Guinness World Record for the biggest collection of Transformers

[griffin]

Do they still send someone out to verify the collection if you go the free rout?

I would say so... as they would have to declare costs before you sign up, and the "free" option didn't have anything noted (that I could see).
I'm just not sure how they afford to verify records in other countries, as flying around the world would be expensive, and paying someone to verify records in other countries would still require money... and the expense of recruiting people as officials in other countries.

[KELPIE]

Agreed.

And you'd assume they couldn't just take people at their word for claims made?

[griffin]

An unusual development.
At the beginning of the year when I applied, Guinness didn't have anyone officially holding the record (it must have still been in the processing stage), but according to a post on the first applicant's facebook page, the certificate he has from Guinness says March 3rd 2017.
If he got the record two years ago, why just post about it now... and if the date on the certificate is backdated to the application date, surely the verification process didn't take two years (the website only says a maximum of 6 months).

And as bad as some people are for knocking him over having a smaller collection than a lot of other collectors (the recognised 1,3,13 figure includes non-toy items as well), he has been a bit of douche when posting about having the record. Maybe it's just a reaction to all of the people having a go at him, who were too lazy to apply for official recognition themselves.
The funny thing is, even if someone else comes along and has their larger collection officially verified by Guinness, this person will still be able to boast about having a Guinness Record collection (I don't think you have to hand in or destroy your certificate), and might not even acknowledge on his facebook page that he no longer has the title (since his facebook page actually has Guinness World Record in the title... which probably isn't allowed if they aren't part of the business).

[KELPIE]

Yeah, though if he ever loses the record, he can keep bragging all he wants but when he's going to bed at night, he'll know it's a lie.

As for anyone else, surely a google search or a Guinness website lookup will show them the truth?

[GoktimusPrime]

Saw the guy's post. Not impressed and I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of "reacting" or commenting. Nothin' like being a big fish in a small pond I suppose.

[jazzcomp]

Being the first to apply doesn't make it true. It's just a delusion in his mind that 1300+ is the "largest" collection.

[Sinnertwin]

It's the largest recorded by Guinness
Are there bigger collections out there?
Absolutely.
Have they been verified to date?
No.

The 2 aren't exclusively mutual.

[GoktimusPrime]

Being the first to apply doesn't make it true. It's just a delusion in his mind that 1300+ is the "largest" collection.

Heh, true. Kinda like when White people claim to have "discovered" stuff that other people had already discovered long, long ago... but they didn't submit an official document.

[griffin]

Being the first to apply doesn't make it true. It's just a delusion in his mind that 1300+ is the "largest" collection.

Just echoing Sinnertwin a bit... a Guinness Record is like AFA grading - they are companies that verify something as official (to their standards). They don't go out finding things to officially verify, people have to bring things to them... and it is not their job to see if others out there have more. If someone does have more, how else can they prove it if they don't apply to have it officially verified by a recognised company like Guinness.



The issue is if a person with a Guinness Record arrogantly (or ignorantly) believes that there aren't any others that are bigger or better.

[GoktimusPrime]

The issue is if a person with a Guinness Record arrogantly (or ignorantly) believes that there aren't any others that are bigger or better.

This is the thing that I find quite objectionable with this guy -- it is the arrogance. In his post he admits that he KNOWS full well that there are people with larger collections but he's gone ahead and done it anyway, which I think is a form of "intellectual dishonesty" (for lack of a better term). This might've been understandable in the pre-internet age. In 1985 I thought that I had a massive collection of 50 figures - the 2nd largest that I knew of; there was another kid in my school who had more. But that other kid sold off his collection in 1987 so after that I had the largest collection known to me. Until I discovered the online fandom in 1997.