Founded in 1982 and still going strong, the Clarice Cliff Collectors' Club is a premier source of information about the designer, her work and patterns, shapes and values.
The brief descriptions featured here are based on the information on each organisation’s website; readers are encouraged to view the full details of a society’s activities and membership scheme via the url provided. ATG does not audit or vet the organisations listed.
Among the criteria for inclusion in our listings are:
• The organisation should have its own website that is kept up to date (clubs with only social media accounts are not included here).
• An active membership scheme is in place, typically but not in every case paid for by members.
• Most organisations arrange meetings and/or publish regular newsletters
• The organisation is not a commercial branch of an existing manufacturer
• Regional or local chapters of national groups are not included.
ATG regularly features interviews with collectors and we encourage collecting societies to contact us to arrange interviews with their members via editorial@antiquestradegazette.com
Antiquarian Horological Society
The society is for all collectors of clocks and watches, of any type or period. With members in over 30 countries, it arranges lectures and meetings, and publishes a quarterly learned journal as well as a wide range of books. Membership includes online access to a vast searchable library of digital material.
Antique Cane Society
The society is for cane collectors, students, dealers, enthusiasts and those interested in the study or use of antique and vintage walking canes to impart and discuss the use, the history, manufacture and retailers of the golden age of fashion.
Antique Metalware Society
The society was founded in 1990 to increase the knowledge and understanding of antique objects made from base metals with a general focus on non-massproduced objects from the medieval period to the First World War. It organises meetings, presentations and visits, and publishes an annual journal and bi-annual newsletter.
Arms & Armour Society
The society was formed in 1950 to bring together enthusiasts, collectors, scholars and professional experts to further the study, collection and preservation of arms and armour. It publishes a journal twice a year that reports on original research by society members and affiliates.
Association for British Brewery Collectables
This organisation is the successor to the Association of Bottled Beer Collectors. Founded in 1983, its coverage was widened in 2003 to include all brewery collectables, in keeping with the broadening interests of the members.
Association of Great Britain First Day Cover Collectors
The society was formed in 1994 to stimulate greater interest in Great Britain first day cover collecting; to enable collectors to contact each other, share knowledge and enjoy first day covers; to promote ways for collectors to buy, sell and exchange covers.
Association of Musical Box Collectors
The aims of the association are to promote the enjoyment of, and interest in, mechanical music in all its forms. As its name suggests, its main focus is musical boxes, but members’ interests include organettes, barrel organs, fairground organs, player pianos, singing bird boxes, even automata that do not play music at all.
Aviation Postcard Club International
The club was founded in the UK in the early 1990s when some collectors in the UK found, “to their amazement, that they were not the only people who combined an interest in aviation with the collection of historical and current postcards”.
Bookplate Society
Founded in 1972, the society’s purpose is to encourage the production, use, collecting, and study of bookplates through its publications, members’ auctions, visits to collections, social events, talks and exhibitions.
British Beermat Collectors Society
Formed in 1960, the society produces a monthly newsletter, maintains the Catalogue of British Brewery Beermats (as well as other types of mats: cider, rum, festivals, foreign beers in the UK etc) and organises regular meetings.
British Compact Collectors Society
Established in 1995, the society aims to promote the appreciation and collecting of powder compacts and all the many associated items, and to promote a better understanding of the social history and the changing ‘faces’ and roles of women that these items epitomise.
British Golf Collectors Society
The society was founded in 1987 with the aim of promoting interest in the history and traditions of golf, and collecting items associated with that history.
British Matchbox Label and Bookmatch Society
Run by phillumenists for phillumenists, the society was founded in 1945. Its members are collectors of matchboxes, matchbooks and match-related items, while others are passionate about the social, industrial and artistic history of the match in all its forms.
British Model Soldier Society
The society includes enthusiasts for all types of model soldiers of any scale or period and welcomes members from all parts of the UK and overseas. It has members in 22 countries.
British Numismatic Society
The society promotes the study and understanding of British numismatics. It was founded in 1903 and today has over 600 members, with interests that embrace all forms of coinage, tokens, banknotes and medals relating to the British Isles and former parts of the British Empire.
British Vintage Wireless Society
A society of over 1200 worldwide members sharing a common interest in the preservation and communication of technical and historical data, and the preservation and restoration of vintage radio and related equipment.
