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It’s official: Bob Bretall has world’s largest comics collection (Comic Book Forums)

  • It’s official: Bob Bretall has world’s largest comics collection

Author Discussion
  • Posted: September 10, 2014 3:12:33 pm
  • I know Bob is a member here on CBR, but I haven't seen him around for a while.
    Any way here is the story....
    http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/09/its-official-bob-bretall-has-worlds-largest-comics-collection/

    More than a year after the British media decreed Bob Bretall owns the world’s largest comic book collection, it’s now official: With 94,268 unique comics amassed over four decades — and still growing! — the 52-year-old Mission Viejo, California, man now holds the Guinness World Records.

    Bretall’s treasure trove weighs an estimated 16,800 pounds, or the equivalent of 118 grown men. Y’know, if you were curious.

    He began collecting at 8 years old with 1970′s Amazing Spider-Man #88, and never stopped. Bretall adds more than 140 each month, revealing on his Facebook page that since the official count on May 1, the tally has grown by at least 1,000.


    Asked by Guinness how much his collection is worth, Bretall replied, “I do not like to emphasize the monetary aspects of collecting comics. Too many stories about comics collecting focus on how many dollars everything is worth instead of the great stories and characters. I do not do it for the money and I don’t try to rationalize it as an investment and I’m not into it to make money. I have a regular job that pays the bills just fine. I’m never going to sell any of my comics, I’ll leave that to my kids when it becomes their inheritance to do with as they will (though I hope they’ll keep at least a few of them as a remembrance).”

    Bretall, who sent his proposal to Guinness in December 2012, is well aware plenty of people will insist there are larger collections than his, but he’s not concerned.

    “Queue up the posts by people who ‘know a guy’ that has more comics,” he wrote. “Records are made to be broken, those people can apply to Guinness World Records to break my record. When they do, I will congratulate them!”
    "Disliking everything is not the same thing as having an opinion"

  • Posted: September 10, 2014 6:45:00 pm
  • He must have a huge house. I have around 15 000 and it takes up so much room.
  • Posted: September 11, 2014 8:26:38 am
  • From the photo in the link...does he realize he is damaging the books he loves by having them stacked on the floor like that?
  • Posted: September 11, 2014 8:32:10 am
  • Chances are they are piled all over the place for the photo op...and I don't think he cares one way or another about the condition.
    "Disliking everything is not the same thing as having an opinion"

  • Posted: September 11, 2014 10:48:33 am
  • I applaud the man. That is an impressive collection. I love what he says in the article,... "Asked by Guinness how much his collection is worth, Bretall replied, “I do not like to emphasize the monetary aspects of collecting comics. Too many stories about comics collecting focus on how many dollars everything is worth instead of the great stories and characters. I do not do it for the money and I don’t try to rationalize it as an investment and I’m not into it to make money."
    We strike hard and fade away into the night
  • Posted: September 12, 2014 11:21:39 am
  • Here's a vid that shows his collection more:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olk2V0DEv6I

    Also, here's his site: https://comicspectrum.com/Home_Page.php

    I read his reviews because his opinion of books is usually close to how I feel about them. So if I passed on a book that he praises I usually check it out.

    He's the person responsible for me reading ~90 comics a month. He showed his pull list and I checked most of them out and realized there are a LOT of good books out there not published by Marvel/DC/Image.

    Last edited September 12, 2014 11:22:39 am
  • Posted: September 16, 2014 11:45:29 am
  • Congrats Bob! I saw this article on facebook a bit ago and thought it was cool that we chat with this guy!
  • Posted: September 20, 2014 2:23:31 pm
  • Wow, I guess with 25,000 I'm not even in the top 50! Shocked

    And mine take up most of 2 bedrooms...
    The joy is in the journey, not just the destination.
  • Posted: September 20, 2014 3:24:47 pm
  • Way to go Bob!! I wish we could have met up at Wonder Con a few years ago!
    Don of the D.E.DImage
  • Posted: September 20, 2014 5:29:07 pm
  • I like Bobs reply...smart fellow
  • Posted: October 1, 2014 3:14:48 pm
  • Canuck said:
    Chances are they are piled all over the place for the photo op...and I don't think he cares one way or another about the condition.


    You are correct.

    No comics were harmed in the creation of this picture :-)

    Comics were carefully stacked to make a dynamic picture showing a volume of books. After they were done everything was put back away, I don't keep huge piles of comics all over the floor. (and the "good stuff was just the top/visible books....most of those stacks are 90s Marvel & Image books, so no great loss if they we damaged.... ba-dum-bump!)

    Read more here:
    https://comicspectrum.com/Guinness_World_Record.html

    See more pics here - https://comicspectrum.com/Bobs_Comic_Room.php (Canuck added link)
  • Posted: October 1, 2014 3:15:39 pm
  • Don of the D.E.D said:
    Way to go Bob!! I wish we could have met up at Wonder Con a few years ago!


    I'll be at Comikaze in a few weeks and at WonderCon again next spring...
  • Posted: October 2, 2014 11:24:29 am
  • That's awesome Bob. Your place looks like a dream comic book shop.
    We strike hard and fade away into the night
  • Posted: October 2, 2014 12:14:51 pm
  • BobBretall said:
    Canuck said:
    Chances are they are piled all over the place for the photo op...and I don't think he cares one way or another about the condition.


    You are correct.

    No comics were harmed in the creation of this picture :-)

    Comics were carefully stacked to make a dynamic picture showing a volume of books. After they were done everything was put back away, I don't keep huge piles of comics all over the floor. (and the "good stuff was just the top/visible books....most of those stacks are 90s Marvel & Image books, so no great loss if they we damaged.... ba-dum-bump!)

    Read more here:
    https://comicspectrum.com/Guinness_World_Record.html

    See more pics here - https://comicspectrum.com/Bobs_Comic_Room.php (Canuck added link)



    Bob,
    I added that 2nd link so everyone can really get a feel of how massive your collection is and I'm not just talking comics...Shocked
    Looks like you painted that room recently as in the other photos it's white and now it's blue.
    Congrats sir, good to see a collector that does it for the sheer enjoyment and not as just an investment. Applause
    "Disliking everything is not the same thing as having an opinion"

  • Posted: January 24, 2015 11:57:37 am
  • bob is my Hero
  • Posted: January 24, 2015 12:01:40 pm
  • BobBretall said:
    Canuck said:
    Chances are they are piled all over the place for the photo op...and I don't think he cares one way or another about the condition.


    You are correct.

    No comics were harmed in the creation of this picture :-)

    Comics were carefully stacked to make a dynamic picture showing a volume of books. After they were done everything was put back away, I don't keep huge piles of comics all over the floor. (and the "good stuff was just the top/visible books....most of those stacks are 90s Marvel & Image books, so no great loss if they we damaged.... ba-dum-bump!)

    Read more here:
    https://comicspectrum.com/Guinness_World_Record.html

    See more pics here - https://comicspectrum.com/Bobs_Comic_Room.php (Canuck added link)
    hey it looks like you picked up some similar storage racks like mine for your comics.
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