Constantine Adams sits in his Fairfax, Virginia home surrounded by 3,918 pieces of Zelda memorabilia, a new Guinness World Record. He started in 1993 at age 9 with a Game Boy and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. That journey to Koholint Island sparked a passion that would last over 30 years.
His collection began quietly in 2000 when he was 16 and started collecting video games, from NES classics to new PS2 titles. Shelves were filled with cartridges and discs from various franchises, but Zelda always had a special spot. A turning point came in 2012 when an unsuccessful Craigslist transaction for a bunch of amiibo figures made him dig deeper. Instead of giving up he found every Zelda amiibo he could and that introduced him to a collector’s society and a world of non-game items like posters, figures, clocks and more. By 2021 he had sold 90% of his entire video game collection and focused on Zelda, turning his passion into a solo mission.
- LEGEND OF ZELDA DEKU TREE MODEL – This Legend of Zelda adult LEGO set includes 2,500 detailed pieces, and a 2-in-1 kit with 2 versions of the Great...
- 4 MINIFIGURES – This set features the Great Deku Tree, with curated details and features for each version, plus 4 minifigures: an adventure hero...
- BUILDING SET FOR ADULTS – Both versions are small builds and feature Link’s house, posable facial features for the Deku Tree and accessible side...
Among the 3,918 items some stand out because of their uniqueness and awesomeness. A sealed Exin Castillos construction block set for Ocarina of Time hangs proudly with graded packaging indicating mint condition. A vintage Accutime wall clock with Zelda artwork is a nostalgic centerpiece. A lucite promotional sign with Link’s face glows under the right light, a throwback to the old game store displays. Phantom Hourglass’s two promotional hourglasses are a tactile representation of the game’s time bending mechanics. The rarest of all are three promotional scrolls from Australian contests; only 26 of each were ever made.
Every item in the collection is officially licensed, a requirement for the Guinness World Record. Custom fan made items while loved were excluded from the count. The verification process took almost a year. Independent witnesses including a Zelda expert went through the collection to confirm its authenticity and scope. Independent witnesses, including a Zelda expert, went through the collection to verify its authenticity and scale. Adams cataloged everything—games, guides, figures, clothes and promotional oddities—so nothing was left out. His house became a museum with shelves, cabinets and walls dedicated to Hyrule’s past.
He dedicates the record to his son, to his past and to his family’s future. Each item brings back a memory: the thrill of finding a rare piece, the camaraderie of meeting other collectors or the peacefulness of reliving Hyrule through a figure or poster. His dedication is like Link’s: relentless, resourceful and driven by nothing but his passion.
Adams’ record beats the previous record held by Ann-Marthe Harnes who had 1,816 items in her collection documented in the 2018 Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition. His 3,918 items is 2x that amount and 25 years in the making.
