1890 talent
Alberto Bolaffi
Philately was in its first years and the young Alberto Bolaffi had the intuition to abandon the bicycle trade and to focus on stamps instead. In 1893 he opened his first shop in Turin, in via Cavour. From that intuition a company destined to make history was born, one which still bears his name.
1923 tradition
Giulio Bolaffi
One of the most important philatelists of all time, he was even commemorated on an Italian stamp. In the post-war period, the editorial activity successfully flanked the commercial one. He developed innovative criteria for cataloging and evaluating stamps and he anticipated the value of postal documents as written testimony of the great achievements of humanity.
1955 passion
Alberto Bolaffi
Interpreter of the change in collectible and cultural consumption of the Sixties, he expanded the company to previously unexplored fields: in 1986 he founded the CollectorClub, the mail order sector, and in 1990 the auction house. In 2000 he paved the way for philography, the collecting of documents that trace the history of the written word.
2012 innovation
Giulio Filippo Bolaffi
The market changes and the company adapts. Bolaffi Metalli Preziosi is born, which deals with the buying and selling of bullion coins and offers Bolaffi branded bars. The investment diamond business is also inaugurated. The auction house expands to include fine wines, jewellery, twentieth century art, memorabilia, vintage technology and collectible automobiles.