WAKARUSA -- Thousands of tractor enthusiasts flocked to the first two days of the Mel Schrock estate auction.

Some knew Schrock personally. Others boasted about their large tractor collections. Some traveled hundreds of miles just to see Schrock's 452 antique tractors.

But no matter why they came or where they came from, every one of them had a story to tell.

The long-time friend

John Losgaard met Schrock when Schrock bought a tractor from Losgaard in 1991. Schrock contacted Losgaard after seeing a listing for a tractor in a farming publication. Schrock inquired about the condition of the tractor, then said he'd send Losgaard a check for $750.

"I went and sat down in my reclining chair," Losgaard, 63, said. "And I said to my wife, 'If I ever see that check, this is going to be a miracle.'"

Sure enough, the check arrived at Losgaard's home in Beldenville, Wis., three days later. The two collectors then met at a tractor show later that year, and their friendship grew as the two traveled to auctions together for 15 years, until Schrock died in 2006.

The three-day Schrock estate auction, at 66402 S.R. 19, concludes today, with bidding beginning at 10 a.m.

Losgaard can recall the make and model of every tractor he and Schrock bought at the many shows and auctions they attended together. That's nothing impressive though, Losgaard says, because many collectors could rattle off facts and fables about tractors for days, if you asked them to.

"You can get in some of the most interesting conversations at one of these things," Losgaard said. "And they all want to talk about what they have done and what they have and where they've gone."

The fast-talker

Leroy Yoder isn't looking to buy any tractors this weekend -- he's looking to sell them.

The independent auctioneer from Shipshewana is a longtime friend of the Schrock family, and will be calling out bids throughout the weekend.

Yoder says he's been auctioning cattle and machinery for more than 30 years, but fell in love with auctions long before that.

"I went to an auction with my dad when I was 5 years old," Yoder said. "When we got home, I told my mother, 'I'm going to be an auctioneer.'"

Yoder went to auction school to learn the ways of the fast-talkers, then began working as a bid spotter before "graduating" to the ranks of professional auctioneer.

Rolling words off the tongue at a mile a minute doesn't come naturally, Yoder says.

"It's just practice, practice, repetition," he said. "You want to be a smooth bid caller, but it's not about talking that fast. It's about being clear and plain so people can understand you."

Auctioneers add to the entertaining atmosphere of the event, Yoder says, but they also impact the success of the sales.

"It's an environment," he said. "That rapid chant, you get people thinking 'I'm going to miss it, so I'm going to bid.' It's psychological."

The classic collector

Keith Jones could accomplish a herculean feat among tractor collectors by the time bidding ends Saturday.

The 63-year-old traveled from Richmond, Va., hoping to land the jewel of Schrock's collection -- a rare 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX. Only 150 were made, and several years can pass between the times one comes up for sale.

Jones, however, could purchase two in as many weeks. He says he bought a UDLX from a collector in Virginia last week, but still hopes to make a run at Schrock's prized tractor.

Competition will be stiff, however, because of the large number of people attending the sale. Some collectors at the auction estimate the tractor could fetch between $120,000 and $170,000.

Jones owns 185 antique tractors and mainly bids at online auctions, but he said the number of people at Schrock's auction dwarfs other sales he's attended.

"There wasn't anything like this many people here," he said.

Contact Josh Weinhold at jweinhold@etruth.com.