Woman claims humongous collection record for ‘Hippo-palooza’ house with over 1,000 items
On Sheri Lynch’s (USA) 14th birthday, her best friend gifted her a small grey hippopotamus plushy that she has cherished ever since. The toy followed her wherever she moved, spending over 40 years watching as she accumulated more and more hippo-related memorabilia for her at-home watering hole.
Obsessed with their round bodies, distinct personalities, and general lifestyle, Sheri says that the animal is her life’s passion. Scouting out items with the keen sense of – well, a hippo – over the last four decades, her house has turned into an adorable zoo dedicated to the species that the Greeks called a ‘river horse’.
Taking the form of stained-glass artwork or tiny plastic figurines, giant wooden carvings or hand-made accessories, if it’s got a hippo on it – Sheri’s likely bought it. And with a mind-boggling total of 1,086 items in her entire collection, on 30 July 2025 she almost doubled Rebecca Fusco’s (USA) 2016 record for the largest collection of hippopotamus related items in the world.
“I felt that after keeping my collection out of the public eye for 46 years, it was time to share the love of the world’s ‘river horse’,” said Sheri to GWR.
“Why should I be the only one to receive happiness from this magnificent mammal?”
Nowadays, Sheri’s collection lives at her home in Gold Hill, Oregon, where she peacefully resides in retirement with her husband. Yet her love for hippos officially started in her hometown of Watsonville, California – a small city located near the touristy area of Santa Cruz, distinct for its farming of apples and strawberries.
Since her friend gave her that first fateful hippo, she immediately started spotting them everywhere she went, explaining the growth of her acquisitions with: “I don’t find the hippos – they find me.”
“Friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers have given me hippos,” she said. “I love to tell people how this cute, cuddly looking animal is the most dangerous land animal on the planet – killing more than 500 people per year! They are deceptively fierce and that is why I admire them.”
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Over the years, she’s even amazed herself at the variety of items she’s found – and she never gets tired of the joy she feels upon entering a store, and spotting a new item with those familiar grey ears and smushy snout.
“Some of my favorite memories are when I would go out with my sons when they were young children and Bryan, my youngest, would stop in the doorway and remind everyone to ‘Look for hippos!’” Sheri reminisced. “It became a family event and I think my kids got as much fun out of it as I did.
“I feel like I just won the world's greatest prize every time I find one, [and] I have even cried a few times…” she said.
Rarely does Sheri purchase her items online – instead, she prefers to select her items in person, with the bulk of her collection being made up of gifts or lucky finds. She looks everywhere: flea markets and thrift stores, souvenir shops, baby or toy stores, garage sales, antique malls, festivals, fairs, estate sales… you name it. And she’s even contracted artists to make custom pieces, such as purses, boxes, and felted animals.
“I also love finding them in unusual places,” she added, “like the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, or while attending a Renaissance Faire!”
And don’t even consider asking her if she has a favourite object in her collection – as expected, it’s like asking a parent if they have a favourite child!
Nevertheless, some of her top contenders include: an ironwood hippopotamus piece, which was the only item gifted from her father, a purple hippo ballerina given from her mother for her 16th birthday, and her one-of-a-kind porcelain mermaid ‘mer-hippos’.
“... And the list can go on…” she said.
Yet despite all the joy that her hippo collection has brought her over the years, Sheri says her true pride and joy was raising her two sons. She instilled upon them her values of following your heart and giving back to the community – two pillars that defined her life and career in public education.
For over 33 years, she worked in the public school system – primarily in the special education department – and served as an award-winning coordinator for the local little league team. In her freetime, she’d volunteer at the nearby animal rescue, fostering kittens and rabbits – and for a while, her hippo collection sat in storage as she dedicated herself to other pursuits.
When 2012 started, however, Sheri was finally ready to bring them all back out again… and this time, the hippos are here to stay.
“Hippo-Palooza lives again!” she joked. “I will collect until my dying day. It's in my blood now.”
So to all the collectors out there – Sheri says it’s never too late to start doing what makes you happy. Practically, she recommends keeping a database with information to keep track of all your items as they come in, but emotionally, she says the best habit is to never pass up on a unique find… otherwise you’ll be thinking about it for the rest of your days!
“I encourage everyone to feed your dreams and desires,” she said. “Whether it is reading, creating art, enjoying nature, taking photos, collecting something, or whatever makes you happy! Do it to the fullest and don't listen to the critics out there.
“Do it for yourself!”