Over 500 John Deere toy tractors and implements were sold at Cheffins on 16th October on behalf of a major Essex-based collector. Fetching a total of £24,400, the toys saw international interest, selling throughout the UK and to France, Romania, Germany and Australia.
Collected by Peter Green, 77, a retired building surveyor from Saffron Walden, Essex, the toys had been assembled over the past 12 years. At its peak, Mr Green’s collection saw some 900 toys and models. With just over 50 per cent of the toys now having been sold, Mr Green intends to start to expand other parts of his collection.
The toys offered at the Cambridge Vintage Sale, hosted by Cheffins at Sutton, near Ely, were agricultural 1:16 scale models, and included rare and highly sought-after examples of American John Deere tractors and implements. The majority were built by ERTL, which was founded in 1945 and is the global leader in farm toys. Other examples are from Spec Cast, Gilson Riecke and Nolt.
Highlights of the sale included a John Deere RX830 which achieved £670, a John Deere BR which achieved £380 and four John Deere 730s which made £300.
Mr Green said: “The auction was extremely well organised, and I was grateful for the extent of the publicity which it received. The staff at Cheffins worked incredibly hard on the day and the income from the sale was well beyond my expectations. The young auctioneers on the rostrum worked extremely hard to get the best bids from the audience, and I would like to thank them particularly for their hard work. I was really impressed by the quality of the buyers which the auction attracted, and I am delighted that all of the models were sold to keen collectors the world over. I won’t be entering the market for a few months, but early next year I intend to use the proceeds to expand my collection of 1:32 scale models.”
Ted Shepherd, Associate at Cheffins says: “We are delighted with the results of Peter Green’s collection. The sheer scale of it really helped draw buyers in the world over and the result was a testament to Peter’s level of research and attention to detail behind the collection. All of the toys were offered without reserve and they all found new homes, with some significant prices paid for the most unusual examples.”
Prices reported are totals, inclusive of Buyer’s Premium at 10 per cent.
To sell items through Cheffins Machinery Auctions, please visit: https://www.cheffins.co.uk/machinery-vintage-auctions/cambridge-machinery/enter-lots.htm
The Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale
16th and 17th October 2026
For more information, please visit contact Cheffins Machinery Department on 01353 777 767, [email protected]