 Morrison and his growing collection. |
Jim Morrison has a fleet of around 2,000 forklifts and pieces of construction equipment. They are all extremely low mileage and use no fuel, but they're going to stay just where they are at his Camden, New Jersey wholesale dealership.
The forklifts are models - part of what's thought to be one of the biggest private collections in the world.
"I have about 1,000 of what I call 'replicas' (models with a forklift manufacturer's name on the model)," he says, adding that the entire collection, including other models, toy forklifts, trucks and some construction equipment, takes the stock to around 2,000 pieces.
Morrison began collecting in late 2001, starting off with a Hyster lumber carrier he had since childhood.
"As most people in our business, you have a few that are given to you over the years," he notes. His collection began in earnest with a Hyster H800 container handler, a Hyster E40 and a Clark ECA.
Collecting co-incided with the death of his wife, and initially, Morrison used the activity "as a way to stay busy".
Like children, it's hard to single out a favourite piece. "I have many favourites. The rarer models and one-of-a-kind custom-built models are at the top of the list," he says.
Morrison keeps most of his models in his office "where I can show them off to any visitor who shows interest".
"I welcome anyone to come and look," he says, adding that collecting is really about showing others.
While the collection may have started with hand-outs from forklift companies, demand far exceeds supply, and Morrison now actively shops for models, scouring the Internet, eBay, toy dealers, OEM dealers and other collectors.
The hobby has also opened a new line for his dealership, with duplicates now offered for sale on the Morrison Equipment Company
website.
Morrison is reluctant to reveal the value of his collection, but it is not unusual for models to sell for hundreds of dollars.
This can clearly become an expensive pastime, and Morrison advises any would-be collectors to limit their collections by focusing on certain areas. "When I first started, I collected anything and everything related to forklifts," he recalls.
His strongest advice is to work with other collectors. "They can become good friends," he says. "I have one in Germany that I know will be a lifetime friend."
When he's not playing with his toys, Morrison buys and sells full-size forklifts and attachments through his J.W. Morrison Equipment business. Founded in 1990, the firm operates in the wholesale industry, buying and selling from other dealers in the US.