When it comes to tractors, Bess goes International

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Warren County resident George C. Bess shows a few of his extensive collection of miniature International Harvester tractors and memorabilia. He has been collecting the scaled-down replicas for over 15 years. (Charles W. Johnson photo)

For Warren County resident George C. Bess, tractors, particularly International Harvester tractors, are more than just farm machinery – they are a passion. It’s a passion that has developed into a hobby Bess has enjoyed for over 15 years. Bess is the proud possessor of what has to be one of the most extensive collections of model tractors in the county.

Bess says he got into collecting partly because of his love of the full-sized machines, and partly because some of his buddies collected.

“There’s about four of us out there at Carrier that collect them,” he said. “There’s a lot of them on a John Deere kick.”

Bess says his love of the International began with the Farmall he remembers from his youth.

“First tractor I ever drove in my life was a M Farmall,” Bess says. “It’s a man killer.”

Does that mean the tractor was dangerous?

“No,” said Bess quickly, “it’s just hard to steer, and rough to ride,” he said, laughing.

Bess estimates his collection currently numbers over 80 or so models, while his wife of 26 years, Christine, maintains it’s closer to 100.

He has picked them up all over.

“You can get them about any and everywhere you want to,” he said, indicating most of them come from dealers and others are purchased from fellow collectors.

Bess attends shows too, on occasion.

“I’ve been to a couple of shows,” he said, “and sometimes I’d buy a little something, but most of the time, the shows are so high, you pay through the nose for them.”

Bess says the collectible tractors vary widely in price, from $20 to $135, with most of his collection in the $45 to $50 range.

The great majority of the Bess collection consists of his beloved International Harvester brand, with the trademark red color extant all around his home, including a handmade quilt with the IH tractor as its theme, as well as knives, belt buckles and various other memorabilia with the venerable tractor manufacturer’s logo.

Bess also has an extensive collection of advertising brochures and books on the brand. He says the reasons for his preference is mainly his early exposure to the company’s products.

“It’s just what you start out with in life, and you get accustomed to,” he said. “I’m favored to them,” he adds with a chuckle.

The Case company merged with International Harvester in 1985, much to the chagrin of many aficionados of the IH brand. Bess related one of the early clashes the merger brought about.

“See, they were going to paint them gray and black, or something like that,” he said. “Three hundred of the dealers got up and walked out, so that ended that scenario.”

The company wisely decided to stay with the trademark red.

Bess’ son, Todd, who works on the local police force, doesn’t really share his dad’s passion, but his son Hunter, 7, is showing some interest, while his older brother Justin, 14, is less inclined.

“They take it in spells,” Bess says of the notoriously fickle ways of today’s kids, noting that, even so, one day his grandsons will inherit his collection.

More than anything, Bess looks at the collection as a way to reminisce about the early years of the IH brand.

“It’s not like it used to be,” he says, referring back to the old Farmall M he used to drive. “Those were the good old days.”