1971 John Deere 2520 tractor brings $64,000 at auction An extremely rare, restored 1971 John Deere 2520 high crop diesel tractor with syncro-range transmission, one of fewer than 80 made, sold for $64,000 at a July 8-9 auction held in Le Mars, Iowa.
News-Antique.com - Jul 20,2009 - (LE MARS, Iowa) – An extremely rare 1971 John Deere 2520 high crop diesel tractor with syncro-range transmission – one of fewer than 80 ever made – sold for $64,000 at a two-day sale of John Deere vintage tractors and related collectibles held July 8-9 by Matthews Auctions, LLC, of Nokomis, Ill., in conjunction with Girard Auction and Land Brokers, Inc. of Wakonda, S.D. It was the top lot of the auction.
The July 8 session was dedicated mainly to toys and memorabilia (550 lots), while July 9 was set aside for tractors, signs, saddles and parts (300 lots). The tractors, all of which were beautifully restored and in like-new condition, were mostly from the Robert Plendl collection and examples from the New Generation series, produced by John Deere from the early `60s to 1972. Some even older were also sold.
“Vintage tractors have really exploded in recent years among collectors,” observed Dan Matthews of Matthews Auctions, LLC, “but the John Deere’s bring the most money because they kept very strict serial numbers, so it’s easy for buyers and sellers to determine which tractors are truly original and intact. It’s similar to vintage cars, where it’s important for the serial numbers to match.”
Between 600 and 700 registered bidders attended the weekend event, held at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars, Iowa. Several phone bidders vied for the lots with folks in the room, while numerous absentee bids were also recorded (especially for the vintage tractors). Online bidding was facilitated by Bidspotter. Mr. Matthews estimated the sale overall grossed right around $800,000.
Other tractors that realized high gavel prices included a 1958 John Deere 330 standard tractor in unbelievable original condition, one of less than 900 produced ($23,000), and a 1971 John Deere 4620 diesel tractor with power-shift transmission ($38,000). A top lot from the July 8 sale was a John Deere double-sided porcelain neon sign in excellent condition. It went to a determined bidder for $8,000.
Following are additional highlights from the sale. All prices quoted are hammer prices, exclusive of a sale commission (there was no buyer’s premium). All references to John Deere will be made as JD.
Other top lots from the July 9 session included a JD Quality Farm Implements single-sided porcelain sign with four-legged deer logo in a rare size of 3 feet by 5 feet ($5,500); an original JD plow share rack ($1,800); a JD parts clock from the 1960s ($2,100); a nice JD leather saddle presented to legendary cowgirl Lucille Mulhall ($10,000); and a genuine Velie saddle once owned and ridden by legendary movie cowboy Tom Mix. It brought $5,000.
Returning to tractors, a 1970 JD 2520 diesel power shift tractor brought $31,000; a pair of 1972 JD 4020 diesel power shift tractors realized $23,500 and $23,000; a 1959 JD 730 diesel high crop tractor hammered for $25,500; a 1970 JD 4020 FWA tractor topped out at $29,500; a 1970 JD 2520 diesel power shift tractor hit $26,000; and a 1972 JD
