A California woman has more "Hello Kitty" items than she even knows. It’s safe to assume the number is in the tens of thousands. That’s enough "Hello Kitty" memorabilia to fill a she-shed outside Helen’s house. Helen stores her massive collection in a temperature-controlled mini-museum. "Hello Kitty" is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. What started in 1974 as a drawing on a vinyl coin purse has grown into an empire that includes clothing, school supplies, movies and even theme parks.