Oklahoma Man Sets Guinness World Record with 8,882-Brick Collection
An 87-year-old Oklahoma resident, Clem Reinkemeyer, has officially entered the Guinness World Records for amassing the largest collection of bricks, totaling 8,882 unique pieces.
Surprise Recognition
While Reinkemeyer was out of town, his daughter, Celia, and son-in-law, Dan Bisett, took the initiative to catalog and document his extensive collection inside his brick barn in Tulsa. Upon returning, he was surprised with an official Guinness World Record certificate.
“I got back in town and it was a big surprise, and I’m very happy to have this certificate,” Reinkemeyer shared.
Read More: Pakistani Martial Artist Sets Numerous World Records
A 40-Year Passion for Bricks
Having collected bricks for over four decades, Reinkemeyer’s collection includes:
- A Roman brick from A.D. 100, one of the oldest in his possession.
- Bricks primarily from 1870 to 1910, when fire-resistant clay bricks were widely produced for fireplaces.
- Rare bricks with misspellings, such as one with “Tulsa” printed with a backward “S”—a quirk he claims is common in Oklahoma.
- A sidewalk brick made at a Washington facility where the Pentagon now stands—possibly buried beneath the structure today.
A Unique Historical Perspective
Reinkemeyer finds deep historical value in each brick, explaining:
“What appealed to me about bricks is, they have names, and you can trace them back historically to places—that always intrigued me. It’s unusual, but I like it.”
With nearly 9,000 bricks, his record-breaking collection stands as a tribute to brickmaking history and craftsmanship.
