Check out Liesl’s super cool collection of OVER 1,000 MINIONS!
Bello (that’s Minion for ‘hello’), fellow collectors! 🤩
If you have at least one collection – and it can really be ANYTHING – then this story is for you…
Get inspired by Liesl Benecke from Australia, who has been collecting a curious amount of canary-coloured buddies… Minions, that is. 😉
Liesl really, really loves the playful yellow Minions from the movie Despicable Me!
Honestly, who doesn’t?
The first time she saw them was way back in 2010, when she took her daughters to see the movie.
From that moment on, she couldn’t stop thinking about how funny they were…
“I remember laughing so much at the cute, little pill-shaped henchmen. They certainly made a huge impression on me,” she said.
“I'm just a big kid at heart. Since then I have always been on the lookout for Minions everywhere I go.”
So ever since Liesl started her collection almost 15 years ago…
She has obtained 1,035 Minions from all over the world – spanning clothing, movie posters, stuffies, keyrings, figurines, and even a tattoo!
And now ‘the Minion lady’ (this is her nickname at work 😂) also has a Guinness World Records title confirming her largest collection of Minions memorabilia.
Here is Liesl at work, dressed as a Minion for book week!
Of course, she won first place. 😉
“My daughter says I need another house just to store my Minions, but I love being surrounded by their beautiful, bright yellow smiles,” she said.
“They are in every room and on every spare wall.”
Do you have a collection that’s taking over your room? 😂
Liesl’s collection started with just 1 little Minion toy that had candy inside.
But as the Despicable Me movies grew into a big, 4-film adventure with theme parks and tonnes of fans, her collection grew too – and FAST!
“In 2011, I do remember thinking to myself ‘I have so many Minion figurines I should put them together in a shadow box to display them,’” she said.
“I had about 20 at that stage… haha… little did I know how my collection would grow.”
For her birthday in 2018, Liesl even flew all the way to Singapore to visit the Minions at Universal Studios.
“My daughters said I never looked happier on that day,” she said.
But the best moment of all came in 2023, when she got to visit Minion Land at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan.
Her daughter even took a video of her crying happy tears when she turned the corner and saw the magical Minion world!
What’s a place you dream of visiting once in your life? 😍
“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,” said Liesl.
“I have had some pretty tough times in my life, but by being positive and looking at the bright side of life I have got through.
“The Minions are my source of happiness and their weird and wacky ways never fail to make me laugh.”
So take Liesl’s advice…
No matter what others say, always hold on to the things that make you happy – they can help you stay positive, even during tough times. ❤️
Liesl’s favourite Minion is Stuart – the sassy, one-eyed Minion with loads of attitude – that’s why she chose to have a tattoo of him on her arm!
Lots of people, especially kids, notice it and love chatting with her about their shared love for Minions.
Her Minion collection got so huge that it even spilled over from her house to her desk at work…
Luckily, her workplace is totally cool with it. 😎
“My friend at work, who was also my witness for the count, bought flowers, a congrats sash to wear, and confetti – little, round, yellow dots of confetti! It was wonderful to celebrate with everyone and they were all saying 'we know a World Record Holder' now!”
If you broke a world record, who’s the first person you would tell?
“I even take Stuart on drives – 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 seat belt so he's safe and he enjoys getting out.”
And in case you’re wondering…
She’s not planning to stop growing her collection anytime soon!
“I have friends and family on the lookout at all times for Minions,” she told us.
“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!”
Friends support each other’s awesome passions and dreams. 🥰
Congratulations, Liesl, you are Officially Amazing!