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Temperatures are dropping but the Farm Toy news is hot!

Greetings from Dyersville!

It's been a busy last 30 days as we're now rounding out September.  In my last blog I gave an update on my sweet corn.  Here is an image of some of the crop this year.  You can't beat fresh sweet corn from the garden.   

I also dug my potatoes up.  I always seem to stick some with my potato fork, but overall it was a good potato harvest. 

I'm sure many of you heard, or had to deal with the devastation caused by the Derecho that went through Iowa, Illinois and other states.   We have relation that lives outside of Cedar Rapids and bore the brunt of the wind.  Thankfully their house wasn't damaged significantly by the big branch.  Luckily I updated my chain saw not too long ago by adding a new chain and it really did a good job!  The entire neighborhood was working together to clean up all the trees and debris - Truly "Iowa Nice"!!   

It's also nice to celebrate significant birthdays and milestones.  We were able to celebrate my mom's 95^th Birthday in August, as well as the 100^th anniversary of our barn.  If nothing else it was a good excuse for an ice cream machine and cake with close family.

Recently we did a small photoshoot at the farm, and I snapped this picture. That day I couldn't resist sitting this Magnum on our neighbor's old Cyclo planter that is currently sitting in our barn.

Enough about my life.  Let's switch over and give you some info on some of our latest models.  In the last blog I introduced our new "puller" tractors for both Case IH and New Holland.   We're also coming out with another model that's called "Big 'Ol Buck" (Stock # 47231)  Check with your local farm toy dealer for this unit.  It will not be available at John Deere dealerships.

Switching to pedal tractors, we've just started shipping a new Farmall 200 pedal tractor. (Stock # 44170)  In real tractors, the 200 replaced the Super C in 1955.  We've also started shipping our New Holland T8.435 "Genesis" pedal tractor. (Stock # 13954)  The "Genesis" name goes way back to when Ford New Holland introduced their "70" series tractors in 1993.  The largest tractor then, the 8970 had 210 PTO horsepower.  The T8.435 has 435 peak horsepower and 315 PTO horsepower.  It's amazing how big tractors have gotten over the last 25-30 years.

We just received word that the National Farm Toy show is still going forward.  Check out the Toy Farmer flyer that was recently posted.  Our outlet store will be open, and we'll have a display at the Toy Farmer show site.  We are currently doing some renovations in our main office so we won't be setting up our showroom like we typically do for the show.   Watch my next blog for more information.

Enjoy the rest of your September. 

Until next time,

Bill  

National Farm Toy Show and Farm Toy News

Greetings from Dyersville!

October has drawn to an end and it's almost time for the National Farm Toy show.   This year's show is a little different than normal.  The main show is being held in a different building here in Dyersville.  The former "American Homes" building is just down the road from the National Farm Toy Museum.  ERTL will also be participating in the show.  We will have three tables in the American Homes building showing off our latest product.  Our outlet store will be open for you to purchase your favorite toys and baby products but our product showroom will not be open due to some re-modeling that is currently happening in our offices.

Some of you have been following my blog for several years, so October is always the month where I post a picture of my granddaughter Lucy as she gets another year older.  Lucy just turned 3 and we were able to spend a little time with her at a park earlier this year.  Dawn and I are fortunate that we only live one hour away from Lucy and her parents.  She also likes to video chat with us when everyone''s schedule allows.

October of 2020 also marks a milestone for me as the 35^th anniversary of me joining the U.S. Air Force back in 1985.  That sure seems like a long time ago.  I believe this picture was taken around 1990 in Saudi Arabia.  For several years I worked in the command section of Ninth Air Force.  Our commander at the time was Lieutenant General Horner, who also is a native of Iowa.  He commanded all the air forces that took part in Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  I followed General Horner around on many exercises and operations including Florida, California, Egypt and of course Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Enough about me, let's talk about farm toys.  Unfortunately we can only show you so many of our new products with just three tables at the show.  We will have several new items on our display that are just getting ready to ship including the Toy Farmer Allis Chalmers tractors and the National Farm Toy Museum 1:16^th Allis Chalmers D-21 (Stock # 16407OTP) and 1:64^th IH 4186 tractor. (Stock # 44237OTP).  You will also get to see a first look at our new 1:64^th John Deere X9 combine and our puller tractors.  

