Meet Morgan Richardson: Inside the Collection
This theme park-themed collection is part of theme park history!
Jun. 2, 2024
Calling himself a collector of collections, Morgan has a little bit of everything in his massive collection, which contains more than 20,000 unique items.
Today, we are focusing on his one-of-a kind theme park and adventure park collection. This part of his collection not only takes him back to his childhood but is also present in his real life as a theme park designer.
This fun-filled ride features vintage items from Disney parks, Marvel and Nickelodeon. The many items packed in Morgan's home are fueled with nostalgia and will send you straight back to your best childhood memories.
Morgan's collection is a reflection of his life, from what he loves to what he does. This theme park-themed collection is part of theme park history! Sit down and strap in; this will be one wild ride!
1. Walt Disney Imagineering Hard Hat
This is a Walt Disney Imagineer hard hat, worked in and worn by Morgan himself.
This hard hat serves two purposes: It can be worn for safety and it doubles as one of Morgan's favorite items in his collection.
Morgan was a Walt Disney Imagineer and got this while working on a variety of Disney parks. According to him, it's like a rite of passage for any Imagineer.
For those that don't know, an Imagineer is responsible for the design of Disney parks, resorts, cruise ships and more.
While working in the field many times, this hat has served its purpose and has even saved Morgan's life on multiple occasions.
During his time as an Imagineer, Morgan worked on the Avengers Campus, which serves as the headquarters for everything Marvel.
According to our expert, this hard hat has Disney's DNA all over it and is even more rare because of its wear and tear. Usually, here on Collector's Call, we like the lightly used items, but this one may lose value if cleaned! As Lisa said: "It's splattered in story."
Our expert valued this item at $1,500.
2. Disneyland TV Tray
This vintage TV tray from the '50s features Disneyland and was used as a promotional tool to get people to visit the park.
Walt Disney featured Disneyland on his TV show, Walt Disney Presents, in order to promote his park.
Around this time, TV trays were just becoming popular. Many people sat in front of their TV screens and watched Walt Disney talk about Disneyland while having a family dinner placed on this iconic item.
According to Morgan, this piece represented a significant moment in time because it was introduced to the world at the same time Walt Disney basically gave birth to the modern entertainment industry.
Our expert valued this item at $400 because of its good condition.
3. Marvel Universe Poster
This Marvel Universe poster is one of Morgan's favorite pieces.
This is a promo item originally meant to advertise the official handbook of the Marvel Universe, which was a whole set featuring all of the different characters in the Marvel Universe.
This item is special to him because he got it as a gift from his dad. During a family trip, he and his dad found this poster in a local comic book shop. The shop owner wouldn't sell it, but years later his dad found this piece and surprised Morgan with it.
Our expert valued this item at $4,000 because of its condition and rarity. Although it comes with a nice price, Morgan would never sell it.
4. Original Nickleodeon Shirts
These vintage shirts are just as colorful as Morgan!
These Nickelodeon shirts have special meaning to Morgan, and he wore these during his time working at Paramount Park.
Instead of being screen-used, these shirts were theme-used!
Although Morgan wore these shirts during the work day, he wasn't allowed to keep them. However, luckily, he found them before they were destroyed.
He saved them and brought a piece of Nickelodeon history back with him. Today, these shirts are rare and represent the early days of Paramount Park.
Our expert valued both of these iconic shirts at $600.
5. Disneyland Pop–Up Map
Morgan believes this map is one of the coolest pieces of marketing that has ever been done for Disneyland. What do you think?
This is the 35 Years of Magic pop-up map for Disneyland.
You may have seen park maps before, but this specific piece was made just to celebrate the iconic history of Disneyland.
It's interactive, colorful, 3D and is unlike any other version of the Disneyland map. It features all of the major attractions such as Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the iconic castle and more.
It's a map that gets you to where you need to go, but one you can take home and always remember where you went. It captures a moment in time and shows the development of Disneyland.
There were only so many of these maps that were released, and few remain in good condition today. Our expert valued this piece at $100.
6. Jim Henson Sign
It makes sense that this larger-than-life autograph belongs to Jim Henson.
We take it as a sign that this incredible piece ended up in Morgan's collection.
This was original to Disney's California Adventure Park. In 2001, The Muppet Vision 3D Experience was presented by Jim Henson who unveiled this iconic sign.
Morgan found this piece during his time working for Disney Parks. He fully restored this piece after finding it in a dumpster. This piece is special to him because he was a huge fan of The Muppets and admired Jim Henson's creativity.
The signature makes Morgan happy because not only is it Disney history, but it's Muppets history too.
Our expert valued this item at $15,000 due to his restoration work.
7. The total value of Morgan's collection:
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