How many commercials did Jim Varney make as the character Ernest P. Worrell?

A few years ago, Varney estimated that he had made about 3,000 commercials featuring Ernest. "Ernest is a neighbor or relative that we've all had at one time," Varney said. "He's abrasive, but he doesn't mean to be. He gets excited and ends up standing on your toes. I try to make him clownish and I don't want him to be too low-key, and he's physically funny."