A British Monopoly enthusiast has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records for owning the largest collection of the board game, with 4,379 different sets stored in a warehouse in Ashford, Middlesex. The collector, who has held the record four times, began buying Monopoly sets as souvenirs in his 30s and has since amassed a vast array of editions from around the world.
Over the years, he estimates he has spent about £400,000 on his collection, funded by his long-standing job at DHL. Among his prized possessions is a silver edition from London, originally worth £2,500, and the Park Hyatt Sydney hotel edition, which is normally only available to guests staying at the hotel. He managed to acquire it by asking an online guest to purchase it on his behalf.
The collector keeps nearly all sets sealed, explaining that opening a box reduces its value by about 90%. He sources rare editions through car-boot sales, secondhand shops, and online marketplaces, often spending months tracking down a specific variant. His collection includes sets from Japan, Brazil, and the US, and he has built friendships with other collectors through the process.
Despite the scale of his hobby, he insists he still enjoys playing the game, which he says reminds him of why he started. He has appeared on TV programmes such as Bargain Hunt and has met people who have flown to the UK to see his collection. Looking ahead, he hopes to reach 4,500 sets, with future targets including a Twycross zoo edition and a US 90th anniversary set limited to 600 copies.
The collector also looks forward to Monopoly's 100th anniversary in 2035, and dreams of displaying his collection publicly. Until then, he says, the hunt continues: 'There's always another set out there.'