We are very close to releasing our 2021 John Deere catalog.  Keep checking the ERTL website (www.ertl.com ) for our new catalogs and flyers.  I'm happy that we were able to use our 100 year old barn in the background of the cover image.  Some of the biggest news about new John Deere products is what's not included in the catalog.  For those of you who enjoyed our 1:16^th scale John Deere Prestige Select S780 combine, we'll soon be announcing the second in the series.  Stay tuned for more on that in upcoming blogs.

I always look forward to talking to many of you at the National Show.  Please stay safe!!

Until next time,

Bill 

The Teethe-Around Trainer Cup is the spill-proof sensory sippy cup designed for teething! From teethers, to toys, to sippy cups; babies explore the world around them with both their hands and mouths. With this in mind, The First Years developed a trainer cup that is specially designed with a teething baby in mind.

2020 Farm Show Units and More!

Greetings from Dyersville!

I can't believe it's already July.  Where did June go?  The corn in Iowa is really growing now that we're getting some of the normal, hot summer days.  Hopefully this weather pattern continues and the crops continue to thrive.

If you've read some of my earlier blogs you'll recall a goal I have to visit all 99 counties in Iowa.  I was able to check another dozen off the list a few weeks ago.  On the trip we visited Audubon, where you can find the huge "Albert the Bull" display.  This bull was built in 1964, is over 28 feet high and weighs 45 tons.  We had Herefords on the farm when I was growing up, but nothing like this.  

We also went through Madison county, which is famous for its covered bridges.  The "Hogback Bridge" was built in 1884 by Winterset.  There are only six covered bridges left in Iowa and "Hogback" was the last all lumber truss bridge built.

We just recently heard the news that many of the major farm shows are being cancelled for 2020 including the Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest.  Many of you know that we produce "Farm Show" units and we already had these planned, so we're moving forward with the following:

Case IH:   We are producing both a 1:32^nd and 1:64^th Case IH AFS Connect Steiger 540CVX models.  (1:32^nd is stock number 44187OTP and 1:64^th is stock number 44188OTP)   These models will have many updates including new exhaust and air intake, changes to the interior and exterior of the cab, and the new graphics look.  You will also find special "chase units" in both models.  These units will be available late in August.

John Deere:  We are showcasing the new 8R tractors that John Deere has recently announced including the new 1:32^nd 8RX 370 tracked model (Stock number 45748OTP) and the 1:64^th 8R 370 wheeled tractor. (Stock # 45749OTP)  Both of these tractors are newly tooled and include the new hood and cab designs, included a detailed interior, mirrors, 3-point hitches and more. These two units will also have special "chase units", so be on the lookout.  The John Deere units should start showing up in early August.

Another tractor coming in August is the 1:32^nd White Plainsman Tractor being produced for the Toy Farmer. (Stock number 16403OTP)  This tractor features a revised hood and grille along with the unique "Plainsman" graphics.  Only 2,500 of these tractors are being produced, and are exclusive for the Toy Farmer.   

 We also have several other new 1:64^th items coming out shortly.  They include the following:

1:64^th IH 660 tractor - (Stock number 44227) Produced from 1959 to 1963, the IH 660 was only built as a Standard/Wheatland tractor.  They replaced the 600/650 series of tractors. With 80+ PTO horsepower it was a brute for its time.  It was replaced by the 806 tractor in 1963. The 806 was also available in standard/wheatland configurations.

1:64^th Case 1270 tractor - (Stock number 44228) The Case 1270 tractors were produced from 1972 through 1978 and were manufactured in Racine, WI at the Case plant.  It produced over 120+ PTO horsepower when it was introduced and was increased to 135 horsepower in 1974.  The 1270 had new inboard planetaries so it could work better in row crop conditions vs. the Case 1170/1175 tractors that had outboard planetaries.  Our version features the later "Power White/Power Red" paint scheme that came out in 1974.  

Enjoy your summer, and please stay safe.

