Australian Woman Sets World Record For Largest Minions Memorabilia Collection

If you thought your love for the Despicable Me Minions was intense, wait till you hear about this Australian woman, Liesl Benecke. Her passion for those adorable, mischievous yellow henchmen just scored her a Guinness World Record. It all started 15 years ago, when the first Despicable Me movie hit the theaters, hooking her, “I remember laughing so much at the cute, little pill-shaped henchmen. They certainly made a huge impression on me,” she shared.

Since then, her collection has grown into a global treasure trove, featuring a whopping 1,035 unique Minions pieces from places like Singapore, Japan, Italy, the US, Portugal, Taiwan, and China.

“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.”

The Minion Lady

At this point, even her coworkers call her 'the Minion lady'. She laughs it off,, “I’m just a big kid at heart. Since then I have always been on the lookout for Minions everywhere I go.”

Among her many collectables, her giant plushy Stuart stands out. He often rides in the backseat of her car, seatbelt on. “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.

And Stuart isn’t only her biggest Minion, he’s also her favourite. “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,” Benecke revealed.

A True Minion Life

Benecke’s love for the Minions even took her across the world to Universal Studios in Singapore, where she celebrated her birthday in complete Minion style.

“My daughters said I never looked happier on that day,” she said. She also made an emotional visit to Minion Land in Osaka, Japan. “My daughter captured the moment I cried as I entered the park,” she shared.

While some people laugh at her obsession, Benecke is totally unbothered. “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 explained.

“The Minions are my source of happiness and their weird and wacky ways never fail to make me laugh.”

Even her friends and family have become her personal 'Minion shoppers', helping her grow her collection further. “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 said.

And if you thought she collected everything she saw? No, that is not the case, "I only buy the Minions that I like the look of,” she said. “Some Minions look better than others to me.”.