All fun and games for local Guinness record holder

LAKE VILLA –  Jeff Bauspies, a native and current resident of Lake Villa, grew up playing board games with his family on evenings, every Sunday and on the holidays.

Now, with a collection of 1,531 board games that continues to grow, the 37-year-old has earned a Guinness World Records title for the largest collection of board games, exceeding past world record holder Brian Arnett of Kentucky, whose collection has 1,345 board games.

“I always liked games,” Bauspies says. “As a kid, we always played games and got games for Christmas.”

Bauspies says he began collecting board games after purchasing his house in Lake Villa about 12 years ago.

“I started going to garage sales and just kind of looking for new games and started getting them and filling the closet,” he says. “And then, I filled the second closet.”

Eventually, he decided to format the shelving in his then unfinished basement to help store his growing collection.

“When I got up to 1,000 or 1,200 board games, I decided I’d look for curiosity what the world record was for board games,” he says. “It was 1,345. So, I decided, ‘I’ll try and beat that.’”

Bauspies applied for the title in April 2011 and was notified of setting the record about five months later.

As part of the application process, Bauspies needed two village officials to verify his collection.

Connie Meadie, executive director of the Lindenhurst/Lake Villa Chamber of Commerce, was one of those who visited Bauspies' home to verify his claim.

“I couldn’t believe the organization,” Meadie says of Bauspies’ alphabetized collection of board games. “I remembered games I played when I was young.”

Meadie says getting to see a side of Bauspies, who she originally knew as the businessman who owns Distinctive Signs in Antioch, further illustrates his fun yet thorough personality.

“He’s a great guy,” she says. “He’s a wonderful businessman – to see this carry into his personal life is really great.”

Bauspies’ sister, Jenny Stone of Bristol, Wis., says as a “major game-playing family,” his collection is something the family continues to enjoy.

“He has games for every age,” says Stone, adding that her 12-year-old daughter has her own favorites to play when they visit his home.

“I think it’s an amazing way for the family to stay together,” she says.

She also says Bauspies’ organizational skills are something he has exhibited since childhood.

“He has amazing organizational skills,” she says. “As a kid, he used to line up his stuffed animals. Everything had its place.”

Bauspies says that when he started his collection, he was on the lookout for unique and older games.

“I’ve got a French scrabble game and a German game,” he says. “I’ve got the Guinness World Records game, which is kind of ironic.”

Some of his more collectable items include an original Monopoly game from 1936.

“I think you remember games from when you’re a kid,” he says. “Now-a-days, kids have everything. But, when we grew up, a board game was it.”

He says while he will continue to look for unique pieces, he plans to cut back on collecting more games.

“I’ll be more particular in what I buy, as opposed [to getting] just anything that I don’t have,” he says. “At least, until I find more room.”