20th Anniversary of Vintage
John Deere Product Expositions

Location: National Cattle Congress Grounds, at the junction of Ansborough Avenue and Conger Street; both easily accessible from U.S. Highway 63, which runs through Waterloo in a north/south direction. Travelers approaching from the east or west on U.S. Highway 20 will intersect U.S. Highway 63 on the south side of town. Highway 63 south intersects Ansborough Avenue, and traveling north of Ansborough leads directly to the Cattle Congress Grounds. A map and additional directions will be forthcoming.

The brand-new 1939 Model “B” made its public debut at the 1938 National Cattle Congress. The styled “A” and “B” had been introduced to dealers some weeks earlier.

Schedule: The Exposition opens to the public on Thursday, June 21, at 10:00 a.m. Participants may begin arriving as early as Monday, June 18, to set up.

Monday, June 18: Exhibitors and Swap Meet Vendors may begin to set up.
Tuesday, June 19: Set up continues.
Wednesday, June 20: Set up continues.
Thursday, June 21: Gates open at 10:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Seminars and presentations ongoing.
Friday, June 22: Gates open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m. Seminars and presentations ongoing.
Saturday, June 23: Gates open at 8:00 a.m. and close by 2:00 p.m. Auction begins approximately at 9:30 a.m.

Visitors desiring to attend prior to June 21 may purchase a “Pit Pass” at the gate. No seminars or presentations Saturday.

Applications: Exhibitor and Swap Meet Vendor Applications will be somewhat delayed due to changing the locations for Two-Cylinder XVII, but will be ready to mail to requesters by mid-November. No need to wait to request yours… Simply phone the Club office and get on the list.

History in the making - at a truly historic location!

At the first antique John Deere Tractor Exposition, held on the north side of the Waterloo Municipal Airport in 1987, there was no auction. The thought of it was apparently overshadowed and left behind by all of the activities associated with celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Deere & Company.

During and immediately following the Expo, it became clear that something could be done to bring more tractors and prospective owners together, so the plan for the Great ‘88 Tractor Exchange was developed. It would be the first consignment auction exclusively featuring vintage John Deere Tractors and, like the Expo, would be the inspiration for many to follow.

Great ‘88 was a great success, of sorts, if record prices of the time can serve as benchmarks. Participants and spectators alike were bounced between the emotions of surprise and astonishment as one tractor after another sold for more than they ever thought “old John Deere Tractors would bring.” The prices today would be equally surprising, but in the other direction. A lot has happened to the vintage John Deere market over the past 18 years, and much more is yet to come.

The auctioneer at Great ‘88 went on to set many more records in the years following, being chosen frequently to handle huge equipment and estate sales around the country. His name, as associated with John Deere product auctions, became less familiar to the current generation, but not to his peers. In 2004, encouraged by family and friends, Merv Hilpipre entered the International Auctioneer Competition of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA). He emerged as Champion, the highest honor given to an individual auctioneer in the United States.

It may sound almost too convenient to believe, but Hilpipre Auction Company is located in Waterloo, Iowa, just a few miles from the National Cattle Congress. Persons desiring to consign items for auction at Two-Cylinder XVII will have the opportunity to transport them to Hilpipre’s secured property ahead of the event; load after load, if they wish.

It seems only natural that the Hilpipre Auction Company, the Club’s first auctioneer, would be chosen for the 20th Anniversary of the Two-Cylinder Expos. We look forward to that day next June when, under roof and virtually next door to the John Deere plant that built all of the two-cylinder tractors at Waterloo, Hilpipre and crew will get things rolling.

To consign vintage (1977 or earlier) John Deere Tractors to the 20th Anniversary Auction, please contact Hilpipre Auction Company directly. A very limited number of particularly desirable parts and significant items of memorabilia will also be accepted for auction.

Hilpipre Auction Company • 2862 Wagner Road • Waterloo, IA 50703
Phone: 1 319 235-6007 • Fax: 1 319 234-1751 • Website: www.hilpipre.com

Obviously, planning ahead doesn’t always work. So, rather than get ahead of ourselves again and name a location, let’s just say that the campus at Northeast Iowa Community College in Peosta, Iowa, is in focus for Two-Cylinder XVIII in 2008. Next year there will be ongoing construction, and by 2008 there will be twice as much exhibit area as before. The tentative plan is to have the entire event - exhibits, swap meet, and auction - all on the south side, thereby making it much more convenient and easier to navigate.

© 2006 Two-Cylinder^® Club