Man crowded out of home by collecting passion

**chrisaka** · April 5th, 2008, 10:53 PM

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddly...ughNews&rpc=69

Man crowded out of home by collecting passion
Wed Apr 2, 2008 11:35am EDT

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man was such an avid collector of weapons and other paraphernalia that he ran out of space at home and had to sleep in a hotel, neighbors said following the 71-year-old's death.

Executors found an arsenal of weaponry and assorted goods at the man's two-story home in the western city of Aachen, police said on Wednesday.

"There were 71 guns -- one for each year of his life," said police spokesman Paul Kemen. "He also had 41 cases of ammunition and five walking sticks fitted with retractable blades."

Heiner Hautermans, a reporter at the Aachener Nachrichten paper, said neighbors related how the man, who lived alone, collected everything from clothing to garden tools and watches.

"The house was stuffed to the rafters," he said. "By the end, the neighbors said he had to sleep in a hotel sometimes because there was no more room."

One neighbor sometimes handled up to 14 deliveries of goods a day for the man when he was out, he added. "At some point she got fed up with it."

No heirs have yet been found for the man, police said.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

I think I may be a long-lost grandchild!

**Brodeurman69** · April 6th, 2008, 07:57 AM

That looks like a picture of cabelas...

**soberbyker** · April 6th, 2008, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Brodeurman69

That looks like a picture of cabelas...

I thought so too ... and you're right ... look here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080402/...pensioner_dc_1

Same story but the caption under the photo:

A customer browses for guns at the Cabela's store in Fort Worth, Texas March 7, 2008

They must have used the photo for emphasis.

**Brodeurman69** · April 6th, 2008, 08:43 AM

Well darn I want to see a picture of the guys house! Must be a beautiful sight.

**brian** · April 6th, 2008, 09:03 AM

wonder what the other stuff.
the guns and ammo does'nt seem like that much.

**markheck1** · April 6th, 2008, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by soberbyker

I thought so too ... and you're right ... look here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080402/...pensioner_dc_1

Same story but the caption under the photo:

They must have used the photo for emphasis.

The media never lets the truth stop them....do they?

**Frenchy** · April 6th, 2008, 04:56 PM

"There were 71 guns -- one for each year of his life," said police spokesman Paul Kemen. "He also had 41 cases of ammunition and five walking sticks fitted with retractable blades."

That had to be a pretty small house then...