“For us history is a collectible”
For 125 years the Bolaffi family has spread the joy of collecting with reliability and passion in Italy and abroad.
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.
From 1890 through three centuries
1890
Alberto Bolaffi opens the first location in Turin, via Cavour 14.
1910
Bolaffi is the official philatelic supplier of the royal family.
1940-1945
Giulio Bolaffi takes part in the Resistance commanding the Stellina partisan division.
1955
The first Catalogo nazionale Bolaffi dei francobolli italiani (Bolaffi National Catalogue of Italian stamps) is published.
1961
Giulio Bolaffi Editore is born, publishing philatelic issues, art catalogues and those dedicated to wines, grappa, pipes, hunting weapons, yachts, cars, and posters.
1964
The Milan shop is inaugurated; in 1967 the Rome shops opens and in 2004 the Verona shop opens.
1986
The Collector Club, a division of Bolaffi dedicated to mail order sales, is born. It now has 500,000 members.
1990
The auction house is founded. In three decades it has grown to more than fourteen departments, from the first ones, those of philately and numismatics, to the most recent ones of wine, art, jewellery, watches and automobiles.
1991
Alberto and Giulio Bolaffi are portrayed together on an Italian stamp; the founder is also honored in 2010 by a French issue.
1997
Bolaffi becomes a joint-stock company.
2006
The Bolaffi Historical Archives of Filography and Communication is inaugurated, containing Sumerian tablets, world-wide philatelic rarities, Einstein’s manuscript notes on relativity, and more.
2013
Bolaffi Metalli Preziosi, a company authorized to sell bullion coins and bars, is born.
The first Bolaffi branded gold bar is produced.
2014
The web version of the stamp catalogue is available online.
2016
The top price achieved by Aste Bolaffi is for a Very light pink diamond, sold for 755 thousand euros.
2018
The debut of Aste Bolaffi in the world of motor vehicles turns into a grand event.
