He Runs Repair Shop For Old Farm Toys

He Runs Repair Shop For Old Farm Toys AG WORLD Ag World 18-1-22 Jack Rupp does a brisk business restoring old farm toys in his spare time on his farm near Fayette, Ohio. He also customizes many toys with lights, 3-pt. hitches, front-end weights, etc. "I restore toys for myself and for a few other people during the winter," says Rupp, who shows some of his restored toys at local toy shows every year. "I charge $30 per hour for, labor plus any missing parts. It costs about $50 to restore a pedal tractor, depending on the shape it's in. When I'm done with it, it looks like new. "However, whether or not an old toy tractor should be restored is a big question. Some collectors insist on leaving toys just as they find them. Generally, I prefer to restore a tractor to its original condition, but if 85% of the paint is on the tractor and it's in good condition I don't touch it except to replace missing parts. Parts such as wheels, axles, cabs, seats, steering wheels, rear ends, and decals are replaceable items. If the tractor is unpainted, I match the colors as close as possible. If desired, I can do as nice a paint job as you'd get at the factory. "As long as the main hood casting isn't broken, I can restore any tractor. If the hood casting is broken it's generally too expensive to repair." Contact FARM SHOW Followup, Jack Rupp, 21351-C, Fayette, Ohio, 43521 (ph 419 237-2283).

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