Our History
We have been trading since 1965, when Colin Spink, alongside his sister and brother-in-law Carol and Geoff Bowne, opened the shop — first known as the Stamp Shop.
After a year at the Dean Road premises, the shop relocated to St Nicholas Cliff, in the shadow of Scarborough's finest building, the Grand Hotel. Colin still recalls closing the shop for a few hours to watch England win the World Cup in 1966! Sixty years on, Colin still comes into the shop most days and enjoys golf — although he'd most likely prefer walking his much-loved dog.
As the shop became a favourite with collectors, the small premises at number 33 expanded into number 34 in the early 1980s. Geoff's daughter Caroline joined the business in 1991 and still continues to curate the cabinets to such a high standard today. Her knowledge and love of collectables really shine through — and out of work she enjoys musicals, concerts and the odd cruise.
In 1993 the shop expanded into number 35 and became known as The Antique & Collectors Centre. In 2011, current owner Matt returned north with his wife Becky, who was expecting their twin daughters. Matt took the reins in 2013 and has continued to move the shop in new directions with his interest in coins and watches. Outside of work he's a keen record collector, enjoys golf and is a long-suffering QPR fan.
Long-time customer Louis joined the team in 2024 — an excellent addition who specialises in older coins and has a passion for all things historic.
