Who is Tony Buckingham?

...meet our Chairman

Tony Buckingham is recognised worldwide as a leading authority on first day and commemorative covers. He was the first winner of the prestigious Rowland Hill Award for his contribution to philately.

Tony edited Collect FDC for nearly 20 years and has served on the Philatelic Trade Society Council. He is a regular contributor to Stamp Magazine, Gibbons Stamp Monthly and other leading collectables publications. He has also written two murder stories (all he needs is a good editor!).

Tony started collecting stamps at the age of 6 and, by the age of 9, had set himself up as the school stamp dealer. He briefly stopped all this while at college, developing a new obsession (Cath). After their marriage, he began a teaching career but started a part-time cover business in the evenings from his small back bedroom. From this inauspicious beginning came Benham (A Buckingham) Ltd, now the UK’s largest cover producer.

Tony and Cath built Benham into an internationally known business. Benham-branded covers became a phenomenon and are highly sought after today. Some of Tony’s earliest covers are now selling for amazing prices: for example, the 1968 Benham Bridges cover (35p at the time), now sells for over £200. In 1995, Benham won Kent Company of the Year (having previously won Kent Small Business of the Year).

Tony sold Benham in 1997 and settled down to learn golf and write murder mysteries. It didn’t work. He missed the covers (Cath says he’s addicted to them) and by 2001, had started up again, building Buckingham Covers (part of Internet Stamps group).

Buckingham Covers are fast becoming the new marvel of the collectables world. Tony and Cath’s combined experience (built on both successes and failures at Benham) make a formidable team. Already, Buckingham Covers are proving to have great investment potential. The first ever 2001 unsigned Buckingham cover, Space Tourism, sold at the time for £6.95 and is now worth over £30.

Tony’s life obsessions have changed very little over the years: covers, cricket and Cath are the main ones (not necessarily in that order). He is well known for his trademark bounce, energy and sense of humour. Some customers even collect his chatty newsletters! What is less well known however is that Tony has achieved everything despite struggling with dyslexia.

When he has time to relax, Tony enjoys watching cricket, listening to jazz, spending time with his family and drinking nice wine!

You can read some of Tony’s articles, including his Guide to Collecting Commemorative Covers in the Help and Advice section.

Tony is available for interviews and after-dinner speeches. He is also happy to contribute articles on request or to provide advice for journalists writing articles in his field. Please contact Ellie (details below) for more information.

Tony does not work in the office but is always delighted to hear from customers. He tries hard to reply personally to anything he is sent (please be patient however as he does receive a lot of mail and nowadays he does all his own typing with one, very strong finger!). Please send any correspondence to Tony c/o Ellie Hopkins, Internet Stamps, Warren House, Shearway Road, FOLKESTONE, Kent CT19 4BF or email ellieh@internetstamps.co.uk