Stanley Gibbons Group takes "Deal of the Year"

Thursday 05 February 2015

Jersey-based Stanley Gibbons Group was presented with the Deal of the Year award at the 2015 Quoted Company Awards in London last week.

The awards are held each year to recognise the achievements of quoted companies listed outside of the FTSE 350. Stanley Gibbons, one of six companies shortlisted for the award, was recognised for the acquisition of Noble Investments in September 2013.

At the time of the acquisition, it was felt that the combination of Noble and Stanley Gibbons would result in an international sales and auction business focussed on a diversified range of collectibles. The deal brought together the following complementary brands:

• Stanley Gibbons, which is a major international brand and stamp dealing business, augmented by Apex Philatelics, which specialises in philatelic auctioneering;
• Baldwin’s, which is one of the oldest and most respected coin dealers in the world;
• Dreweatts, which has 250 years of auctioneering experience and focuses on art and antiques;
• Bloomsbury Auctions, which is a major force in the auctioneering of antiquarian books and works on paper;
• Fraser’s, which is a leading autograph and memorabilia dealer; and
• Benham, which is a collectibles specialist operating principally in the first day covers marketplace.

CEO Mike Hall said: “We are delighted to have won this award. The acquisition of Noble and the subsequent acquisitions of Murray Payne and Mallett show the steps that we have taken in our strategy to develop the Group into a leading online marketplace and global auction house for collectibles. We are really beginning to see the benefits of the combined expertise we have within the Group and this is reflected in the quality of the recent collections consigned to our auctions division.”

The Stanley Gibbons Group’s latest results announced in November 2014, which showed sales up 58% and trading profits up 217%, reflect the benefits of the combined group being able to provide a first class service in a wider range of collectibles.