Owner of Chesham's Collectors Paradise on selling rare items

Dale Tames, who owns the independent store Collectors Paradise along the town’s High Street, has been running his current store since 2015, after he initially began the venture in 1998.

Following the success of his initial shop, he decided to acquire the empty unit next door nine years ago, where he sold items from records to children’s toys.

The store is based along Chesham High Street (Image: NQ)

However, he admitted that he ‘didn’t know what to do’ with both shops being open at the same time.

So, he decided to close his first store, and moved everything into the second store, showcasing items from rare children’s toys, Pokemon cards and LPs that date back decades.

Speaking exclusively to the Free Press, Mr Tames said: “The average person that would come in off the street would usually pay around £10, but after Covid, it was then £4 to £5 a time.

Dale Tames has run the current shop since 2015, after initially starting in 1998 (Image: NQ)

“There is less money, so I cut my prices and brought more kids' toys into the store.

“I got Pokemon cards into the store and that’s been very successful – and it still is.

“What is great is that the records sales are on the up as youngsters are coming in to get some for the first time.

“Also, CDs have increased as some of them are 50p.

Pokemon cards are some of the shop's most sort for items (Image: NQ)

“In the time I’ve been here, I have seen so many shops go as they are just throwing stuff at the public that they don’t want.

“They are putting too much price on stuff, therefore, they will not sell it and we’ve seen a lot of the big companies go under in recent years.

“But with my shop, I run it based on what the public wants as that’s important to me.

“If I hear multiple people ask about toys on Fornite, Thomas the Tank Engine, Disney, Pokemon etc, I will go out, find it, and bring it in the store.”

Named Collectors Paradise, the store could be regarded as a ‘hidden gem’ along the town’s High Street.

Items inside the shop can take one customer back several years with the CDs, records, books and toys they have on show.

Additionally, the business caters to both adults and children, with Mr Tames organising regular themed sales which either focus on music or toys.

And on September 7, he will host his 100th record sale which he believes will be the ‘biggest’ he has ever done.

Toys range from Disney characters to those in Thomas the Tank Engine (Image: NQ)

He continued: “When I first started in 1998, I was selling cassettes, records, children's annuals and a few toys but nothing like what I’m doing now.

“I then moved in 2015 and I transformed the whole place, but I will admit that I didn’t know what to do for the first year as I had both shops going.

There are lots of items in the shop (Image: NQ)

“After a year, I thought that the first shop had to go and I’d put all my eggs in one basket into this place.

“So I put in records, CDs, kids toys, antiques and the rest in history.”

The store is also popular amongst those in the town, with the business earning an average score of 4/5 from 30 Google Reviews.