Royal boost for Stanley Gibbons
Collectibles group Stanley Gibbons is anticipating a jump in sales, fuelled by
items to mark the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, it said yesterday. The Royal Wedding will take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April, and the company expects to sell lots of first day covers, stamps and other collectibles. It recently added to its portfolio by buying Benhams, a first day cover and mail order collectibles business, from Flying Brands for £1.5m. The company said: “Our recent acquisition of Benham has proved timely following the announcement of the Royal Wedding. This business stands to benefit from sales of associated first day covers and other collectibles.” Analysts expect the wedding to boost the economy by £600m.