Photo by Fritz Busch Hank, left, and Charlie Peterson of Meadowlands display one of their toy farms at a toy show at the Sleepy Eye Arena Saturday. The show included farm toys, cars, trucks and various collectibles.

SLEEPY EYE — Vendors from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and other Midwestern states displayed farm toys, including cars, trucks and various collectibles this weekend at the Sleepy Eye Arena.

Becca Peterson of Meadowlands in northern Minnesota brought her two boys, Charlie, 7, and Hank, 9, to the show. Each boy built a toy farm and seemed to enjoy playing with John Deere tractors and equipment plus cows, hay bales and other items.

“This is our first show,” Becca Peterson said. “My boys each designed their own toy farm, collecting items ordered in catalogs at Christmas and on birthdays,” said Becca. “My dad does hog and grain farming.”

She said it’s been a rainy, muddy summer near Meadowlands, about 25 miles south of the Iron Range.

“It’s been so muddy, he had to bale in four wheel drive.”

Both boys said John Deere was their favorite kind of tractor.

Show vendors included Dale Matsen of Roland, Iowa, a retired electrician who said he enjoys building and selling customized and scratch-built 1:64 scale farm toys, including tractors, implements, sheds and other toys for his business, Matsen Miniature Farms.

Matsen said he enjoys going to other shows in St. Peter, Lemoore, North Dakota, St. Louis and a national show in November in Dyersville, Iowa. The National Farm Toy Museum is also located in Dyersville.

Paul Guggisberg of Lafayette said he enjoys going to farm shows to make new friends and talk to old friends.

Vendor Giles Turner of Augusta, Wisconsin, said his favorite farm toys are older, cast-iron items sometimes valued from $9,000 to $12,000.

Vendor Richard Meyer of Tripoli, Iowa, said John Deere 1/64 scale 8960 collector’s edition, four-wheel drive tractors are his favorites.

A number of large, model farms with intricate details including a machine shed with see-through roof, were on display near the show entrance. Some items are factory-made, others are made by hand.

Other show items included a large number of antique muscle car models.