$10,400 for a SMD TA

Sale was mostly household items with just this tractor, 4 row planter, 2 wagons w/hoists, and a truck that didn't run.

1954 SMD TA, good tin but rusty, good rims, very worn & weathered tires, Behlen power steering (ugly), NF, hoop & swinging draw bar, good TA & IPTO. Ending bid $10,400

Auctioneer had a starting bid in his pocket at $4,000. One or two other bidders to $5,500. Then one bidder on the phone to an independent rep. and a very big collector from Wathena, KS. The telephone bidder jumped the bid a couple of times trying to blow the collector off but that didn't work. Very obvious that the collector came prepared to pay whatever it took for him to take the tractor home, and he did.

If this is what they are always going to bring that I guess that I will never have one.

FYI

Much the same with the little Farmalls of that era as well. Roughly 100,000 SA built, less than 15,000 each of 100 and 130 and about 75,000 - 140s yet the SA and 140 command better prices. 140 is the outragous one in this case.

Secondly, I always figure using 3 tractors to plow my snow, mow my grass and plant my garden, total 2 acres at most and 400' of drivway, or collecting which ever you wish to call it, still makes more sence than pulling.

Have no fear you are still considered to be sane.

I had a guy offer me a finders fee to find him a SMDTA, at least until I told him what he'd have to pay. That kind of backed him off. Then he told me he was just try to smoke a couple of guys in antique pulling, thinking TA would make the difference. His two competitors had a Cockshutt 40 and SMD respectively. I suggested he buy a 560 diesel for less than half the money, he would be in same weight class and could turn the 282 up to about 90 hp and smoke the H@## out both of them. Probably wouldn't matter whether TA was working or not. Anyhow, I never did get a finders fee, and I really don't know what he is pulling with.

If the prices keep going up, I guess the "sucker" ain"t a "sucker" after all :-)