Used Amish buggies for sale in small town

CHESTERVILLE, Ill. -- A pre-owned Amish buggy lot offers free test drives, but the only stumbling block is that interested buyers have to provide their own horsepower.

Currently, six buggies are lined up near Illinois Route 133, which meanders through this quiet town of about 68 people, many of them Amish. The row of buggies resembles a car dealership where people can wander around viewing the models.

However, in the pre-owned buggy lot, color is limited to black and performance is based upon the speed of one's horse.

H. Paul Schrock, CEO of Paul and Judy's Coins and Cards, said the former owner of the six buggies contacted him and asked him if he was interested in purchasing the buggies after he noticed Schrock's auction of an Amish buggy last year on Ebay. The former owner didn't want to sell the buggies on consignment so Schrock purchased all of them.

"I don't know of any other Amish used buggy lot in the world," Schrock said.

The prices range from about $700 to $1,295. Some of the buggies need repairs before they can become road-worthy again, Schrock said. But Schrock believes some people and businessowners are more interested in the buggies for lawn ornaments rather than riding in them.

If someone wants to take a test drive they need to bring their own horse, Schrock said. If an interested buyer wants to purchase a horse or needs repairs on the buggy, Schrock will make referrals.

The oldest buggy on the lot is 70 years old and the others are estimated to be 20 years old.