If rust, chrome and steel can be considered an addiction, Tim Wertish has a pretty serious habit.
For decades, the Redwood Falls collector has been buying, selling and rescuing old trucks and cars, eventually building a collection that at one point numbered nearly 400 vehicles — most of them pickups and trucks — lined up on property just south of town.
Now, hundreds of them are going on the auction block.
Chevrolets. Fords. Internationals. Cab-over-engine trucks. Tow trucks. Fire trucks. Grain trucks.
But watching them roll away won’t necessarily be easy — especially one rare 1938 Plymouth pickup.
“That’s about the coolest truck out there to me,” Wertish said. “The ’38 Plymouth pickup is the hardest one to land if you were looking for one.”
And soon, someone else will have a chance to take it home.
The massive two-day public auction is scheduled for Sept. 25-26 in Redwood Falls, with live, on-site and online bidding.
A lifetime around cars
Wertish says his obsession with vehicles began practically out of the womb.
Like a lot of young boys, he logged plenty of miles on his knees with Hot Wheels and Tonka trucks. But for Wertish, cars and trucks weren’t just toys.
His parents owned a salvage yard, and by the time he was in high school, he was already wheeling and dealing in old cars and trucks.
“I’ve been into cars since I was born, basically,” he said. “I grew up right in the middle of all of it.”
In 1994, Wertish started Redwood Auto Sales. More than three decades later, he still runs the used car dealership in Redwood Falls.
One lesson from his father stuck with him.
“Don’t buy something you can’t afford,” Wertish said.
Asked how many vehicles he’s owned over the years, Wertish couldn’t even venture a guess.
“Let’s just say thousands,” he said. “I wouldn’t even have a clue.”
One of Wertish’s earliest memorable purchases for his collection was a 1957 Mercury pickup. He figures he paid about $500 for it.
“I’ve never seen another truck like it either,” he said.
Wertish doesn’t have it anymore. Years ago, a man stopped by who had been searching for that exact truck for years. Wertish decided to sell it to him so he could finally build the truck he’d been hunting for.
Unlike restorers who immediately tear into a new project, Wertish largely left the vehicles at his farm exactly as he found them.
“The vehicles that I have collected at the farm for display were basically pulled out of groves, trees and barns, and will be set on display just the way I found them,” he said.
‘I’m not moving all these pickups’
Wertish wasn’t actually planning to sell the collection. But when people began approaching him about buying his land earlier this year, he faced one very big problem: What was he going to do with all of the vehicles?
“I’m like, I’m not moving all these pickups. I mean, that’s just crazy,” Wertish recalled.
So he called VanDerBrink Auctions.
VanDerBrink Auctions owner and auctioneer Yvette VanDerBrink said Wertish’s collection is remarkable even for someone who has spent decades selling classics.
“I have been selling classics for over 25 years, and I have not seen so many trucks all lined up like this. I have not seen anything like it,” VanDerBrink said.
HEMI Charger, Plymouth GTX among finds
It isn’t all pickups, either.
Among the rarities scheduled to cross the auction block are a 1966 Dodge HEMI Charger, 1967 Plymouth GTX, 1968 Camaro and classic Impalas.
The collection also includes more than 50 International trucks, nearly 100 Chevrolet and GMC vehicles and nearly 100 Fords, along with Diamond Ts, tow trucks, fire trucks and more.
For builders who don’t want an entire truck, there’s even an unusual option: Winning bidders on certain cab-over-engine and grain trucks who only want the cab will be allowed to take it and leave the frame behind.
The two-day auction kicks off Friday, Sept. 25, with gates opening for a preview at 10 a.m. Bidding begins at 3 p.m. on approximately 90 lots, including parts and project vehicles.
Then comes the big day.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, approximately 300 cars and trucks are expected to cross the auction block, with bidding beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The auction will be held at 33430 327th St. in Redwood Falls.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.