Remember Buddy Lee? Buddy was a promotional piece used by the Minneapolis-Moline Company around 1949. He was a popular “salesman” for the company and enjoyed popularity and lots of attention in dealership windows. He was so popular his sales price was about $2.40! The Buddy Lee era ended in1963 when the manufacturer discontinued production. As a collector item, an original MM Buddy Lee has sold for as much as $1,000. In 1999 the MMCI held a Buddy Reunion at their Arkansas Winter Convention. Eight Buddy Lees were displayed at that first reunion. Next time you visit the Floyd County Historical Museum at Charles City, IA, you’ll see an educational display of the MM Buddy Lee in one of the MM display cases. Be sure to stop by and say “Hi.”