Advice re the best London UK stamp shops, that also sell catalogues?

[kuikka]

I will be in London, UK area around Christmas and New year. Any stamp shops you can recommend? I am not looking for pricy items.

As knowledge is power I might buy there some catalogues. Is there any place to go to look for them?

As I am not interested in CV's they can be older copies, too.

Any language is OK for catalogues. I have already full sets (but out of date) of Michel, SOWT and Scott, so I am interested in catalogues that add details to them.

[Global Admin]

A member for 9 years and over 20,000 posts and we get a totally meaningless and lazy, 4 word heading.

'London, UK stamp shops'

Nappies changed.

[kuikka]

Thank you very much.

[peterh]

Stanley Gibbons?

[norvic]

I will be in London, UK area around Christmas and New year. Any stamp shops you can recommend? I am not looking for pricy items.

As knowledge is power I might buy there some catalogues. Is there any place to go to look for them?

As I am not interested in CV's they can be older copies, too.

Any language is OK for catalogues. I have already full sets (but out of date) of Michel, SOWT and Scott, so I am interested in catalogues that add details to them.

"London" is a wide area. What part of London will determine where you might venture outside the suburbs.

Also bear in mind that unless you are in the area for several weeks you may find many shops taking an extended holiday.

And you should consider fairs which might be a better bet than a retail shop. For example if you are in the NW there is a fair on December 27 at Aylesbury. If in the SW there is one on December 29 at Farnham.

ON Saturday 30th there is the Charing Cross Markets and a fair at Ealing.

Check out the StampFairs Diary - this page is for 6 January.

[kuikka]

I will be in London, UK area around Christmas and New year. Any stamp shops you can recommend? I am not looking for pricy items.

As knowledge is power I might buy there some catalogues. Is there any place to go to look for them?

As I am not interested in CV's they can be older copies, too.

Any language is OK for catalogues. I have already full sets (but out of date) of Michel, SOWT and Scott, so I am interested in catalogues that add details to them.

"London" is a wide area. What part of London will determine where you might venture outside the suburbs.

Also bear in mind that unless you are in the area for several weeks you may find many shops taking an extended holiday.

And you should consider fairs which might be a better bet than a retail shop. For example if you are in the NW there is a fair on December 27 at Aylesbury. If in the SW there is one on December 29 at Farnham.

ON Saturday 30th there is the Charing Cross Markets and a fair at Ealing.

Check out the StampFairs Diary - this page is for 6 January.

I'll be in Ilford in NE London 19.12.-6.1.

Thank you for the calendar link. I would have never found it myself.

[kuikka]

Stanley Gibbons?

Thank you. I may visit there, too, although that may be a pricy place.

[Luigi]

I'm not sure you will find any older catalogues at Gibbons, these will be more likely found at stamp fairs or at the Charing Cross market where you'll never know what you can find - but based on my experience my recommendation would be to get there early, ie mid-morning at latest. However this market isn't that far from Gibbons so if you do decide to go to Central London you can do both.

[norvic]

I think Gibbons might be closed for the week, like many large business (except retail consumer goods & clothing shops).

[kuikka]

I think Gibbons might be closed for the week, like many large business (except retail consumer goods & clothing shops).

Which week aew you talking about?

[kuikka]

I'm not sure you will find any older catalogues at Gibbons, these will be more likely found at stamp fairs or at the Charing Cross market where you'll never know what you can find - but based on my experience my recommendation would be to get there early, ie mid-morning at latest. However this market isn't that far from Gibbons so if you do decide to go to Central London you can do both.

Thank you. I need to find out about the Charing Cross. It sounds promising. Is it every day or once a month or so?

[Luigi]

It's every Saturday from 7am to 3pm (except Christmas Day) but some dealers start packing up early hence my advice to get there earlier. Easy to get there from Charing Cross Station. Turn left when exiting and left into Villiers Street, walk to the bottom when you should see a sign/poster for the fair. Rather unsalubrious as it's in a covered car park, but usually worth the visit. Please refer to their website.

[David Benson]

kuikka,

re

I'll be in Ilford in NE London

By coincidence, I come from Ilford, left there when I was 6 years old in 1949 but been back many times to visit relatives.

David B.

[towradji]

If you are looking for old catalogues, email the Fair Organisers on The Stamp Diary with your request a week before.

I find that they then email all traders attending who tend to bring what you want, if they have it

[Finchley Chris]

It's every Saturday from 7am to 3pm (except Christmas Day) but some dealers start packing up early hence my advice to get there earlier. Easy to get there from Charing Cross Station. Turn left when exiting and left into Villiers Street, walk to the bottom when you should see a sign/poster for the fair. Rather unsalubrious as it's in a covered car park, but usually worth the visit. Please refer to their website.

Turning right and right again out of the station will get you straight into Villiers Street...

[kuikka]

Thank you very much for your pieces of advice.

[Luigi]

Turning right and right again out of the station will get you straight into Villiers Street...

kuikka

Finchley Chris is correct. I got my left's and right's mixed up. Definitely right and right again when exiting Charing Coss.

[kuikka]

Thank you very much for confirming it.

[Kilowarekid]

Yes the charing cross stamp fair is fantastic. I go there every year on my week holiday in London.

I've been going since the late 90s. Alas one thing I have noticed is the demise of the bricks and mortar stamp shop. There used to be a great one on Cecil court (chinese stamps), another on Bedford bury, another on st. Martins lane but there gone.

But no matter, charing cross stamp fair is super, you literally don't know what to expect. For example I came across a lovely selection of mint North Korea from the 1950s on one visit. I can honestly say that it's the only place I came across this stuff in my nearly 50 years of collecting.

Just check that it's on, as things may change during Xmas.

KK

[kuikka]

Thank you very much for telling me more about the fair.

[PhilLaTech]

I have lived and worked in London all my life and have walked / cycled past the entrances to this fair hundreds of times without noticing it. I've only just learnt about it here (albeit, I am relative new to collecting). I'll definitely plan a visit soon.

[towradji]

Monday to Friday it is an underground car park which converts to a stamp show on Saturday mornings

[kuikka]

Good to know. It is easier to find when I know it is a car park.

[Kilowarekid]

Monday to Friday it is an underground car park which converts to a stamp show on Saturday mornings

And what a stamp show it is...... An aladdin's cave of stamps!!!