German farm win Guinness Book of Records' 'battle of coffee pots'

Roevershagen, Germany - A German farm declared victory Monday in a bizarre race to acquire the world's largest collection of old china coffee pots - saying the Guinness Book of World Records had certified it as the winner with 13,267. Karl's Farm, which offers fields of pick-your-own strawberries, restaurants and children's playgrounds, had appealed to visitors to search their attics for old china sets and to donate the pots.

The porcelain is now arrayed on every available wall at the visitor attraction in the small town of Roevershagen near Rostock.

But in a dastardly twist, the race became bitter when Oschatz Park, a visitor attraction in another eastern German town, vainly tried to overtake the Karl's mark.

Karl's said the previous top collection in the Records Book numbered 5,014.

None of the pots are allowed to be duplicates.

The collection was begun by the strawberry farm owner, who ran out of home space when the collection became too large.

A Karl's spokesman said donors, some of whom brought cartons of pots, would be invited to a free coffee party to celebrate.

Coffee pots, rather than teapots, are a standard item in German tableware sets.