Adam Coker’s Logging Models Show Attention to Detail
Ever since Adam Coker of Tarboro, North Carolina, was young, he has been passionate about logging equipment. At the age of 10, undaunted by the lack of logging toys available, Adam built his own using plastic construction toy kits and combining them to create toy logging models.
Jump ahead a few years and, while the show “Swamp Loggers” brought the logging industry into the limelight, it also reignited Adam’s interest in logging toys. This time, instead of using plastic models, Adam took the few existing die-cast metal John Deere models that were available and re-fabricated them into different brands and equipment.
Over the past year, Adam has built over 300 1/50 scale die-cast forestry toy models, which include over 50 different types of machines and around 10 different brand names. He has sold them to customers in over 10 countries around the world and even has 4 models in a forestry museum in Belgium. The icing on the cake was getting the opportunity to visit Swamp Loggers’ Bobby Goodson at his home and subsequently selling him 5 of his custom models.
In order to create these authentic looking replicas, Adam builds each piece by hand either by completely starting from scratch or taking existing models he purchases and re-fabricating them. After he has completed the basic piece, he breaks it back down to paint and then designs his own decals on a computer. To avoid any possible legal issues with the manufacturers, Adam does not include a brand name on any models that he sells. Currently, he builds to a customer’s specifications, so a model can range from “average” to highly detailed with all moving parts. The prices, which range from $100-$1,000 are determined by the complexity of the model and the time it takes to build.
As reality TV shows featuring loggers continue to increase in popularity, Adam anticipates a growing demand for logging toys and hopes to convince the equipment manufacturers that it would be worthwhile to produce their own line of forestry models. To learn more and/or to express an interest , visit Adam’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/adam.coker.524
