LONDON (Realist English). The first Monopoly set he ever bought was the one everyone knew — the classic edition with Mr. Monopoly tipping his hat on the box. He picked it up as a holiday souvenir in his 30s, not knowing that 25 years later he would own thousands of editions, hold four Guinness World Records, and need a warehouse to store them all.
When Guinness World Records inspectors visited his collection last year, they spent a full day counting boxes. By the evening, they confirmed 4,379 different Monopoly sets — the fourth time he had broken his own record.
The collector says his passion lies not in playing, but in the pursuit of rare editions. Countries, companies, and cities regularly release their own versions, and he hunts the hardest-to-find ones — anniversary releases, short production runs, or hotel exclusives. Among his prized pieces is the Park Hyatt Sydney edition, typically available only to overnight guests.
Over the years, he has spent roughly £400,000 building the collection. His long career at DHL, where he has worked for more than three decades, has made it possible. His most valuable set is a silver London edition, originally worth £2,500 and made with real silver — though he found his copy far cheaper on eBay.
He keeps nearly all the boxes sealed. «Once you open the set, you lose 90% of its value. If I owned a Rolls-Royce, I wouldn’t drive it through the mud — that’s how I see my collection,» he explains.
People often ask why he chose Monopoly instead of stamps or postcards. «It’s because Monopoly is universal — everyone recognises it,» he says. The hunt for new editions is a central part of the appeal. In the early 2000s he scoured car-boot sales and secondhand shops. With the rise of online markets, his search expanded globally — from Japan to Brazil and the United States.
Today he stores the collection in a warehouse in Ashford, Middlesex, as his London home can no longer contain it. His girlfriend, he admits, thinks he’s “mad,” but he has no plans to stop.
Despite keeping most boxes sealed, he still enjoys an occasional game. Over the years, the hobby has brought him unexpected recognition: appearances on TV and radio, visits to the Monopoly factory, and even guest spots on programmes like Bargain Hunt.
He has also met countless collectors and fans from around the world. «Some people have flown to the UK just to see the sets. We take photos with my Guinness certificates and sometimes spend the day sightseeing in London,» he says.
Now he’s searching for the Twycross Zoo edition and the 90th anniversary Monopoly released in the United States in only 600 copies. His goal is to reach 5,000 sets by the game’s centenary in 2035, when he hopes someone will offer him a public space to display the entire collection.
