Holts Summit resident Heather Cornelison's mom got her hooked on collecting stickers in first grade. The youngster wasn't picky: She kept all types of stickers in various shapes and sizes. If it had a peel-off back, she collected it.
Now 29 and still collecting, she believes she has amassed more than anyone else in the world. She hasn't finished counting, but she's up to 102,638 - approximately 300 more than the current world record held by a woman in India in 2003.
"It would be kind of cool to be in the Guinness Book of World Records," she said. "It would be something unique about me."
To do that, she has to undergo a rigorous process that includes getting two statements from witnesses, taking video of her counting her collecting and getting media coverage of her world-record attempt.
What does she like about collecting stickers?
"I honestly have no idea," she said. "Some of them are really cute."
Some of her favorites are Lisa Frank sticker books, which are vivid, multi-colored stickers, some of which are reminiscent of the psychedelic '60s. They portray everything from dancing bears to dogs to lollipops.
The public health scientist and part-time veterinarian assistant said she doesn't spend too much time collecting. If she sees sticker books she likes at a store, she'll buy them and put them in an appropriate container when she gets home. She organizes them by categories such as animal stickers or Disney stickers.
"I started getting a lot. Then a few years ago, I thought maybe I could get in the Guinness Book of Worlds Records, so I kept collecting," she said. "I guess since I've been doing it for so long, I just keep doing it."