Until next time,

Bill 

MEET DESERT. THE DRYING RACK THAT WAS BORN TO DRY

It''s Baby Safety Month! We want our little ones to always stay safe, happy and healthy so we are giving away a few of our top American Red Cross items that will help you stay prepared when raising your bundle of joy ??

Giveaway ends on 9/27 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to legal U.S. residents only. Winners will be announced on 9/28. Good luck!? 

DON''T MISS OUT! ENTER NOW TO WIN!

All the baby L??VE! We've partnered with some of our favorite brands to give one lucky mama the chance to win a prize pack of must-haves for baby worth over $500, including:

• The First Years 3-in-1 Bottle Warmer & Cooler ($36)
• The First Years Teethe-Around Sensory Trainer Cup ($8)
• The First Years Finger Foods Placemat ($10)
• $50 gift card to The First Years on tomy.com
• Boon NURSH ($25)
• Boon CACTI ($15)
• Boon NURSH Bundle ($60)
• Crane''s Top Fill Humidifier ($69.99)
• Crane''s HEPA Air Purifier ($69.99)
• Pair of pediped Originals shoes of winner''s choice $67 value
• Giggle Cashmere Baby Blanket ($105) 

Open to US residents only. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EDT on August 31st, 2020. To enter, for a chance to win, click below.

https://bit.ly/2EvciP1

Holiday Outing Essentials for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

We know that venturing out from the safety of your home with a baby can be stressful and overwhelming, especially during the holiday season.  We''ve partnered with some of our favorite brands to give one lucky parent the chance to win a bundle of essentials worth over $1800 including our feeding items!

To enter to win, click the link below:

https://blog.guguguru.com/holiday-outing-giveaway/

One winner will be randomly selected from all entries. Open to US
residents only. Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on 11/30/20

New Toy Tractors Coming and Virtual Summer Farm Toy Show!

Greetings from Home!

One of the nice things about working from home is having more time to be outside in the yard, and also the garden. 

Every spring, for the last 40+ years I get to see if our trusty garden tiller will start again.  I have a love/hate relationship with this tiller.  Some days it will start with two pulls while other times it takes hours.  The manual choke is very touchy, and it also loves to destroy spark plugs.  I've been using this tiller since I was in high school and it just keeps going.  Even though it's a pain, I still get a smile on my face every time it starts.   

Something else that puts a smile on my face is my apple tree.  If you've read my previous blogs you know some of the history.  So far this spring it is looking good.  Hopefully I can get more than 9 apples this year.

Let's start talking about toys of some of the vehicles we are currently seeing in the fields.   The first is our new 1:64^th Case IH Trident 5550 Combination Applicator (Stock # 44182)  Case IH's website says that you can switch between the dry and liquid applications in as little as 42 minutes with a 3-person crew.  You should be able to change out the applicators on our toy a little quicker.  This toy will come with both the dry nutrient applicator as well as the liquid tank sprayer. We've also added in dual wheels, the detailed "Surveyor" cab and hand railings.  I thought you might be interested to see a breakout of the number of parts it takes to produce a toy like this.   Check out the 35 parts needed to produce the dry nutrient applicator version.  This item will be coming in August.  Watch for it at your local Case IH dealership.

In addition please check out our new 1:64^th John Deere F4365 High-Capacity Nutrient Applicator. (Stock # 45660)    This unit is 365 horsepower and has a 330 cubic foot capacity dry box.  You can apply at speeds up to 30 mph and go down the road at 46 mph.  Our unit features a detailed CommandView III cab, authentic dry box detail and rugged chassis.  This unit will be available in September at your local John Deere dealership.

Switching over to another color, the Toy Farmer recently announced their two tractors for the National Farm Toy Show.  This year the two tractors include a 1:16^th Allis Chalmers 190XT (Stock # 16405OTP) and 1:64^th Allis Chalmers 4W-220.  (Stock # 16406OTP)  Both of these models are new tooling and will have all the features associated with Toy Farmer models including 3-point hitches.  The AC 190XT will replicate an early model version with the bar grille.  When I was young I had an uncle with a 190XT.  The huge fuel tank in the back was so different from our AC 185.  Our 185 was turned up to 85 horsepower, but it still wasn't a match against my uncle's 190XT.  Both of these tractors seem small compared to the 4W-220 that has 220 horsepower.  This is a rare tractor with only 175 units produced over a 3-year period.  Be sure to get these ordered from Toy Farmer or through our Ertl Collectors Club website.

