Indy Toy Fun

The 33 Annual National Toy Truck ‘N Construction Show will be a fun time in Indy for the whole family.

“The remote-control enthusiasts are returning to the show, and Darren Bok, our second-year returning auctioneer, has been extremely effective to make this happen,” said Cathy Scheibe, publisher of Toy Trucker & Contractor and Toy Farmer magazines. which sponsors the show.

“These folks are awesome. They often come with their whole families and stay up late, playing with their incredible RC models long into the night. It’s also not unusual to see a stray model running down the hallways of the motel heading for the bar/restaurant. If you’ve never experienced this part of our hobby or if you have and miss it, this is the year to join in the fun,” she said.

The 33rd Annual National Toy Truck ’N Construction Show will be Aug. 11-13 at Wyndham Indianapolis West, 2544 Executive Drive in Indianapolis. The show begins noon to 6 p.m. Friday with about 50 vendors and several manufacturers. They will feature a variety of collectible trucks and construction toys. Farm toys, Beanie Babies, Barbies or other dolls are not allowed. For those interested in being a vendor, call 701-883-5206 or email wlarson@toyfarmer.com.

Jet truck races will be held Friday at 9:30 p.m. in the hotel rear parking lot (weather-permitting, with a rain date of Saturday night). Two rules apply—the truck must be less than 2 inches wide and must have a rear-facing 2-inch-long, 9/16-inch outer diameter (one-half-inch inner diameter) brass tube mounted permanently to the truck.

The schedule continues Saturday with general admission from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A live auction is scheduled for 10 a.m. A 1/64 scale truck build off runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hall of Champions featuring three categories in Show Class, Working Class and Antique Class. A new category is Open Scale, which will include any scale, straight truck, combos and bobtails. Updated information about this year’s event is >Here: The show then runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Two models have been released for this year’s show. One

is a Peterbilt model 389 tri-axle with a day cab and an ERMC four-axle Hydra Steer® trailer that features a 90-foot beam load in 1/64 scale. The other is a 1/50 scale Northwest 80D shovel, an exclusive collectible aimed at construction enthusiasts.

The show has drawn collectors from around the world, who get a chance to talk to representatives from many of the die-cast companies which produce the collectible replicas.

“I often hear from truck and construction vendors and collectors at other shows that they’ve always wanted to come to the National Toy Truck ’N Construction Show. Well, this is the year. We’ll be there,” Scheibe said. And a helpful suggestion: “To help save some gas money ..., load up a vehicle with friends and join us for the best time ever.”

General admission is $10 for adults for all three days of the show; children ages 12 and younger are free with a paying adult. A special motel rate is offered to those coming to this show if reserving at the Wyndham. For more information visit www.toytrucker.com.