At a recent expo in Rio, Wisconsin, masses of people flocked to and from booths that were selling toys, excitedly pointing out their favorites and looking for specific antiques that are hard to find. These people are avid collectors of John Deere toys and model tractors and the show was a place to find that crucial piece for their collections.

Rio High School recently hosted the expo to raise money for the city's antidrug programs. The convention – stocked with John Deere apparel and farm life charm – attracted collectors from around the area, including Dan Ramsden of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, who finally found the John Deere hay elevator he had been searching for.

Some came to gawk at the rare John Deere toys while others sought to expand their collections or sell their restored toys. Terry Braatz, a Rio area farmer, vehemently denies that he will ever sell his treasured collectibles. Braatz tells the Portage Daily Register that each "one of my kids is going to inherit one." Braatz believes it is "important to have that history for the grandkids."

Some of the John Deere collectibles are worth upwards of $1,000, a small price to pay for families that have been collecting them for generations.