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Heritage Iron Magazine
Background edit
Muscle Tractors were tractors produced from the 1960's to the mid 1980's that feature turbo, duals and front wheel assist. Muscle tractors were a turning point in American farm mechanization when horsepower took over from steel wheels and crank-start tractors. This generation of muscle tractors is gaining in popularity among tractor collectors. To fill the needs of those interested in muscle tractors, Heritage Iron Magazine entered the publishing world. Heritage Iron features all brands, makes, and models of muscle tractors from the 1960s to mid 1980s including the equipment that the tractors used. Founded in 2008, Heritage Iron Magazine is published by 3 Point, Ink, LLC. The company’s headquarters are located at 122 West State Street, Nokomis, Illinois 62075. Sherry Schaefer is the owner, publisher, and editor. Heritage Iron is a bi-monthly publication that features brightly colored high quality pages. Each issue highlights a featured tractor and presents a detailed account of the tractor, it's attributes, it's history, and it's owner. Other regular features in the magazine are: machinery milestones, equipment company history, classified ads, auction results, letters to the editor, an editor’s page, farm toys, literature and memorabilia. Regular writers for the publication include: Tharran Gaines, Larry Gay, Jason Hasert, Cindy Ladage, Philip Shaw and Ken Updike.
The first issue was mailed in January 2009 and featured an International Harvester 1206 on the front cover. Other tractors that have appeared on the cover include: John Deere 8020, Allis-Chalmers Two-Twenty, Case Spirit of ’76, Minneapolis Moline G1000, Oliver 2255, Massey 97, John Deere 5020, International Harvester 1568, and the Steiger Tiger[1].
Publisher & Editor edit
Sherry Schaefer serves as publisher and editor of Heritage Iron. Schaefer is a Greenville, Illinois (Bond County) native and grew up around tractors and equipment her entire life. Her grandfather, Ervin Schaefer, was an Oliver tractor dealer in Granite City, Illinois from 1936 -1965. Her father Oliver “Ollie” Schaefer is a used Oliver tractor and equipment dealer in Greenville, Illinois. The Schaefer family also owned and operated a national tractor pulling sled service for more than 25 years. Determine to share her knowledge and love of tractors with the world, Sherry began her publishing company, 3 Point Ink, LLC, in 2008 in Nokomis, Illinois. Sherry has her own personal library filled with tractor publications, magazines and farm reports from the last century. She carefully plans out and researches every issue.
Schaefer has authored three books, Farm Tractor Collectibles, (MBI Publishing, in 1998), Oliver Tractors, (MBI Publishing, in 2001) and Classic Oliver Tractors: History, Models, Variations & Specifications 1855-1976, (Voyageur Press, 2009). Additionally, Schaefer has provided her expertise in other tractor-related books including: A Guide to Hart-Parr, Oliver and White Farm Tractors 1901-1996 by Larry Gay, Oliver Farm Tractors by T. Herbert Morrell, Oliver Photographic History by April Halberstadt and Ultimate American Farm Tractor Data Book Nebraska Test Tractors 1920-1960 by Lorry Dunning.
She also serves as a publisher and editor of Oliver Heritage Magazine, an all Oliver tractor bi-monthly publication.
In 2003, Schaefer was an expert witness in Washington, D.C. for the Chinese Embassy regarding an international trade commission complaint. She is an executive board member of the Illinois Rural Heritage Museum and has been the guest speaker at numerous community organizations and national tractor club gatherings.
Distinctive Features edit
Heritage Iron created and patented its own publication mascot, Brutus. Brutus is a cartoon character depicting a muscle bound tractor with human characteristics. Brutus was patented on December 22, 2009. The Brutus logo appears on the front cover of each magazine and in any and all advertising, public relations and sponsorship material.
The magazine uses vibe stripes throughout its pages and advertising pieces as a visual reminder of the way the muscle tractors were painted. Vibe stripes are stripes on a tractor that begin as a thin stripe and gradually become thicker. For example, XXXXXXXX
The company has its own line of toy muscle tractors manufactured and sold through Spec Cast Toys of Dyersville, Iowa. Two highly detailed 1/64 scale toys will be released each year starting in 2010 and will continue through 2015. All the tractors will be a part of the “Heritage Iron Series," and the first toy muscle tractor will be an Oliver 2255.
Heritage Iron has two commercials that have ran at the National Farm Machinery Show available on you tube. The magazine can also be followed on Twitter and facebook.
Circulation edit
Heritage Iron started with 4,000 subscribers in 2008. 2010 circulation numbers have more than tripled to 13,000, including overseas subscribers in Australia, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Heritage Iron is also available in over 800 Tractor Supply stores and select newsstands throughout the United States.
Awards and Recognition edit
The Niche Magazine Conference awarded Heritage Iron Best New Niche Magazine of 2008.
Gallery edit
(pics of some of the cover tractors)
References edit
Heritage Iron. 1. January 2009. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)