Oklahoma, February 18, 2025: Clem Reinkemeyer, an 87-year-old man from Oklahoma, has earned a Guinness World Record for owning the world’s largest collection of 8,882 unique bricks.
While Reinkemeyer was out of town, his daughter, Celia, and son-in-law, Dan Bisett, organized a surprise gathering of friends to meticulously count and document each brick in his collection, which is housed in a barn in Tulsa. Upon his return, Reinkemeyer was presented with an official Guinness certificate recognizing his achievement.
“I got back in town, and it was a big surprise. I’m very happy to have this certificate,” Reinkemeyer said after being honored by Guinness World Records.
Reinkemeyer’s collection, amassed over 40 years, includes a Roman brick dating back to A.D. 100, though most of his bricks are from the past few centuries.
“The peak period for brickmaking was between 1870 and 1910,” he explained. “These special bricks were made from clay that could withstand heat, as everyone needed a fireplace back then.”
Some of his most cherished pieces include misspelled bricks, such as one with the word “Tulsa” featuring a backward “s.”
“Oklahoma has a history of misspelled bricks, and I don’t know why,” Reinkemeyer remarked.
Another prized item in his collection is a sidewalk brick from a Washington facility that predated the Pentagon.
“There may be some of these under the Pentagon. But I think this one is one of a kind,” he mused.
For Reinkemeyer, bricks are more than just building materials; they represent history.
“What appealed to me about bricks is that each one has a name, and you can trace them back to specific places. That always intrigued me,” he said. “It’s unusual, but I love it.”
