Bloomington hosts annual farm toy show [Video]

BLOOMINGTON (25News Now) – Central Illinois has a large farming community, which has led to a sizable farm toy community as well.

The annual farm toy show was this weekend at the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center.

The event was started in the 1990s. Many of the vendors are farmers themselves. The event sees many families looking for toys for their kids, but there’s always even more collectors looking for rare finds.

“I’ve been selling farm toys since ’88. It’s been a long journey, but it’s been a lot of fun. You meet a lot of nice people,” said Barry Maury, an organizer of the show.

Collectors can find unique services at the farm and toy show. One vendor from Wisconsin custom paints the model equipment to look dusted and worn.

Event organizers said that they like to help farmers find models of specific pieces of equipment they used in their …