Understanding Scales and Their Place
Buying farm toys is an exciting experience, but some collectors struggle choosing a scale and understanding the benefits and downfalls of each.
The earliest farm toys and equipment lacked exact scale as they were marketed almost exclusively as toys. The majority of toy tractors made in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s fell close to 1/16 scale. From that, a large array of both collector models and toys were produced by many manufacturers in prominently 1/16. The first 1/64 toys were a John Deere historical set made in the late 1960s, and began to rise in popularity through the 1970s. During late 80s and 90s, farm toys began increasing and popularity, and more demand allowed for more scales to be available. 1/8 scale by Scale Models and 1/43 scale by Ertl became readily available and added to many collections. 1/8 scale is now rarely produced, but demands a premium, 1/43 scale, not as much. 1/32 Scale began to rise in popularity in the early 2000's especially in the foreign markets as a happy size medium between 1/16 and 1/64 without sacrificing as much detail. Throughout the last nearly 100 years of toy tractor production, collectors now need to decide which scale or scales is right for them.
Pros and Cons
1/8
Perhaps the biggest drawback of 1/8 Scale is the large size, which is also the same reason so many like it! These models are normally on the more expensive side, but are nicely made and make awesome displays.
1/16
1/16 offers one of the widest selections available for a collector to choose from covering almost every brand, manufacturer, and type of equipment. Collectors get to choose whether they want original 1950s toys in the box, or brand new highly detailed models of modern equipment. However, these pieces can take up a lot of room in large quantities which can limit some collections.
1/32
1/32 is a great middle ground between 1/16 and 1/64. It still has great detail and takes up less room. However, the selection is quite limited, but it is expanding as it increases in popularity.
1/43
1/43 was only made for a short period of time. While it is not always readily available, it is not always the most desirable. It is something that not every collector has, and can make for a neat group of toys.
1/64
1/64 is perhaps now one of the most popular scales. There is an ever growing demand and selection for both new and old pieces. The detail is not always as nice as other scales, but there are improvements and new castings that continue push the limits.
Scale Chart
Take a look at this informative chart showing a direct comparison from a full size tractor all the way to a 1/64 scale model!
