Iowa man hoping to erase world record for pencil collection

COLFAX, Iowa — A central Iowa man is hoping to erase the world record for the largest pencil collection, the culmination of a hobby that began when he was in the first grade.

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Aaron Bartholmey, of Colfax, estimates he was amassed more than 70,000 wooden pencils over the past 30 years, WHO-TV reported. He is awaiting verification from Guinness World Records. According to Guinness, Emilio Arenas of Uruguay holds the current record of 24,026 pencils, collected over a 64-year period. That mark was verified on May 5, 2020.

Bartholmey is hoping to rub out that mark. If his numbers are verified, he nearly triples the old record.

Those numbers will be confirmed by members of the American Pencil Collectors Society, WOI-TV reported. By Saturday evening, the society had confirmed more than 33,000 pencils in Bartholmey’s collection, so he seems to have the record locked up. The only question now is how many pencils he owns.

“We know we’ve at least gotten past the record, so we’re pretty happy about that,” Bartholmey told the television station.

Bartholmey seems like a sharp guy, so why collect pencils?

“I grew up going to flea markets with my grandpa and so it was something cheap and easy for me to pick up while grandpa was around looking for other things and it has just kind of exploded from there,” Bartholmey told WHO.

Bartholmey said his collection contains wooden No. 2 pencils, advertising pencils, oversized pencils and pencils that contain aspirin and uranium, WOI reported. Who needs lead?

The Iowa resident said he enjoys the different types of pencils he has collected.

“I’m just a history buff, and I love most of what I collect is antique pencils,” Bartholmey told WOI. “I just love the history on them, whether it’s the forgotten businesses on them or just some of the stuff from World War II.”'

Bartholmey said the pencils come from all 50 U.S. states and several companies, WHO reported. Most represent a business or an event from a long-ago era.

“Pencil makers have come and gone, companies who advertise on pencils, they have come and gone, and it’s just an interesting hobby that anyone can get into,” fellow pencil collector Doug Martin told the television station.

Before he can etch his name into the Guinness World Records, Bartholmey must send a filmed video of the pencil counting and the official number the American Pencil Collectors Society, a group that dates to 1955, comes up with.

“It’s kind of funny because it started out as it was, just a small thing to collect, but when you get 70,000 of them, they take up a lot of space,” Bartholmey told WHO.