Ike "Stockin' cap" Theroff shows off a bass drum with a picture of Lake Tahoe,Nev papinted on it, candy cutter, a bayonette and a WW1 helmet, just a few of the thousands of items he will be selling to the highest bidder.

GIZMOS GALORE PUT UP FOR BID

April 30, 1999

Saying Ike "Stockin' Cap" Theroff has collected a few articles over the years would be like saying Kansas has a fair amount of sunflowers.

And for almost as far as the eye can see across the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, Theroff has his wares on display.

Thousands of items owned by Theroff, ranging from old, rusty tools to a working 1905 alfalfa seed threshing machine, will go on the auction block this weekend.

This Jolt Meter, was a sales gimmick
used by car salesman
to demostrate how smooth a ride
the prospective buyer could expect.

"I think what got me interested in this stuff is I've always been interested in how things work," said Theroff, 65, who has been collecting just about everything he can get his hands on for decades.

It took Theroff and his family 10 weeks just to gather the items from his rural McLouth barn and other storage areas.

It took two 45-foot trucks and 24 loads on 15-foot trailers to get all the items to the fairgrounds. The items fill six judging buildings at the fairgrounds.

His collection includes plowing equipment, washing machines, signs, belt buckles, stoves, car jacks, tools of all sorts, radios, tillers, mowers, car parts, chain saws and dental equipment.

And Theroff can tell you how nearly all of the mechanical items work -- whether it's a pedal-powered washing machine from the 1920s or a giant saw used for cutting ice from area lakes.

He said that, in addition to having an interest in older technologies, he has collected items for history's sake.

Many of his farm implements, tools and other items are more than 100 years old.

"This represents history," he said. "What some of these old birds did back then, we couldn't do today. It was an art."

John Shoemaker, a Tonganoxie auctioneer who will conduct the sale along with four other auctioneers, said he's never in 21 years seen anything like Theroff's collection.

"Most sales take three to four hours to sell out," he said. "We're probably looking Saturday at a minimum of eight hours."

Shoemaker said he's received calls from people in 16 different states asking about the sale.

He expects 500 to 600 people on Saturday and nearly that many on Sunday.

"Some of these guys are coming to stay for two days," he said. "It's going to be different. I've been selling 21 years and never really done a sale so rare as this."

And why is Theroff selling now?

"In 1985, I had a serious heart attack," he said. "I had another one in 1990 and I'm way past due on the next one. I figure I better sell it now while I'm still around."

The auction will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday. No ending time has been set for either day.

Three trailers laden with signs

10 years ago: May 5, 1999

LJWorld.com

Ivan "Ike'' 'Stocking Cap' Theroff has been collecting and storing stuff for more than 50 years. He started collecting just before he married his wife, Mary Ann, of 45 years. (An auction by Shoemaker?s Auction was held to sell the huge collection. It took 25 trips with a 16-foot trailer, a 45-foot transfer van and a 45-foot flatbed to haul the multitude of items from storage to the fairgrounds. More than 1,400 items were sold to 298 buyers. Ike's pink stocking cap went for $225.)

Jefferson County Fire District 9
Est. 1961
Ike also served as fire chief and later on the board 1981-

PATRIOTS DAY PARADE

2005 Grand Marshalls

Murphy & Joann Van Druff
Audean Kramer
Lillian Shrader
Ivan 'Ike' & Mary Theroff
Hubert & Mary Alice Kimberlin

Ivan and Mary Ann Theroff were married on June 20, 1953.