At 14, Sheri Lynch got a grey hippo; 40 years later, she had 1,086 items

PC: Guinness World Records At 14, Sheri Lynch was given a small grey hippopotamus plush by her best friend. She had no idea that the birthday present would still be part of her life more than four decades later, or that it would eventually sit alongside more than a thousand other hippo-themed objects. The US collector has spent years finding hippopotamuses in places ranging from thrift shops and flea markets to fairs, antique stores and unexpected corners of her travels. Some were gifts, others were carefully chosen finds, while a few were specially made for her. By 30 July 2025, the collection had reached 1,086 items, earning Lynch the Guinness World Records title for the largest collection of hippopotamus-related items. What began with one childhood toy has since become a carefully catalogued collection filling her home in Gold Hill, Oregon, where Lynch continues to look for the next unusual hippo to add to it.How Sheri Lynch’s hippo collection grew through gifts, travels and unexpected findsLynch's fascination with hippos began in Watsonville, California, where she grew up. The small plush animal given to her on her 14th birthday remained with her as she moved through different ...