Farm toys for your girls & boys? Ashland FFA show a good shopping stop before Christmas

ASHLAND ‒ Farm toys, collectibles and agricultural memorabilia make unique Christmas gifts.

That's a big reason behind the scheduling of the annual Ashland FFA Alumni Farm Toy Show. It returns from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 18) at Mozelle Hall at the Ashland County Fairgrounds.

"My daughters come to the show and ask me what I want for Christmas," said vendor Roger Rhine.

"That's why we chose this time of year," said Rick Shoup, who runs the event on behalf of more than 100 Ashland High School FFA alumni members. It's a major fundraiser to send students to contests and conferences.

Last year's coverageAshland FFA Alumni Farm Toy Show returns

"This is our 33rd year," he said, noting Mozelle Hall will be "pretty well filled" with about 120 tables.

Items at the annual Ashland FFA Alumi Toy Show

Vendors come from Ohio, but also from outside the area, including Michigan and New York.

They sell "mostly farm toys, but also some construction toys and some memorabilia," Shoup said.

Toys may be a misleading term. Although children can enjoy acquiring "newer plastic type of stuff or something older beyond restoring, but still functional to play with," vendor Bob Platt said, serious collectors can find what they are seeking in scale models of tractors and trucks.

"Typically, kids might not be able to spend the big money" for some of the more expensive collectibles, Platt said, but "high school students are starting to realize (their) value."

Many tractors are built from 1/16 to 1/64 scale, are die-cast and look like the real thing.

Restoration of older models is possible with parts to fix whatever pieces need repaired.

Dealers specialize in different brands of agricultural equipment and implements. If a buyer can't find a model that looks like one they want, it can be custom-made.

Also for sale will be memorabilia such as yardsticks, paper advertisements, brochures and even a milk bottle from Ashland and the surrounding area, Platt said. "Collectors are looking for that."

Inventory will encompass vintage signage and NASCAR items, Shoup said.

Agricultural dioramas will be on display, and refreshments, including barbecue pork and hot dogs, will be available.

The spirit of agriculture

Many of the items available can't be purchased at Walmart or a farm supply store, Platt noted.

Parents attend to buy tractors and trucks for their children, while adults frequently make purchases for their collections, Shoup said.

"It's a pretty good mix. Most (customers) bring their family. That's what it's all about," Rhine said.

The show itself embodies the spirit of the season by using proceeds to pay student expenses for hotel stays and transportation to contests, said the high school's FFA adviser, Tod Fox.

The program has been getting larger, Fox said, growing to more than 200 Ashland High and Middle School participants.

Hands-on experience encompasses work with small engines, landscaping, animals and the greenhouse.

"We had 244 sign up this year," he said, adding students attend 15-20 contests in a variety of areas each year.

"We cover kids' costs for competition," he said. The alumni "are amazing for all of our kids. The kids and myself appreciate all they do."

Along with fundraising, "they donate a lot of time to contests and judging."

In return, Ashland High School FFA members help with the farm toy show by setting up, hauling merchandise and working in the concession stand.

"We always want to show our appreciation to the alumni who do so much for us," Fox said. "Without them, we wouldn't be able to do what we do."

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Annual Ashland FFA Alumni Farm Toy Show returns to fairgrounds Dec. 18