Hungarian energy drink fan amasses world's largest can collection
A Hungary man said a single hot day in August 2008 led to his earning a Guinness World Record for his collection of 2,000 energy drink cans.
Gergő Borbély told Guinness World Records his collecting hobby started with a simple stop for a beverage in 2008.
"It was a very hot August day, and I had only been living in my dormitory for a few days. I found a small shop nearby and went in looking for something cold and carbonated, but the only suitable option in the fridge was a Hell energy drink. I had never tried an energy drink before, so I bought one. I liked it, so I started trying other energy drinks," he said.
Borbély said the energy drink landscape was very different in those days.
"Back then, the selection was much smaller than it is today, not only in brands but also in flavors. Most energy drinks basically had the classic tutti-frutti flavor, either regular or sugar-free," Borbély said.
The cans started accumulating in his room, leaving him with a decision.
"The cans simply started piling up in my dorm room. After a while, I decided to take them to recycling, but while sorting them, I changed my mind and put one of each different can back on the shelf. There were around 15 of them, they looked good together and added some color to an otherwise rather plain dorm room, so I kept them," he said.
The collection has continued to grow in the ensuing years, with Borbély bringing cans back from trips to Japan, the United States and across Europe.
Borbély's collection now numbers 2,000 different cans, including rare items like the Michael Jackson Mystery energy drinks from the 1990s.
"I also have an old Guarana energy drink made in Yugoslavia. I find that particularly interesting because the country no longer exists," he said.
Borbély now holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of energy drink cans, but he isn't done collecting.
"If someone had told me in 2008 that those few cans would one day lead to a Guinness World Records title, I definitely would have laughed," he said.