Toy land is a real place. Max Williams, the Willy Wonka of John Deere toys, is a farm boy eight decades removed from the addiction of his first cast iron tractor, and wonderfully obsessed.

Dave McEachren has loved John Deere since he was a youngster on the southwestern Ontario farm where his family used the green tractors almost exclusively. Over the years, he has collected over ...

After he filled one garage with four tractors, he built another shed in 2003 that now holds eight tractors. He has four more out in his yard for a total of 16 restored B John Deere tractors.

BUSINESS: Blue Ocean takes startup challenge national. The recognition made Sprig Toys ripe for acquisition. Bowen and Clemmer sold the company in 2010 to Wham-O, maker of the Frisbee and Hula Hoop.

"Since I was probably 16 ... John Deere dealer, and that was the first toy in my collection that I was keeping to not play with." It was a replica of a Waterloo Boy, one of John Deere's first ...