STANISLAV KRAMSKY - www.kramsky-cokoobaly.cz
 Could you tell us about yourself?
I was born in 1952 in Prague, former Czechoslovakia and already from my
childhood I was very fond of chocolate. But it was a scarce item in
communist country, whenever I had the opportunity of tasting chocolate I
have always eaten the whole piece at once. I have studied economy of
industry at the university and then worked for many years in bakery
industry, purchase of raw material. I did it also after 1989. I was in the
beginning of one company, which supplied bakeries and confectioneries with
raw material including chocolate. I was with the company for 10 years and
five years ago I have decided to be free lanced as chocolate and
confectionery consultant and so my hobby became a profession. I am married
and my wife is a top manager in one Headhunter Company. She supports me very
much. We have no children.
You collect chocolate wrappers. When and why did you start this hobby?
With collecting of wrappers I have started already when I was twelve. My
father brought me from Germany two chocolate bars - Suchard and Sprengel
companies and I have kept their nice wrappers and then started to add other
wrappers.
Do you know of other collectors of wrappers? Are you in any contact with them?
Yes, I know many collectors and some of them for many decades. There is a
club of collectors in Prague, which organizes already for more than 30 years
collector´s meetings, at present four times in a year. There are about 20
collectors, members of the club, who are collecting chocolate wrappers. I
also make exchanges with European collectors, with one Englishman already
since 1970. I know collectors in Germany, Poland, Belgium , Austria, France.
 How many wrappers do you currently own?
I am now adding new wrappers from last year to my collection, there will
be about 120,000 wrappers from 130 countries and 5,000 companies and makes.
Are you still a record holder in Guiness Book of Records?
It was in the Czech edition of Guinness Book of Records and it is still
valid.
Are there any countries in the world which you do not have wrappers from?
There are lots of countries which I haven´t in my collection. It is very
hard to find new country, last time I managed to find a producer in Monaco
three years ago, I must personally visit the country.
Is it easy to find new wrappers? How do you usually get new specimens?
It is quite easy. The best way is to exchange with other collectors. Then
you can buy new chocolate bars on the market, there are so many sorts
nowadays and the companies have been changing the wrappers continuously. It
is endless, in fact. I also receive wrappers from my friends and in last
years I have been searching for new companies and makes only, or I buy some
interesting new items. The most interesting wrappers I find during my
travels, my wife must have a big patience with me because I must visit every
shop and have a look at chocolate. I used to write directly to manufactures,
I have received quite a lot of wrappers from them in the past, about 1/3 of
total amount, but in last 10 years they mostly don´t answer. I only try new
producers I find in internet.
 Since you have such an impressive amount of wrappers, where do you keep them all?
We have one roof room in our house full of this packaging. It wrappers
themselves I keep in folders in alphabetical order and I have everything in
my computer, it is programmed like for a wholesale.
Do you have one specific favorite wrapper in your collection?
I haven´t my favourite wrapper, but all old wrappers are very valuable for
me.
Have you eaten all the chocolates from your wrappers yourself?
Of course, I haven´t eaten chocolate from most wrappers, but I permanently
taste chocolate bars and I became a good but spoiled taster.
I saw on your website that you have also had quite a lot of exhibitions with your wrappers. Could you tell us about this?
 I am still thinking what to do with such a huge collection. One way is to
show a part of this collection to the public. And an exhibition is one
possibility. I don´t exhibit too long, there were some exhibitions in the
past mostly organized by our club of collectors, but in last 10 years I have
been trying to show my collection in chocolate museums and on chocolate
festivals. I am very pleased that nowadays there are organized so many
chocolate festivals, e.g. in 2006 I had an exhibition in Brugges, Belgium on
ChocoLate festival, then in Cologne Germany in local chocolate museum during
football world championship - wrappers with football theme, another
exhibition was held in Madrid - Salon del Chocolate and finally in Germany
in Tubingen on ChocolArt festival. If you exhibit some items which are known
for the visitors, you will have a success.
Would you ever consider selling your collection? If yes, what would be "the right price"?
You are right that I am thinking what to do with the collection in the
past. Maybe for some museum or for some big company, the right price is hard
to tell, it has collector´s value above all. But nevertheless there are
packaging from the whole 20th century from the whole world.
Have you been able to visit chocolate manufacturers because of your hobby?
I also write articles about chocolate companies, their history and present
and so if I have the opportunity to visit a factory, I am very pleased. I
have already visited several factories in Europe but also in Canada during
our stay in Vancouver on the West Coast Chocolate Festival. I always ask
them for wrappers, of course, our last visit was a visit of a Swiss company
Frey, it was impressive and I came home with more than 200 new wrappers, I
was very happy.
 Do you eat a lot of chocolate yourself? Do you have any favorite label or type of chocolate that you like the most?
I eat chocolate every day, mostly some new items, I prefer bitter
chocolate, up to 65%, according to my opinion the taste is the best.
Generally Belgian or Swiss chocolate is considered to be "the best". Do you agree with this statement?
I think so, the Swiss are producing the best mass milk chocolate, the
Belgian the best filling chocolate including small chocolates. But there are
other countries with excellent chocolate like Italy and France but also
Germany and Austria have been improving. And also Scandinavia isn´t bad.
What was your first thought when you found Oulu Chocolate Society's website?
I am always very pleased when I find people fond of chocolate. Chocolate
has fascinating history and according to last information is also healthy.
Haastattelu: Jarkko Karhunen
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