By Ben Barry
Meet the Harry Potter superfan with the world’s largest collection of wizarding memorabilia – which has taken over her home despite her husband ‘not being a fan’.
Tracey Nicol-Lewis, 49, has well over 7,000 wizarding items – including wands, special edition books, LEGO sets and artwork – spread across every room in her house.
Her husband, Martin, 47, a security officer, claims it’s not his thing – but supports his wife’s passion.
Tracey first watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2002 just after the birth of her son and fell in love with the characters straight away.
It wasn’t long before she acquired her first Harry Potter collectible – a chocolate frog from her local corner shop.
She had 6,300 items in 2021 but since then her collection has significantly grown to more than 7,000 and taken over her house – including her bathroom, spare rooms and son’s bedroom.
Tracey is gearing up to beat her previous world record – which she set in April 2021 – but hasn’t counted them all officially yet.
Tracey, a housewife, from Bargoed, Wales, said: “I didn’t even think I had that much in my collection but Martin said that I should go for the world record.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found our I had the record for Wizarding World and Harry Potter – I couldn’t believe it.
“I was friends with the man who was the previous Harry Potter record holder and I just didn’t think I would beat him.”
Little by little, the odd eBay bid and trades with friends grew her collection, and Tracey hit her first 100 items in about 2006.
Her hoard now includes special editions of the books and their spin offs, and at least 127 action figures.
Her largest item is her cardboard book display for ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ which stands at five feet tall.
She’s never had her collection valued but she estimates she spends on average £100 every month on new items.
The mum-of-one said: “Everything I like in my collection is just amazing, I love it.
“They have memories attached to them as well because I can remember the bits from the films or the books.”
Tracey also enjoys Harry Potter cosplay, and attends events to meet other fanatics while dressed in her clobber.
She says that her favourite items change over time, but her currents are her collection of 47 wands.
But when she met her now-husband Martin, he wasn’t immediately taken by her hobby.
She said: “He knew about my collection so it was accept it or run.
“First of all I said I like Harry Potter and I collect Harry Potter, and he was kind of shocked when he came around and saw the collection.
“But in my last house he decorated it red and yellow because of Gryffindor and he put up shelves for me and made it more Harry Potter themed.
“Martin is amazing, he puts up with my collection and even buys me things for it.”
The family moved to a larger property in 2019 to accommodate the collection, and now have three rooms dedicated to it.
Tracey said: “We need a lot of work doing on the house so I can’t have any more at the moment – but I’m working on it!
“I’ve had people say they want me to open the house and start a B&B.”
Tracey and Martin married after four years together on February 2, 2020, in a lavish Potter-themed ceremony in Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, US.
The wedding cake was topped with a Golden Snitch and magic wand, as well as the words ‘Martin found a keeper’ – referring to the Quidditch position.
Tracey’s Gryffindor-inspired wedding dress and shoes were made for her by her friends in the Harry Potter community.
She said: “I wanted a dress I could have for my wedding but could wear to other occasions.
“Martin let me pick what I wanted for the big day – so the tunes going in and when you came out were Harry Potter.
“My friends in Florida were there in robes.”
While Martin doesn’t share her passion for the Wizarding World, it was his idea to count her collection for Guinness World Records.
He said: “The films are good but it is not something I would watch again.
“She calls herself a collector but I call her a hoarder – some of the items are cool but it is not my thing.”
Martin and Tracey are currently putting her collection in boxes for counting for when she attempts to beat her own world record.
Tracey said: “You have to have photos of every single item, you have to have a full itemised list of everything you own.
“As well as having two independent people counting the items.
“The whole process needs to be recorded and even if you stop for a break you need to keep the camera rolling.
“Once we have it all boxed up I will then lay it all out into groups ready for counting.”
