Guinness Record Book Collecting

Welcome to the Guinness Book of Records collectors' web-site - the definitive guide to collecting the Guinness Book of Records, Guinness World Records and other records-related publications and ephemera.

You may have stumbled across our site and wondered why anyone would want to collect books of this nature. In our opinion, the answer is very simple: the books were compiled with an attention to detail that is hard to find; the compilers had a sense of humour, and an understanding of people's interests; and the books record more than achievements - they represent a record of our recent past.

Our site now documents over 890 editions of the Guinness Book of Records and related items, including full details of all U.K. editions, most U.S. editions, some unusual first editions and a large number of special editions produced for private distribution. A history of the wonderful Guinness Doctors' Books is also available, and we have sections dedicated to the Guinness "Facts & Feats", "The Records" and "Fact Book" spin-off series. We must thank our many fellow collectors who have helped with information (and pictures) for some editions.

Please enjoy our web-site, and please enjoy the books - that's why Norris and Ross McWhirter (and the other record book compilers) went to so much trouble and effort in the first place. If you have any additional information that will add to (or improve) this site, please let us know.

2010-07-23

We've been lucky enough to acquire a copy of a hitherto unknown company edition from 1973, produced for John Lee & Son (Grantham) Limited.

2010-07-17

An unusual offering from Sterling Publishing in 1976 was a set of glasses depicting various World Records.

2010-07-01

Bantam special editions keep turning up from the USA; we now have one produced for the Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company in 1981.

2010-06-23

A special edition of the Guinness Book of Structures was produced for the Mabey Group of Companies in 1978.

2010-06-15

To promote Gros Gin Geneva in Canada, special packs of playing cards with records from Le Livre des Records were produced.

2010-06-14

We have discovered that a special edition of the International Guinness Book of Records paperback was produced for Syntex Australia in 1995.