Willy Wonka fans aren’t just young children with a mouth full of cavities. Nick Franklin, a 44-year-old man known as a Willy Wonka fanatic, created the biggest private Willy Wonka collection in the world — and it’s a costly endeavor totaling approximately $152,000.
Not everyone is expressing admiration toward Franklin after revealing his 17-year collection since he’s faced online bullying from trolls across the globe. Franklin doesn’t seem to care and has continued on with building his passion. He has his goals set big with attaining a spot in the Guinness World Records book.
If Franklin needs to move to make space for his collection, he is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his dreams. He said: “Most of my collection is in a bedroom in my house that I call ‘the Wonka Wing.’ We might have to expand and move to a bigger house soon.”
“The elusive things for me are getting in the Guinness Book of Records — I’m dying to get it verified — and getting another golden ticket from the original film.”
His childhood obsession only got stronger over time despite pushback from his family. His mother even told him “stop buying bloody Wonka bars and take your niece to the zoo.”
Franklin got his first item after the 2005 film and it was a “Dear People of the World” poster. It wasn’t his initial plan to build a giant collection but it evolved with each purchase. Now it includes Gene Wilder’s handprint and signature, an 8.2-foot tall candy cane from the 2005 chocolate river scene, a life-sized Augustus Gloop model and 100 different versions of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory novel.
A Veruca Salt egg replica signed by actress Julie Dawn Cole also features, while Johnny Depp’s agent has sent over a golden ticket with a signed photo from the actor.
Nick is a die-hard fan of Willy Wonka but he still knows his boundaries. He said: “I’ve told the Roald Dahl Museum that 99 percent of the collection will go to them when I pop my clogs. But my other half said my Wonka bar is gonna stay with him and he’ll use it to pay for my Wonka funeral. Can you imagine how disgusting that would be?”
“Everyone thought our wedding last year was going to be Wonka-themed. I was like, ‘if you really know me, know that I keep all that in the spare room’, it’s a cool thing but I wouldn’t want it spilling out to my wedding. So yeah, there’s a limit.”