- Has spent 25 years collecting 15,000 bird ornaments and 4,800 thimbles
By
Rachel Rickard Straus
05:39 EST, 5 April 2012
|
06:34 EST, 5 April 2012
A warehouse worker has been forced to flee his nest after collecting an incredible 20,000 bird ornaments which have taken over his entire home.
Lawrence Cobbold, 38, now visits his parents for meals and to wash his clothes because he has run out of room at his own place.
He has spent 25 years collecting ornaments, paperweights, pictures and thimbles and estimates his unusual treasures could be worth up to £40,000.
Obsessive collector: Lawrence Cobbold has covered every inch of his home with bird-related objects
Mr Cobbold, who lives alone in Plympton, Devon, admits ‘It’s turned into an obsession’.
He has 15,000 ornaments, 4,800 thimbles, 1,000 fridge magnets, 300 plates, 300 pictures, 150 mugs and 100 jigsaws – all connected in some way with birds.
The collection has taken over every room in his three-bedroom house, the loft, shed and every cupboard.
Mr Cobbold can spend up to £500 on ornaments at charity shops or car boot sales at any one time.
The Co-Op warehouse worker spends two hours before work and two hours in the evenings cleaning, tidying and rearranging them.
Rows of owls and eagles: 15,000 bird ornaments cover the walls of Mr Cobbold’s home, leaving little space for their owner to live in
He said: ‘What I pay for them and what they’re worth to me are two different things. I just want to show where my money goes and I like looking at them.’
Mr Cobbold’s father, Tony, who used to keep 300 real life birds, said: ‘His house is like one big car boot sale except no one is buying or selling. It’s harmless, it’s not like he does drugs.
‘My other son is completely normal – he won’t have any ornaments at all in his house.’
Home tweet home: Mr Cobbold spends hours every week tending to his bird-related collection
Mr Cobbold used to sleep at his parents’ home as well and keep his house solely to display the ornaments.
He has only just recently managed to fit a bed into one of the rooms.
‘It is ridiculous,’ said his father. ‘I just hope I die before him, I don’t want to clear all this out. But it’s lovely, a great hobby.’
-
TSA screener at JFK ‘hurled hot coffee at American Airlines…
-
Putin targets foes with ‘zombie’ gun which attack victims’…
-
O.J. Simpson ‘furious with daughter for squandering his…
-
Pole-dancing, gun practice, reading Playboy and a sick…
-
Former Giants star Tiki Barber finalises divorce settlement…
-
Downfall of a blonde bombshell: How ‘That 70s Show’ star…
-
The charming Eco-friendly micro houses made from household…
-
‘She climbed onto the trunk and was reaching for a piece of…
-
City whizzkid who ‘splashed out £150,000 on single bottle of…
-
Bristol Palin ‘to enter trial marriage’ of cohabitation with…
-
Apocalypse wow: Incredible models which give an eerie…
-
16 fractured ribs and her face smashed to smithereens: Jury…
Share this article:
Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
He needs to get himself a bird!
Report abuse
Don’t worry. Now you’ve advertised it, he will no doubt get burgled and get them broken or stolen. Just like putting photos of lottery winners homes in the paper or online. In this country it does not pay to show what you’ve got. There’s always someone out there to spoil it or steal it.
Report abuse
I must say he has incredable good taste in his ornaments. I wish I could have some of the beautiful bird ones,they are gorgeous!
Report abuse
“He has 15,000 ornaments, 4,800 thimbles, 1,000 fridge magnets, 300 plates, 300 pictures, 150 mugs and 100 jigsaws…”
That’s just over 20,000 pieces of absolute junk, isn’t it?
It doesn’t mean they’re worth £40,000 as though it were some valuable collection. It merely means that each piece of cheap tat is worth an average of £2. And at 38 years old he goes to mum ‘n’ dad for dinner and laundry. That’s all you need to know.
Report abuse
How strange that he lives alone.
Report abuse
Someone needs to get some!!!!!
Report abuse
Mr Cobbold, who lives alone in Plympton, Devon …. I think I can understand why!
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.