It seemed odd to me that this record has never been featured in the Guinness book of world records, but it looks like that might be about to change. If you think you could be a contender for the record, apply here: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/431349-largest-collection-of lego® minifigures
Personally I've always wanted to learn what size the world's biggest collection has. I seem to recall that there is someone who has around 10,000 figs, albeit not all of them were unique.