Cartophilic Society
Through its extensive publications and many branches, the society (founded in 1938) continues to follow its original objectives to “propagate, preserve, and enhance the hobby of cartophily” for collectors of cigarette and trade cards.
Caughley Society
The Caughley Society was formed in 1999. Its aims are to educate the public in the subject of Caughley porcelains, to promote research and study in all matters relating to Caughley porcelain and to disseminate the useful knowledge gained for the public benefit.
Channel Islands Specialists’ Society
The Society was founded in 1950 to study the stamps and postal history of the Channel Islands.
Chess Collectors International
Created in 1984, the association’s members are lovers and collectors of chess sets of artistic and historical interest. Its goal is to study and promote the art and history of the game of chess.
chesscollectorsinternational.org
City of London Phonograph and Gramophone Society
Founded in 1919, this is a registered charity tasked with advancing education in the art, history and science of recorded sound. It offers bursaries to encourage and support original research, publishes a quarterly magazine and holds a monthly meeting in central London with regular regional group meetings.
Clarice Cliff Collectors Club
The original meeting place for Clarice Cliff collectors, founded in 1982. Membership includes access to the online museum.
Costume Society
This charity’s aim is to promote the study and preservation of historic and contemporary dress.
Costume and Textile Association
This is an independent charity seeking to promote the unique costume and textile heritage of Norwich and Norfolk and the collection of the Norfolk Museums Service.
Daniel Ceramic Circle
This group promotes and expands knowledge of the work of Henry & Richard Daniel, by publishing and encouraging research into the wares they produced, the factories, and the family.
Decorative Arts Society
Founded in Brighton in 1975, the society encourages and supports the study and appreciation of all aspects of the decorative arts and design from 1850 to the present.
Derby Porcelain Society
Founded in the mid-1980s to promote research, education and appreciation of Derby porcelain and other Derbyshire ceramics.
Doll Club of Great Britain
Formed in 1953 to ensure the preservation of old and interesting dolls, dolls’ houses and accessories, the club holds regular meetings and publishes Plangon magazine.
East Anglian Postal History Society
Formed in 1963 for collectors of postal history from the East Anglia region. It publishes a quarterly bulletin and hosts two physical and two Zoom meetings each year.
Ecclesiological Society
Successor to the original Cambridge Camden Society, the society was founded in 1879 and is for those interested in church history and church architecture.
English Ceramic Circle
Founded in 1927, the organisation is dedicated to the study of British ceramics and enamels. It aims to advance knowledge by presenting new research on these subjects at its meetings and by publishing this research.
English Playing Card Society
The purpose of the society - founded in 1984 - is to bring together collectors, researchers, manufacturers, museums and libraries to increase knowledge of English playing cards and card games, their makers and designers.
Enid Blyton Society
For collectors and enthusiasts of the author.
Ephemera Society
A non-profit body devoted to the collection, conservation, study and educational uses of handwritten and printed ephemera. Established in 1975, the society counts among its members libraries, museums, colleges and universities, as well as ephemera dealers and private individuals in 20 countries.
Fan Circle International
Membership is open to professionals, amateurs, collectors, and those just fascinated by hand fans. Through promoting research and education the society aims to widen the appeal and knowledge of this once essential costume accessory.
Forces Postal History Society
Established in 1952, the society was formed to bring together collectors interested in the postal history of the armed forces of all countries.
forcespostalhistorysociety.org.uk
French Porcelain Society
Established in 1984, this group has widened its remit from furthering the study and appreciation of French porcelain to encompass all areas of European ceramics from the middle ages onwards.
Friends of Blue
This group offers an opportunity for beginners and experts to share their interest in printed pottery.
Glass Society
The society was formed in 2019 by a merger of The Glass Association (founded 1983) and The Glass Circle (founded 1937). It exists to promote the understanding and appreciation of glass and glass-making method.
Goss Collectors’ Club
Established in 1970, the society is for collectors of Goss china (the products of the Falcon Pottery, owned by William Henry Goss in Stoke-on-Trent) and crested china.
Great Britain Philatelic Society
The society was founded in 1955 to promote, encourage, and contribute to the advancement of the philately of Great Britain. It has more than 800 members in the UK and abroad.
Guinness Collectors Club
For collectors of Guinness memorabilia. Members receive: unlimited eBay item authentication requests; access to the club’s image library; one free Guinness item valuation; unlimited support and advice.
