Louis Georgiou, co-founder and managing director of Manchester-based digital agency Code Computerlove, has today launched his campaign to land the Guinness World Record for the biggest collection of Transformers.
His incredible collection of more than 1,900 ‘Robots In Disguise’ – and memorabilia such as magazines and DVDs – far outstrips the current official record of 1,000, so he is confident his application will be successful.
He has catalogued his compilation and will be filming the official count next week.
A self-proclaimed obsessive character, he began collecting the plastic figures when looking to buy a Christmas present for his son.
He started displaying his unboxed favourites on his desk within the agency, based in Sevendale House in the Northern Quarter, but when his hobbyist habit escalated, and he moved on to amassing collectible boxed Transformers, he managed to fill the office and its storage spaces as the number of toys reached the four-figure mark
“It was only when I’d literally filled my house about a year ago that I realised it might be time stop,” he said.
“I do know that I get quite obsessed with things, and with the Transformers it’s about the collecting, but also the design, the illustrations, the artwork, the packaging, the engineering behind them and the clever transformations,” he said.
“It’s very similar to how I got into the digital industry to begin with – I started with a passion for design and an obsession with coding and engineering.
“The trait that got me where I am in the industry is what also got me interested in Transformers.”
Mr Georgiou will find out in the next few weeks if his attempt has been successful.
If he becomes the new record holder, to celebrate, he plans to donate 50 of the toys to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.