More than 500 1:16-scale John Deere models will go on sale in October (Photo: Cheffins)
More than 500 John Deere toy tractors and implements are heading to auction after their owner ran out of space at home.
Peter Green, 77, a retired building surveyor from Saffron Walden, Essex, has spent 12 years building one of the UK’s largest collections of John Deere models.
At its peak, the collection numbered around 900 toys and models, with glass-fronted cabinets installed in his home to house them.
Now, around half of the collection is being sold at the Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale on 16 October as Mr Green makes room for the smaller-scale models he plans to continue collecting.
“The house is just about full up and I need to be able to make space for the other part of my collection,” he said.
The models being sold are mainly 1:16 scale and include rare American John Deere tractors, implements and a number of custom-built examples.
Among the most valuable are a John Deere 8650 Kinze conversion, a John Deere 4520 V8 with twin rear wheels and a modern John Deere 9RX830.
Each is estimated at between ÂŁ300 and ÂŁ500.
Other custom-built models include a John Deere 425 Hay Cuber, a Number 22 Cotton Picker and an early engine-powered wire-tying mobile baler.
Cheffins said some examples in the collection are believed to be unique, while all of the models will be offered without reserve.
Mr Green’s interest in tractors began long before he started collecting models.
“Like most schoolboys I had been interested in tractors from a very young age,” he said.
After visiting the Royal Show in the 1960s, he began collecting tractor leaflets and pamphlets. He later sold that collection, but his interest in collecting remained.
He turned to John Deere toys 12 years ago after making contact with a dealer in Indiana, US, who helped him find rarer models.
“I built up the collection slowly with him as he helped me source some of the rarest models out there, including the specialist gold models,” Mr Green said.
He also bought models from UK dealers, eBay and other websites.
Many of the toys were made by ERTL, while other examples in the sale were produced by Spec Cast, Gilson Riecke and Nolt.
Mr Green said changes in the American market had also influenced his decision to sell.
“It’s getting harder to import them and a great source of future models has now been cut off from collectors here in the UK,” he said.
He now plans to concentrate on 1:32 scale John Deere models, of which he already owns around 450, while also expanding his collection of Caterpillar earthmoving machinery.
Ted Shepherd, Associate at Cheffins, said: “This has to be one of the most expansive John Deere toy collections we have seen in the UK.”
He said collections of this size and quality rarely came to market and were likely to attract interest from both British and international buyers.
“What makes Peter’s collection particularly interesting is the level of research and attention to detail behind it,” Mr Shepherd said.
For Mr Green, much of the enjoyment has come not simply from owning the models, but from tracking them down.
“What I have really enjoyed has been the investigation into finding the models, sourcing them and the detective work which goes into that,” he said.
“The joy really comes from finding something available which you have been looking for and then working out the puzzle of how to get hold of them.”
Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in his 1:32 scale John Deere collection and in further Caterpillar earthmoving models.
The Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale takes place on 16 and 17 October 2026.