Ertl Company
81+ years and still operating (founded 1945)
About Ertl Company
Fred Ertl Sr. began by melting war-surplus aluminium in his home furnace and pouring it into sand moulds, and Ertl grew into the dominant producer of farm toy replicas. Based in Dyersville, Iowa — the 'Farm Toy Capital of the World' — Ertl held licenses with John Deere, Case, International Harvester, and others.
Founding
Fred Ertl Sr., a laid-off German-immigrant moulder who began casting toy tractors in the basement furnace of his Dubuque, Iowa home in 1945, with his family finishing and painting them.
History of Ertl Company
Ertl started in the most literal cottage-industry way imaginable — aluminium melted in a household furnace, poured into sand moulds, cleaned up and painted at the kitchen table — and grew into the dominant name in American farm toys. The move to Dyersville, Iowa put the company in the middle of its own market, and its licensing relationships with John Deere, International Harvester, Case, Ford and Allis-Chalmers became the foundation of the business.
The 1/16 scale tractor is Ertl's signature product and effectively its own collecting category: accurate, licensed, issued in step with the real machines, and bought by farm families as a matter of course. Ertl later broadened into 1/64 farm sets, die-cast banks, replica trucks and mass-market licensed vehicles, of which the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee was the best-known crossover hit.
The company passed through several corporate owners from the 1980s onward and is now part of TOMY, with farm replicas still produced under the Ertl name. That continuity means "Ertl" spans everything from hand-poured 1940s aluminium to current production, and the collecting value sits overwhelmingly at the early end.
Timeline
- 1945Fred Ertl Sr. begins casting aluminium toy tractors in his home in Dubuque, Iowa
- 1959The company moves to Dyersville, Iowa
- 1963Licensed 1/16 scale tractors for John Deere, International Harvester and Case anchor the range
- 1979The Dukes of Hazzard General Lee becomes a mass-market success
- 1999Racing Champions acquires the company
- 2005The Ertl brand passes to TOMY, under which farm replicas continue
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- John Deere 1:16 tractor series
- International Harvester 560
- Case farm equipment
- Dukes of Hazzard General Lee (1:64)
- ERTL coin banks
- 1:64 farm sets
Identifying & Dating Ertl Company Toys
- Models are marked "ERTL" cast or stamped underneath, with "Dyersville, Iowa" or later "Made in U.S.A."; early aluminium pieces may be unmarked or carry only a mould number.
- Sand-cast aluminium indicates the earliest production; later tractors are die-cast with plastic detail parts.
- The licensed brand name — John Deere, IH, Case — appears in decal or tampo form and its style is a reliable dating aid within a model run.
Collector's Notes
- Early aluminium tractors, particularly the first John Deere models, are the top of the market and are usually found repainted; original paint with legible decals is the premium.
- Farm-toy collecting is heavily box-driven and heavily variation-driven. Wheel type, decal placement and hitch design distinguish issues that look identical on a shelf, so a specialist reference pays for itself.
- Modern Ertl production is plentiful and generally worth little beyond retail. Special-edition and show models are the exception and depend entirely on remaining sealed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Ertl Company founded?
Ertl Company was founded in 1945, based in Dyersville, IA.
Is Ertl Company still in business?
Yes. Ertl Company is still operating today, 81+ years after it was founded.
What is Ertl Company best known for?
Ertl Company is best known for John Deere 1:16 tractor series, International Harvester 560, Case farm equipment, among other toys.
Where was Ertl Company located?
Ertl Company was based in Dyersville, IA.
What kinds of toys did Ertl Company make?
Ertl Company is categorized under die-cast, farm toys, vehicles, banks.
Who founded Ertl Company?
Fred Ertl Sr., a laid-off German-immigrant moulder who began casting toy tractors in the basement furnace of his Dubuque, Iowa home in 1945, with his family finishing and painting them.
How can you identify genuine Ertl Company toys?
Models are marked "ERTL" cast or stamped underneath, with "Dyersville, Iowa" or later "Made in U.S.A."; early aluminium pieces may be unmarked or carry only a mould number. Sand-cast aluminium indicates the earliest production; later tractors are die-cast with plastic detail parts. The licensed brand name — John Deere, IH, Case — appears in decal or tampo form and its style is a reliable dating aid within a model run.
Are Ertl Company toys valuable?
Early aluminium tractors, particularly the first John Deere models, are the top of the market and are usually found repainted; original paint with legible decals is the premium. Farm-toy collecting is heavily box-driven and heavily variation-driven. Wheel type, decal placement and hitch design distinguish issues that look identical on a shelf, so a specialist reference pays for itself. Modern Ertl production is plentiful and generally worth little beyond retail. Special-edition and show models are the exception and depend entirely on remaining sealed.