In closing I'm sure many of you have heard that the Summer Farm Toy Show has been cancelled this year due to COVID-19.  I know many of you like to attend the show and visit our outlet store and showroom.   We're working on a virtual showroom series of videos where we can show you our new items and talk about our 75^th Anniversary, including special promotions we have planned.  We will also highlight the products that are available for shipping through the TOMY Outlet Store.  Keep checking the Ertl Facebook page, upcoming blogs and our Ertl website for more details.

Until next time,

Bill 

Brand New Puller Tractors, ERTL 75th Anniversary Sets and more!

Greetings from Dyersville!

Here we are in August and the summer is flying by. The corn looks good around Dyersville as we've gotten some much-needed rain in early July.  One of the storms had some wind that did a number on my sweet corn.

Mother nature has a way of fixing its problems, and it sure did a good job getting my sweet corn to bounce back. You can see the damage and current condition in the images above. This was my second attempt this year as I planted my first crop too early and a late frost killed it. I re-planted on May 28^th and hope to be eating some corn later this month, as long as the raccoon stay away.  My wife says this is a lot of work for something you can buy in the grocery store. She's probably right, but there's no adventure in going to the grocery store.

I guess we should talk a little about the new products we have coming out.  When I was a young boy I was given an Allis Chalmers "Puller Tractor" toy.  Those rims and stacks were super cool to me. I found this catalog page showing off three 1:16^th scale puller tractors we did many moons ago. 

Now I am happy to announce that we're coming out with newly tooled 1:64^th scale puller tractors later this year. These tractors are designed as toys and not for the hard-core collector. They are made from a combination of both plastic and die cast parts. We will have several different models coming out including licensed models for Case IH and New Holland. For Case IH (Stock # 37917A) we have two different designs called "Freedom to Farm" and "Magnumator MMXX". 

For New Holland (Stock # 37924A) we have "The Blue Streak" and "Blue Lightning".  All of these units will be shipping in October 2020.

Keeping with 1:64^th scale, we are now shipping our 75^th anniversary sets that we've produced for both John Deere and Case IH.  The John Deere set (Stock # 45729OTP) includes a tractor from each decade that Ertl has been producing farm toys. It features the following tractors:  An "A" with Farmer, 430, 4010, 4430, 4450, 4960, 8530, 8370R and 7250R.  We also included 750 silver painted chase units into the production run. 

The Case IH set (Stock # 44226OTP) also includes nine tractors.  Tractors include the Farmall "H" with Farmer, Farmall 350, Farmall 1206, IH 1066, IH 5488, Case IH 7250, Case IH MX270, Case IH Maxxum 135 and Case IH AFS Connect 400 Magnum. There are also 750 randomly inserted sets of silver painted tractors.

Another new item is our 1:16^th IH 1566 Prestige tractor featuring front wheel assist (Stock # 44218).  

The 1566 was the biggest "66" series row crop tractor featuring the famous DT436 turbocharged engine that delivered 160 PTO horsepower. The 1566 was produced from 1974 to 1976 with 7,417 units being produced. The early "66" series tractors had the normal white side panels but in the middle of 1975 IH refreshed the paint scheme on all the models to what we now call the "Black Stripe" look. These were introduced at the 1975 Farm Progress Show. Our model also features a Coleman front wheel assist, IH cab and dual rear wheels. 

Lastly, we're doing a promotion on our Ertl Collectors Club website for the month of August. You can get our 1:50^th International HX520 with Caterpillar 320DL Excavator and trailer item for $75.00 as we celebrate Ertl's 75^th Anniv. this year.  This special price is over 50% off the normal retail price.  Grab one quick before they're gone. We only produced 2,500 units of this model.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. 

Until next time,

Bill