Man hopes to break world record with collection of 70,000 pencils

THE RECORD BOOKS. I NEVER DREAMED I’D BE GETTING TO THIS POINT. THIS IS KIND OF AMAZING. AARON BARTHELMY WON’T SETTLE WITH BEING NUMBER TWO. HE SAYS HE HAS ABOUT 70,000 WOODEN ADVERTISING PENCILS. THE CURRENT GUINNESS WORLD RECORD IS 2000, 4000 PENCILS. SOUNDS LIKE WELL, I CAN EASILY BEAT THAT. AND TOMORROW’S THE BIG DAY BECAUSE HERE AT THE COLFAX HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THERE ARE GOING TO BE COUNTING ALL 7000 OF THESE PENCILS. AND HE HAS EVERY KIND OF PENCIL YOU CAN THINK OF FROM ASPREY CANFIELD PENCILS, HARMLESS LACTOSE, SUCROSE STARCH TABLETS TO ROTARY PHONE, PENCIL, DIAL YOUR NUMBER THAT WAY THE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL SCHEDULE, PENCILS. THIS IS AMBOY HIGH SCHOOL AND EVEN 100 YEAR OLD PENCILS. I DON’T KNOW THAT YOU CAN PICK A FAVORITE WHEN YOU’VE GOT 70,000 OF SOMETHING, BUT THE MOST SPECIAL PENCILS ARE THE ONES THAT COME FROM HIS HOMETOWN. AND IT’S JUST NEAT TO SEE. I LOVE SEEING THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, FOR SO MANY OF THESE PLACES, THESE PENCILS ARE THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THERE’S ANY RECORD OF THAT BUSINESS STILL. AND I THINK IT’S JUST A NEAT WAY TO KIND OF PRESERVE THE HISTORY. EVENTUALLY. I JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS SOCIETY. I DON’T KNOW HOW I HEARD ABOUT HIM, BUT I DID. ANDREW WEBER, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN PENCIL COLLECTORS SOCIETY, WILL BE ONE OF THE COUNTERS TO VERIFY THE WORLD RECORD. SO I’VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS AND I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD GOING DOWN THERE AND AND SEEING SOME PENCILS. THE COLLECTORS SOCIETY IS A PLACE TO MEET OTHER PENCIL COLLECTORS AND TRADE DUPLICATES. AARON EXPECTS COUNTING TO TAKE AT LEAST 12 HOURS, BUT HE’S EXCITED TO BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO SHOW OFF HIS OWN TREASURED PIECES OF HISTORY. I LOVE THE HISTORY THAT YOU CAN FIND THROUGH THESE LITTLE STICKS OF WOOD IN COLFAX. ASHLEY WIEHL