Largest collection of banana related items -
Ken Bannister sets world record
HESPERIA, CA, USA -- Ken
Bannister owns a collection of over 17,000 banana
related items displayed inside the International Banana
Club Museum which sets the world record for the Largest
collection of banana related items.
If it has something to do with bananas,
it is here in this storefront museum. The items are sent in
by members of the Banana Club, to owner Ken "Banana Man" Bannister.
Items include banana-shaped telephones, lamps,
banana plush toys, stickers, books, T-shirts and much more.
There is no adult-related material though, so it is appropriate
for all ages.
You might say Ken
Bannister has gone bananas over bananas. He's the
founder of the International Banana Club. But don't call him
the president of the group. Instead, he prefers to be known
simply as the "Top Banana."
Ken Bannister believes that the banana is
more the world's funniest fruit! The Banana Club is dedicated
to "influencing more smiles and exercising one's sense of
humor." The Largest
collection of banana related items contains: In the "HARD" section: There are bananas
made of brass, glass, lead, wood, plastic, ceramic, cement,
soap and gold plated bananas. There are banana pipes, banana
trees, pins, charms, belts, magnets, rings, cups, glasses,
banana slicers, clocks, musical bananas, banana records, software,
knives, and banana lights.
You will see the Banana Club golf putter
(and the yellow banana balls), the boudoir banana from Italy,
the gold sequined " Michael Jackson Banana, a banana "nut"
cup and even the world's only infamous "Petrified Banana"
(hard as a rock and in the museum since 1975).
Banana lamps and lights can be turned on.
Lots of banana books are all over the place including four
the museum is highlighted in. (Offbeat Museums, etc.)
The "FOOD , DRINK and NOTIONS " section
displays all kinds of banana candy from the past 25 years,
baby foods and juices, banana cereals, all kinds of banana
drinks and even banana soda (with and without alcohol), banana
tobacco and yes "banana popcorn"! Have you ever seen banana
body spray, banana shampoos, banana suntan oils, lipgloss,
banana toothbrushes and toothpaste and of course …banana soaps?
The "CLOTHING" sections include dozens of
banana "T" shirts, shorts, pants, hats, and slippers. There
are banana P.J.'s, suits, dress banana ties, scarves, towels,
banana ears and the banana nose!
The "SOFT" section starts with the eight-foot
yellow banana couch! There are hundreds of soft (plush) bananas
on display from two inch to six feet in length. There's a
banana tent, banana beach mats, and banana warmers (one from
Germany)! There are banupets, banenes and banana banks and
floats!
The yellow walls and ceiling feature
all types of banana art work, photographs, greeting cards,
clocks, news clippings, handmade banana art, banana menus,
film strips, and the "lone" banana. Famous people are shown
with bananas and scrapbooks from around the world are here
too.
Guiness World Records says that the
museum is the world’s largest collection devoted to any one
fruit.
The price of the museum
has dropped from $45,000 to only $15,000! The museum includes
only the banana artifacts but no real estate, as the museum
has been housed in rented space.
