item resulting in a final bid of $7,500. Another mode of travel from the past, a model sleigh rather than a salesman’s sample, with swan’s heads and early paint sold for $2,750.

Following the horse-drawn conveyances was an American LaFrance fire truck in its original paint. This item was in running condition and had its original paint. The pump had not been tested and the small accessories were missing. The final bid for this fire truck from the past was $17,000. There was also a Mack fire engine from the 1940s which had been painted green and used in Pottstown, Pa. that sold for $3,500.

It looked good but it didn’t run; however, the Divco milk delivery truck appealed to a collector who hoped to get it running, with a bid of $5,000. A 1914 electric, chain-driven laundry truck, described as “looks nice but not tested,” also sold for $5,000.

An abundance of early signs was also available. A large metal sign for Minneapolis-Moline farm machinery for the Owingsville Farmers Supply sold for $6,500; a 24 by 72 inch porcelain two-sided John Deere farm equipment with a four-legged deer appealed to John Deere collectors and sold for $5,000; and a 30 by 118 inch metal sign for New Idea farm equipment sign also for Owingsville Farmers Supply which had never been hung crossed the block for $3,200.

With a picture of a Brown Swiss the metal two-sided Brown Swiss Cattle sign sold for $3,100; a porcelain Massey-Harris Farm Equipment sign with only one minor scratch earned $3,000; and a round metal self-framed De Laval cream separators sign with a 26-inch diameter also sold for $3,000.

Signs for non-farm related items included: a 20 by 30 inch porcelain Socony Air Craft Oils sign with an airplane pictured that sold for $4,500; a round two-sided Authorized Studebaker Service sign that earned $2,600; and a large round porcelain two-sided GMC Sales & Service sign that saw a final bid of $2,500.

It showed some minor wear on top but the stenciling was in great condition and the 16 inch long wood beam Improved Princess walking plow with a patent date of Oct. 20th, 1891 sold for $3,200; a wooden floor-model Improved Buckeye barrel churn, also with very good stenciling sold for $2,750; and another churn, this one a wooden floor-model Rogers Duplex, also with very good stenciling found a new owner for $2,600.

For the John Deere collector there was a two-sided John Deere brochure holder for all those pamphlets that sold for $2,400; while a display rack for U.S. Tires earned $4,200; and an oak and etched glass floor-model rack for displaying Telfer biscuits in a country store setting earned a final bid of $2,000.

Because there are so many items in the collector auctions held by Chupp they break it down into three sessions. The aforementioned items were sold in the daytime auctions on Friday and Saturday. The following items were sold in the Friday night session. One of the salesman samples sold in this session was a Cloverleaf hay car with a short track and brake. This interesting piece of farm equipment sold for $9,500. The salesman’s sample “Exact Model American Truck” feed cart with the wooden handles even had two different wheels to show the options available. This piece commanded a final bid of $1,400.

Now, corn is mechanically shelled but there was a time when it was all done by hand. To accomplish this there was a variety of corn shellers to tempt the collector; some sat on the floor and others had to be held in your hand. A cast iron “The Young American” corn sheller with a primitive wooden stand earned a final bid of $2,800; another floor model was made by Lebanon Machine Works (one of two known) also sold for $2,800; and a floor-model corn sheller made by the Dain Manufacturing Co. (this would have been prior to Deere) with a cast iron name plate was well worn but did have some original paint and crossed the block for $1,600.

A six-hold cast iron hand corn sheller was one seldom seen, had a weld repair on the top and sold for $2,200. Other cast iron corn shellers included a hand-crank one with a patent date of April 28th, 1874 that earned $2,600, while a table mount, “The Family,” sheller earned $650. A bronze/brass pan handled Ohio corn sheller with an ear of corn was declared sold at $1,600.