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Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Over the years I have been picking up the Massey Buyers Guides and Farmers Handy Catalogues.  I thought I was closing in having most of them but ran across this little oddity.  Can someone explain this to me?

I realize that 1955 was the begining of the Ferguson merger but the 1955 Farmers Handy Catalogue makes me scratch my head a little.

I have seen many of the Guernsey Judging with the red yellow and blue Massey Harris Ferguson sign on the top. (I call that sign the "smyth" sign.)  This guide also has several pieces of Ferguson items in the back including the advertisement for the Ferguson Twenty85!!

I recently picked up another 1955 Farmers Handy Catalogue with the same Guernsey judging team pic but it has a red & yellow Massy Harris Farm Equipment Sales & Service sign on the top.  The contents are basically the same but it does not have any Ferguson equipment.  The back cover has a Pony ad.

The Smyth sign has a 5501 number but the MH sign has a 5503 number!!

So why did this happen? Which one was first?  Why did they do two guides with basically the same items in it (other than to take care of Ferguson - but it has the earlier number!!

Interested in your thoughts since I was just a small boy at the time!!

Gary
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RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Gary,
In 1955 the Ferguson dealers were still separate from the Massey dealers.  The Ferguson dealers could sell Massey eqipment but the Massey dealers couldn't sell Ferguson stuff.  Thus the two Handy catalogs.  All Ferguson dealers became Massey Dealers in late 1956.  It was all part of the transition from two separate companies into Massey Ferguson which became the official name in 1957 when Harris was dropped.

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Interesting stuff Gary and Keith, the farmer handy catalogues are a great collectible. I have been tracking down most of them up till the 50's. Just picked up a 38 off eBay. That one eluded me for a long time. I also have never seen a 36 so I'm assuming they started in 37!

Do do you have the older ones from the 30's Gary?

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Hi Tom,

I went to sleep on the 1938 or you would have had to pay more!!  I had bid on it but then got distracted during the final hours of that auction.  I was surprised there was not a flurry of activity on it at the end!!  Congratulations on getting that piece!!

I still need to get some of the older Canadian ones from 1938 back.  I think I have all the US ones from 1935-1957.  I have a hole for the war years of 1943 -1946.   Keith were there any US Guides made during those years??

My oldest one is the 1925 version with the kids sitting on the fence.  I also have a few  some hardbound catalogs.

I am missing a few of the Canadian guides from early thru 1968.

I have some extra guides and catalogues if anyone wants to trade for ones I don't have!!!  We can discuss those dealings off line!!  E-mail me!!

I also know Keith had a nice listing of the guides in one of the old Wild Harvest magazines that I have used as a reference.  It has pub numbers and detail info as to when new items were presented for the first time!!

Thanks Keith for doing that years ago!!!  I, at least, appreciate it!!  With his permission I might post it on it site for others. Or he might have an up-to-date listing that could be posted.

Just let me know.

Thanks

Gary

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

I would be willing to scan the front cover of the guides and post them on the web site if the membership would be interested in seeing them. It could be a good tool to help you find those guides you are missing.

If you have an interest in seeing these please post a message on this thread.  Otherwise I will keep them in their sleeves in my notebooks.  (Now is the time for all of our lurkers to come forward - push the reply button!!!!!!!!!!)

Let me know if you would like to see them!! 

Gary

PS I need at least 15 replies and that does not include top 6 contributors listed at the top of the page!!

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

I was surprised I got it too. I missed the last one a month ago on eBay, I was the under bidder around $130 but it was in nicer shape. I draw the line around $125-$130 as that is getting pretty spendy for me on a book of this kind for the late 30's. There will always be more out there. Tonight I'll get a few photos and we can start a discussion. A couple months ago we had one thread going on brochures that never really took off.

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Gary,

Here is one reply from a contributor not on the top 6 list.   I would like to see all of the covers tied to dates in order to cross-reference how I have mine marked, and also see what else I might be missing.

Thanks,

JB

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

As a member of the "Bottom Six", include me as one interested in the Handy Catalogues. I know it will take some effort so I hope others respond. I don't think I had ever seen one before.

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Start posting Gary. I have collected several but would like to see which ones I am missing.

Wayne

RE:Massey Farmers Handy Catalogues

Just for a complication of the Handy catalogs,  there are two different editions of the
1937,1938 and 1939 Handy catalogs. On the cover in the bottom left hand corner there is either a W or an E.  W stands for the Western edition of the catalog and E is the Eastern edition.  Content of the Western and Eastern editions varies a little bit with the eastrn catalog having more livestock related farm items and the Western edition has more wheat country machinery.  In 1940 they went to just one edition.