- Daniel Park holds the Guinness record for largest Bearbrick collection with 3,482 pieces
- He began collecting Bearbricks five years ago after opening one blind box
- Bearbricks were created in 2001 to mark the teddy bear's 100th anniversary
What began as a simple hobby has now earned American collector Daniel Park a place in Guinness World Records. Park collected an impressive 3,482 pieces of merchandise from the popular Bearbrick brand, setting the record for the largest collection of Bearbrick bears, reported Guinness World Records.
In March, the collector, who is known as BrickChicago on social media, officially claimed the title with shelves filled with colourful plastic figurines from the famous collectible line.
Journey Began With One Blind Box
Daniel Park started collecting Bearbricks five years ago after opening a single blind box. Since then, he has carefully transformed his home office into a museum-like space dedicated to the collectible figures and their well-known bear-shaped design.
Bearbricks were first introduced in 2001 by Tatsuhiko Akashi, founder of the toy company Medicom. Akashi created the figures as gifts for participants attending the 2001 World Character Convention in Tokyo.
The toys were designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the teddy bear. Akashi replaced the heads of his toys with the well-known bear head design, creating a new style of collectible figures featuring many different colours and artistic designs.
Today, Bearbricks are considered both toys and art pieces. Every semiannual release includes designs created by celebrities, artists, designers and musicians, making many of the figures highly sought after by collectors.
The previous record for the largest Bearbrick collection was set in 2020 by Chinese collector Gao Ke, who owned 1,008 figures. Daniel Park's collection of 3,482 Bearbricks has now surpassed that total by a large margin.
Speaking about his passion for collecting, Daniel said the standard Bearbrick platform first attracted him because it allows endless creative expression while keeping the same iconic shape and design.
