Antique tractor auction

Used cars were his business. But farm machinery his passion. Bob Marr of Stevensville spent 40 years collecting antique tractors and other farm tools. But Saturday morning everything Marr has at his Bertie Road farm will be sold to the highest bidder.

Eighty-one-year old Bob Marr has never farmed. But look around his property and you’ll see farm tractors are his passion: “This was just a hobby that got carried away as you see.”

Over 4 decades Bob has bought and sold about a hundred tractors.

Nello Romagnoli is the auctioneer: “Some of them were bought brand new by his grandfather.”

It’s auctioneer Nello Romagnoli’s job to sell these tractors. some of them are almost one of the kind.

Nello: “This particular tractor was a dealer demonstration. Each dealer had only one to sell.”

How much would you get for an antique tractor?

Nello: “Some of them may bring two thousand. Some may bring six or seven thousand.”

Bob: “I’m glad to see them go. Somebody else can enjoy it. I’ve enjoyed travelling over North America to collect it.”

And then there’s this old construction dump cart — used when they were building highway three.

And this 1931 Studebaker — so old, the business that used it only had a four digit phone number.

There’s a collection of horse buggies and carriages and cart loads of tools and parts. Potential bidders were getting a preview today.

Bob has collected so much stuff over the years, they have no idea how many items are piled in these carts.”

Because of his health Bob Marr has made the decision to sell it all off: “Took me 40 years go do it. And in four hours I’ll get rid of it all.”

The auction begins at 10 Saturday morning on Bob Marr’s property at 3131 Bertie Road in Stevensville.