Australian woman sets world record with largest collection of Minions memorabilia
Liesl Benecke from Australia has bagged a Guinness World Record for amassing over 1,000 pieces of Minions merchandise.
Love for the quirky yellow henchmen from the “Despicable Me” franchise has earned Australian woman Liesl Benecke a Guinness World Record.
Benecke has collected 1,035 different pieces of Minions memorabilia over the past 15 years, a journey that began when the first film was released. “I remember laughing so much at the cute, little pill-shaped henchmen. They certainly made a huge impression on me,” she said.
Today, her impressive collection includes clothing, movie posters, stuffed toys, keychains, figurines, and even a tattoo. “My daughter says I need another house just to store my Minions, but I love being surrounded by their beautiful, bright yellow smiles,” she told Guinness World Records. “They are in every room and on every spare wall … The back of my car is filled with Minions and when I stop at traffic lights I see people pointing and laughing at all the Minions in my car.”
Affectionately nicknamed “the Minion lady” by her coworkers, Benecke said, “I’m just a big kid at heart. Since then I have always been on the lookout for Minions everywhere I go.”
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Her collection spans the globe, with items sourced from Singapore, Japan, Italy, the US, Portugal, Taiwan, and China. Among her favourites is Stuart, the sassy, one-eyed Minion with an attitude. “My favourite is Stuart, the sassy, one eyed Minion with attitude, and he is the one I have tattooed on my arm. So many people and kids comment on the tattoo and we start talking about our mutual love of Minions,” she said.
Giant plushy turns head
Benecke’s largest plush toy, Stuart, often rides in the back seat of her car, buckled up with a seatbelt. “Stuart is my largest plush toy and fits nicely in the back seat – it’s fun to see people’s reactions when they spot him! He wears his seatbelt so he’s safe and he enjoys getting out,” she said.
Her passion for Minions has taken her to Universal Studios in Singapore, where she celebrated her birthday surrounded by her favorite characters. “My daughters said I never looked happier on that day,” she recalled. She also visited Minion Land at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan, where she became emotional as she entered the park. “My daughter captured the moment I cried as I entered the park,” she said.
Despite some puzzled reactions from others, Benecke remains proud of her collection. “People laugh when I explain my obsession and they say they don’t get it or ask if my kids are the ones I collect for,” she said. “The Minions are my source of happiness and their weird and wacky ways never fail to make me laugh.”
Her friends and family also help expand her collection. “They send me pictures when they are out shopping asking ‘do you have this one?’ And if I don’t, I get them to buy it for me – you could say they are my Minion shoppers,” she shared.
A self-proclaimed “Minion snob,” Benecke is selective about which items she adds. “I only buy the Minions that I like the look of,” she said. “Some Minions look better than others to me.”
