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Hiring a John Deere Tractor for your child's birthday party can be the highlight of a great themed birthday celebration. Since you can get all kinds of tractor-themed decorations, place settings and party favors with a John Deere Tractor theme, there is no reason you can't take your child's birthday party over the top with this live attraction. Of course, you can get John Deere Tractor piñatas and you can even get edible John Deere Tractor transfers to put on your birthday party cupcakes!

You might wonder how you can go about hiring a John Deere Tractor to make an appearance at your child's birthday party, but there are a number of things you can consider and they might not cost anything at all. The easiest way to incorporate this attraction is if your neighbor has a John Deere Lawn Tractor. They might be willing to hook up the utility wagon to the back of their lawnmower and give the birthday child a ride around the yard, although don't be surprised if you don't have the rest of the children lining up for this one!

If you have a big lawn, you might be able to hire a lawn care company that uses the larger John Deere Lawn Tractors and get your lawn mowed at the same time! Of course, there are some companies that might bring their fleet of John Deere Tractors out for a reduced fee, if you don't want a complete lawn care job because they will normally charge by the hour, anyway.

If you live in a rural suburb, you might have a tractor dealer located nearby and sometimes, you may be able to line up a test drive, at the local farm implement dealer. If you have a group of close friends or family members that are attending the child's birthday party gathering, this can make an interesting field trip and many local dealers are happy to take a few moments out of their day to explain the equipment to the next generation of farmers.

There are a number of ways you can include the real thing to your child's special themed party, but when the real thing isn't an option, think about the John Deere Tractor DVD or video demonstrations. In fact, this can be an informational form of entertainment for the party, if you have the right age group and it can be especially popular for young boys, whether they live in the city or on the farm.

Chances are that your child would love to have a themed birthday party that includes a real John Deere Tractor, but if you are unable to think of a way to make it happen, there is no need to worry. Since you can find tractor videos on the Internet or order the informational DVD from John Deere, this might be enough to take a good themed birthday party and turn it into a great one! When you are planning a tractor-themed birthday party, be sure to include all of the accessories to carry out your John Deere Tractor theme. You can find them here at http://www.tractorpartysupplies.net/party-shop-2

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Agricultural production made simple with the John Deere 7950 SPFH forage harvester with a 770-10R Cornhead. Also featuring the John Deere Windrow Pickup C Series. View more John Deere Video content at http://blog.machinefinder.com/john-deere-videos

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Was a wet harvest, but got the job done. Thanks to Adrian(cheif combine driver and beer drinker), Paul (were's my sheep),
Jim (i remember when all this was fields,...it still is jim?),
Ian (Think the rain might hold off in 10 mins, shall we get the combine out?).
See ya soon. Tim

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A Guide to Diecast Toy Collecting

If you are looking to hold a John Deere themed bithday party, you might also want to buy some John Deere toys. Diecast toy collecting has been a great favourite of boys young and old and the addition of some mint condition John Deere tractors will be  much appreciated. At the birthday party of course, don't forget the John Deere Party Supplies to amke it a great party. We have some great ideas in our party shop.

Collecting diecast toys has been a favourite hobby for both children and adults for many years. These mini replicas of full size vehicles have fascinated many generations. Many diecast toys in perfect condition, complete with the original box, special markings and price tags have increased in value enormously. Some of these models were specially made for store openings, launches of new products or special events. They were offered for sale in stores, given as prizes in competitions or sold through catalogs where they could be purchased as sets.

Originally only a few models were produced but over the years they have been manufactured for major racing events, releases of new car lines and to promote cereals, popular drinks and cartoons. All the common vehicles can be found as diecast models including police cars, farm vehicles, ambulances and army tanks. Some popular models include John Deere toy tractors, diecast toy trucks and diecast toy cranes.

The box that the diecast model came with was usually made from thin cardboard or plastic and those models with their original case in good condition are particularly prized. As the boxes were made of flimsy material they can easily be damaged by moisture, sunlight or dirt. Keeping the box in perfect condition is often more of a challenge than preserving the diecast vehicle itself!

Diecast models are often displayed in plastic showcases but some collectors store their prized models in plastic bags or storage boxes. This will keep the cars and boxes dry and away from damaging sunlight. If displayed in showcases the models need to be dusted often with a dry cloth. A damp cloth should not be used on boxes as this can fade the ink or wrinkle the box.

Diecast toys kept over from childhood may be worth collecting if they are examples of rarer models. These include models made for a particular product that is obsolete, or a model made to represent a sports personality. Information on rarity values can be found from speciality magazines, collectors catalogs or your local library. Clubs and conventions are good places to find enthusiasts with the information you need, and to trade, sell or buy diecast toys.

The condition of John Deere diecast vehicles may be described as below. Mint generally means that there are no defects or wear marks.

Mint condition - There are no broken, missing or misaligned parts. The paint is perfect and there are no glue marks or other assembly marks.

Mint in Box - These are mint condition models in their original box and packaging.

Mint on Card - These are models still enclosed in the original blister packaging.

Some examples of Diecast Toys that are much sought after by collectors and therefore more valuable include the following.

