Ypres (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Antoon, a florist, has a collection of 41,300 champagne capsules displayed in his stairwell and stored in boxes. He engages customers to contribute to his collection, hoping to find 1,424 more. His passion for collecting brings him joy and connections with others.
Antoon has a huge collection of champagne capsules, with a total of 41,300. He displays many of them on the walls of his stairwell, where each one is like a tiny piece of art representing special moments. However, he has run out of space, so the rest are stored in wooden boxes in his living room. Antoon takes extra care to keep his capsules safe from sunlight to maintain their colours and designs. He updated his fire insurance to match the value of his collection, which a professional appraised.
What drives Anton’s passion for collecting 41,300 champagne capsules?
Antoon finds joy in his collection of champagne capsules, which he sees as more than just valuable items. As a florist, he cleverly uses his shop to gather more capsules, displaying a sign that asks customers for their help in his collection. This simple request has led to many customers sharing their capsules from celebrations, bringing Antoon happiness and reminding him of his passion for collecting. Despite having thousands already, he still hopes to find the 1,424 capsules on his wish list.
Antoon loves collecting champagne capsules, and his shop is filled with them. People come in and help him add to his collection, making it a fun place to visit. For Antoon, this collection is not just a hobby, it brings him a lot of happiness and tells the stories of special moments.