I’m lovin’ it

Lugue and his massive collection

Like any child, Percival Lugue, 50, from Philippines, enjoyed playing with the toys he got with his fast food meals. But, he always took care of them, and was hence, able to start an epic collection of toys quite early on. Today, he has about 20,000 toys packed from floor to ceiling in his home and holds a Guinness World Record from 2014, when his collection reached more than 10,000 items.

Over the years, he has collected new items from various fast food chains, like McDonald's, Burger King and even Philippines' favourite brand, Jollibee. He compares the excitement of adding a new toy to his collection to experiencing Christmas morning as a kid.

The graphic artist, who built his three-storey house in Apalit, Pampanga Province, to store his collection, dreams of one day putting the toys on display for the public, or even to open a small museum and give people a chance to "revisit their own childhood memories". "The toy is like a storyteller in itself. For example, it gives me a glimpse of that particular period when I got it, the story of what's going on, what are the incidents that are attached to the acquisition."

Although most of the toys in Lugue's collection come from personal purchases, he admits that he did have some help from friends and family. Sometimes, he would "guide" them towards helping him, by inviting them to have lunch at a fast food restaurant, and would manage to complete a whole set of toys in one sitting.

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