Limited Editions - These diecast toys were produced in a restricted number and the cast was then destroyed. Limited editions are highly collectible and the number of models produced in the run should be included in the information supplied with the model.

Limited Production Cars - Examples include Matchbox Challenge cars, Treasure Hunt Hunt Wheels, Racing Champion's Chase cars and Johnny Lightening White Lightening cars.

Retired Toy Cars - Toy vehicles that the manufacturer has stopped making. They may decide to reissue the vehicle later with color or detail changes.

Toy Vehicles with Certificates - Vehicles produced by Franklin Mint or Danbury Mint may include Certificates of Title or Certificates of Authenticity.

Diecast toys with their original paperwork and packaging will be more valuable than the same model without the packaging. If you plan to sell a toy vehicle keep the original packaging in as good condition as possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/a-guide-to-diecast-toy-collecting-665023.html

Author: Janet Ashby

About the Author:
For more information on collecting diecast toy vehicles and some good deals visit John Deere Toy Tractors or Diecast Toy Cranes

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Every little boy loves tractors! There is something about those big green machines. So, for this birthday GO Green! Invitations: Use a template of a simple tractor using green construction paper and outlining with a black marker. On a separate sheet of yellow paper, write the title "Our little Deere __ is turning __, so join us for some good old farm fun!" Plain white invitations can be made quite festive with the John Deere clip art or stickers. A picture of your child on a tractor would also be a wonderful invite and can be copied quite easily and cost effectively using a colour printer or at your local photo center.

The Venue: How about an outing? You could visit a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, a pony riding center or a local farm. Your one step ahead if you already live on a farm! An old fashioned family bonfire is a wonderful back drop for this kind of event. No worries though, even if your a city slicker you can easily transform your home or backyard into a "farm house" worthy of a John Deere Birthday Party! Decorations: Green & Yellow of course! A wide range of John Deere licensed goods can be purchased through my website or your local party center. Throw in a barnyard feel with hay bails, saddles, scarecrows, pitch forks, cowboy hats and farm animals. Ask the kids to come in their finest denim farm clothes but provide them with a straw hat and bandanna when they arrive.

Activities: You can't have a John Deere Party without a tractor! So, if you don't have a real one for tractor rides, turn a regular old wagon into one with 2 large cardboard pieces, the tractor template, green paint and some imagination! The little ones will love their imaginary tractor rides. If your party is indoors or for some additional decoration, use a bunch of farm animal colouring sheets. Cover a full wall with butcher paper or large white paper roll. Make a farm scene by painting on some grass, a fence and blue sky. Have the kids colour the pictures and then cut and paste the pictures onto wall. Or you can even have the kids colour right onto the paper wall. The kids will have a blast decorating the life sized farm scene.

Games: Needle in a Haystack - Hide objects in a loose pile of hay. Use needles for older party guests and small toys for younger ones. Have them wear work gloves for safety. If you cannot get your hands on some hay you can use several bags of raffia or dried grass clippings. Young or Old, everyone loves a game of Horse Shoes - the younger the child, the closer the shot line. Do I Moo? - Attach an animal sticker or picture to each child's back. Each player must identify what kind of animal they are by asking "yes" or "no" questions. For example, "Can I fly?", "Am I pink?", etc. Catch a Pig - Grease up 1 pink balloon with baby oil for every player and place the whole bunch about 20 feet away from where the kids are lined up. On "GO" have them run and try to catch a pig and place it back in its pen. The pen can be any box or container. It is hilarious and not that easy! Have an area set up where you can practise your cowboy skills by roping some cattle. A simple rope works great as a lasso and a sawhorse from Dad's garage works great as an animal target. Chicken Egg Hunt - Reuse your plastic Easter Eggs by filling them with some neat toys, trinkets or candy and hiding them around the party yard or party room. Herding Cattle - Colour some black cow spots on white balloons.

Using a broom, the object is to swat 8-10 balloons from one side of the room to the other. Use a stopwatch to see who can herd the cows the fastest. Hoe Down - play some Country Music and form a square dancing line or have a line dancing lesson! Menu: A good, old, down home barbecue of hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, potato salad, watermelon and corn on the cob. Serve the snacks and salads out of mini galvanized buckets and fill a wheel barrow with ice to keep your drinks cold in. Have plenty of wooden picnic tables on hand for seating. The cake can be any shape or size but must have bright John Deere green coloured icing. Use a decopac set or simply use your childs favourite toy tractor for the center of the cake. Be sure to sit the tractor ontop of a mud or soil pile! A mud/soil pile is made by crumbling up some dark cookies. Corral the tractor and hill in with a pretzel stick fence.

Loot Bags: All kids love to dress up - a cowboy hat, a bandanna and a pair of kids work gloves would be the perfect gifts to take home with them. You can also purchase John Deere stickers, toy tractors, launchers & keychains for plastic lootbags. Plastic farm animals and candy eggs would be a great addition! All farms have gardens so why not provide each guest with a small pot and a few easy growing seeds like bean, radish or sunflower and have them "sow their seeds." They can take their plant home and watch it grow.

Author: Dawn Archibald

http://www.partydepot.ca - purchase party supplies in Canada http://www.partycanada.blogspot.com - more great party planning ideas!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Archibald

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