One mermaid fanatic has made a splash after earning a record title for the largest collection of mermaid-related items.
Laurie Koller of New York, USA, owns 726 mermaid-related items as of 15 October 2015.
Laurie first began her collection when she was 18 years old and purchased a mermaid necklace at a Renaissance fair.
However, it was two vintage mermaid wall plaques that inspired her love for everything related to mermaids.
“They belonged to my grandmother and that is where my love of mermaids began,” said Laurie.
“They hung in her house for years and I was so intrigued by them. Every time I look at them, I think of her."
Over the course of 37 years, Laurie has procured diverse collectibles including rugs, figurines, clothing, teapots, bookends, and more.
She even has a life-size mermaid that she made from a vintage mannequin.
Laurie organizes her collection according to similarity.
For instance, she displays all of her dolls together.
“I have a large amount of Barbie dolls, plush dolls, and dolls that I created,” she said.
It’s quite overwhelming when you enter the room with all those faces and mermaid tails.
Her most valuable pieces are kept in showcases so they don’t get damaged since they are made from porcelain, ceramic, glass, and crystal.
“My most valuable mermaids are vintage pieces from the 1950s,” said Laurie.
“I also have Lladro figurines and hand-blown glass pieces that are beautiful, as well as a Swarovski crystal mermaid that is so sparkly.”
Laurie also says many of her finer mermaids are retired pieces, which is what makes them rare and harder to obtain.
Laurie is always on the lookout for her next mermaid find and frequently checks resale websites for unique and vintage pieces.
Although she doesn’t know the monetary value of her entire collection, Laurie says it is priceless.
Laurie says when she was asked how many mermaid items she owned, she could never give an accurate amount.
This prompted her to begin the daunting task of counting, photographing, and documenting her collection.
She was thrilled to have been honoured with a Guinness World Records title and says it is exciting and rewarding.
Although Laurie is not currently trying to achieve any other record titles, she is working on updating her current title and believes she now has over 1,500 mermaid-related items.
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