A man who claims to have the ‘world’s biggest’ Simpsons collection worth £52,000 has revealed that he’s had to ‘upsize’ his home to fit everything in.
When Marc Venema tuned in to watch the first ever episode of The Simpsons back in September 1990, he didn’t expect to develop a life-long obsession with the show.
Soon, he began purchasing merchandise, such as collectable dolls, magazines, books and even food items with the cartoon’s logo.
Now, he’s amassed thousands of items relating to the show, some of which are unopened, and claims that his collection is worth over $100,000 (AUD) (£52,000).
However, he tries not to think about the amount of money invested as he doesn’t want to “worry” about his addiction – but says that he’s had to ‘upsize’ his home to fit everything in.
“I deliberately don’t keep track of what I’ve spent so I don’t worry about it and I think the number could be significantly more,” Marc, a pharmaceutical chemist, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“The Simpsons collection would have cost me upwards of $20,000 (AUD) (£10,500), but my wife reckons it’s higher than this – and even then, she’s being conservative.
“I will literally collect anything, including clothing that doesn’t fit me, newspaper clipping and homeware.
“If I can afford it, it’s mine.
“I’m hoping to be buried with the collection Pharoah-style.
“We were looking at moving into a smaller house and down-sizing now our kids have all left home and I was hoping to generate some interest on Instagram before selling the collection.
“However, once I started posting content, I fell in love with it all over again, so we’ve now decided to buy a bigger house to accommodate all the items.”
Marc began his impressive archive in 1993, after his wife (who doesn’t wish to be named), gave birth to their first child.
While taking their tot out for a daily stroll, he visited thrift shops, garage sales and flea markets, where he came across a used, and shirtless, Bart Simpson figurine – costing $2 (AUD) (£1).
He quickly became hooked and after a few years, roped in his son to help find special collector’s items, where they created a special bond over everything The Simpsons.
The 54-year-old, from Queensland, Australia, said: “My oldest boy was probably the most involved and we spent a lot of time watching the show together.
“He was also responsible for ordering stuff online in the early days, and even now, we spend a lot of time discussing and reminiscing about funny Simpsons moments.
“Growing up, all of my kids thought it was normal, as they’ve only ever known life with the collection.
“When they were little, I invested in shelving and hung most pieces on the walls, but I did lose a few items along the way.
“Now, they think it’s pretty cool, although I haven’t got the entirety of it on display anymore due to having so much – and continuing to buy lots more.”
His most valuable items include a Simpsons Lego house, worth $600 (AUD) (£315) and a Simpsons Lego Kwik-E-Mart, worth the same amount and a phone from The Simpsons Movie, which comes in the original packaging, is worth over $400 (AUD) (£205).
Alongside the figurines and clothing, he also owns many perishable food and drink items, with a can of soup from 1998 and a bag of sweets that’s 20 years old.
Despite temptations, the packets are still sealed, but Marc is planning on taste testing some of these to see if they are really past their sell-by date.
It’s estimated that the oldest item in his collection is over 30 years old, but since re-finding his passion, he’s now increased the amount of time and money spent on the obsession, which also includes other toys outside of the hit television show.
Marc added: “Most of the time I spend in front of the television is watching The Simpsons, but collecting and obsessing hasn’t really impacted my social life too much.
“Although, I do tend to make a lot of Simpsons references in day-to-day conversations and wear clothing based around the show.
“My wife and kids have no choice, but they are cool with it.
“Anything that comes in a sealed box stays that way, with a very few exceptions, such as the Funko Pops.
“I like to have the toys around me because they make me smile.
“I hope to achieve an official world record title one day and I know that many fellow Simpsons collectors will only collect figurines, whereas I get anything that can fit in my house.
“It’s going to keep growing, so we’ll see where I end up.”
