From despicable to unforgettable as the Minion collection captures a world record

Liesl Benecke took her two daughters - then 10 and 12 - to see Despicable Me when it first hit theaters in 2010. It was life-changing.

“I was just taken with the Minions,” said Benecke, 52, referring to the tiny yellow creatures in the film, known for their nonsensical language, mischievous antics and passion for bananas. “It was like an instant love for them; they made me laugh.”

So much, in fact, that she bought herself a Kinder Surprise chocolate, knowing there would be a Minion inside. Then, she got a Stuart figurine and a Minion eraser. The more she bought, the more she liked them.

Soon, Benecke - who lives in Perth, Australia - had bobbleheads, blankets, Lego sets, shower curtains and water bottles with pictures of Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Dave and the rest of the squat, overall-wearing little pranksters. The collection kept growing.

“It just gives me joy,” Benecke said.

It’s been 15 years since Benecke started her Minion collection, and she has racked up 1,035 Minion-related items from around the world, including two limited-edition Minion coins, which cost her about $150 (R2 804)each. She even has two Minion tattoos - one is of one-eyed Stuart laughing, and the other is Stuart posing with his tongue out.

Guinness World Records last month gave Benecke the title for the largest collection of Minion memorabilia.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” Benecke said. “When I got the world title, I’ll never forget that moment; I was just bouncing around.”

Everywhere she goes, Benecke is on the lookout for Minion mementos.

“If anything is yellow, it draws my eye,” she said, noting that her collection includes everything from candy and costumes to pillows and pictures. Her home looks like a Minion museum.

While she loves all Minions, if she had to pick a favourite, it would be Stuart. “He is so sassy, he’s very funny and he just does the most outrageous things,” she said.

She keeps a giant, three-foot-tall stuffed Stuart in her car. He keeps her company, and she knows it’ll turn heads.

“Stuart likes to go for a drive,” she said. “I do it because I know I’m going to get a laugh out of people.”

Benecke works for the government in the welfare department. She has Minions all over her desk.

“You do need brightness in that job,” said Benecke, adding that she believes her co-workers have come to love her Minion collection. “If I’m laughing, usually the people around me are.”

There are several local shops Benecke visits in search of new Minions, and she also looks for them every time she travels.

“I can’t resist; whatever it is, I’ll buy it,” Benecke said.

Indeed, she went to Japan with her daughter in 2023 to visit the Minion Park at Universal Studios. She also went with her mother in 2018 to Universal Studios in Singapore for a meet-and-greet with Minion characters.

They were just as charming as she’d imagined.

Benecke said people sometimes question why she spends her time and money on Minions.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t go out,” she said. “People have things they spend their money on. This is my thing.”

Plus, she added, “I guess I’m a bit obsessed with them.”

Benecke said she has faced difficulty in her life, and the Minions are her salve.

“The Minions have helped for sure,” she said. “I always try to look for the silver lining, and so do they.”

Many family members and friends are supportive of Benecke’s Minion fixation, and they are on the lookout for Minions, too.

“I call them my Minion hunters,” Benecke said.

Benecke’s Minion hunters became even more important to her when she decided to apply for the Guinness World Record in April 2024.

“My partner and I were talking one day, and he said, ‘You’ve got a lot of Minions,’ and I said, ‘I’ve got the most Minions ever,’” Benecke recalled.

She decided to make it official. She looked online and saw there was no record-holder for the largest collection of Minion memorabilia. The minimum number of Minion items she needed to set the record was 1,000, and none could be duplicates.

Benecke had only about 800 distinct Minion items, as many of her pieces are duplicates. She decided to collect an additional 200 to set the record, and she leaned on her Minion hunters to assist in her search.

“Quite a few people were helping me,” Benecke said.

Getting the title proved harder than she anticipated. It took several months before she surpassed the 1,000 mark. She bought lots of merchandise from “Despicable Me 4,” as well as Minion gift bags, wrapping paper and more figurines. Her most recent purchase was three crystal Minion figurines from Swarovski.

“It’s not easy to break a world record,” Benecke said, explaining that she had to photograph every single item and record a video counting them all - which, she said, took an entire day. Two witnesses had to be present.

Benecke said it was worth it.

“It had taken such a long time, and so much work, and so many people were involved,” Benecke said. “I was so excited. I was like a little kid.”

Guinness World Records commended Benecke for her dedication to earning the title.

“Liesl most certainly is a great example of setting a goal and working hard to achieve it,” Guinness World Records said in a statement to The Washington Post.

Benecke is planning to have a Minion party in about a month to celebrate her record. When she received her certificate in the mail, she immediately framed it and put it on a wall in her home.

Although she reached her goal of claiming the world record, Benecke said she has no plans to retire.

“The collection will continue,” Benecke said.