Hornby Railway Collectors Association
The association was founded in 1969 for the purpose of stimulating interest among collectors and operators of Hornby trains and accessories, both ‘0’ gauge and Dublo, as manufactured by Meccano in its UK factories until 1965 and overseas until 1973.
International Map Collectors’ Society
An informal group of map enthusiasts from all parts of the globe including map collectors, dealers in maps and books, archivists and librarians, academics and writers. The society supports the study of cartographic history by contributing to lecture programmes and research projects.
Leica Society
This is a club for users, collectors and enthusiasts of Leica camera systems from the earliest pre-war models through to the current digital cameras. One of its key objectives is to research all aspects of Leitz and Leica history and of their products, and then to share such knowledge with members.
Letter Box Study Group
Formed in 1976, the group’s primary purpose is to create and maintain a definitive and accurate database detailing the locations, history, and precise attributes of the nation’s 115,500 postboxes.
London Ceramic Circle
Founded at Morley College in 1967, this group is dedicated to the study of British and international ceramics, both porcelain and earthenware, from the earliest Roman time up to the present day.
Mauchline Ware Collectors Club
This club is dedicated to the accumulation and dissemination of information regarding the Scottish wooden souvenirs made over a period of some one hundred years ending when the factory of the last producer still operating burnt to the ground in 1933.
New Baxter Society
A not-for-profit organisation for those interested in the collection, preservation and study of the nineteenth-century colour prints of George Baxter and his licensees.
Northern Ceramic Society
Established in 1972, this group’s main focus is on British pottery and porcelain from 1600 to the present day. It shares the latest ceramic news and research though its meetings, seminars, publications, exhibitions and website.
Orders and Medals Research Society
The society promotes a general interest in the study of orders, decorations and medals and actively encourages and publishes research into all aspects of civil and military medals, with a particular focus on those issued by Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries.
Oriental Rug & Textile Society
Established in 1977 to encourage enthusiasm and interest in carpets and textiles of Asia and the Middle East, the society is now concerned with carpets and textiles of the whole world.
orientalrugandtextilesociety.org.uk
Penguin Collectors Society
Founded in 1973, this is an educational charity with the objects of encouraging and promoting the study of Penguin Books and of conserving historical material in institutions available to researchers.
Pewter Society
Founded in 1918, the society exists to stimulate interest in and appreciation of pewter and the many objects both utilitarian and decorative, made from this remarkable metal. It publishes a journal and holds a two-day meeting twice a year.
Photographic Collectors Club of Great Britain
The club is for collectors and enthusiasts interested in the collection and study of photographic equipment, images, processes and history. Formed in 1977, it has over 750 members worldwide and holds the annual Photographica fair.
Pilkington’s Lancastrian Pottery Society
An independent society for people who have an interest in Pilkington’s Lancastrian and Royal Lancastrian pottery & tiles. The group was founded in 1997, the centenary of the start of art pottery production at the factory.
Poole Pottery Collectors Club
Members of this club enjoy exclusive access to an online reference library, articles and podcasts as well as discounts at the Poole Studio Shop.
Postal History Society
Founded in 1936 this organisation is the oldest society in the world dedicated to the study of postal history. It exists to promote and encourage the study of postal communications - local, national and international.
Postal Stationery Society
The society was formed in 1992 to cater for collectors of postal stationery throughout the world, to further the study of postal stationery and to develop its collecting into a more readily accepted branch of philately.
Private Libraries Association
Founded in 1956, the association is an international society of book collectors - collectors of rare books, fine books, single authors, special subjects, and, above all collectors of books for the simple pleasures of reading and ownership.
Quekett Microscopical Club
Founded in 1865 ‘The Quekett’, as it is commonly known today, remains dedicated to the interests of amateur microscopists, holding monthly meetings in London. The Quekett Journal of Microscopy has been published in an unbroken run since 1868.
Railway Philatelic Group
For fans of railway stamps and postmarks.
Royal Philatelic Society London
For more than 150 years the Royal, as the society is known, has brought together like-minded people who collect stamps, postal history and other philatelic material.
Rugby Memorabilia Society
The society provides the opportunity to meet like-minded collectors. It has members from around the globe who collect items such as programmes, tickets, trade cards, autographs, Groggs, jerseys and books.
Royal Numismatic Society
Founded in 1836 as The Numismatic Society of London, today’s society is international in subject and membership. Its lectures and publications deal with Classical, Asian, Medieval and Modern coins, paper money, tokens and medals.
Scientific Instrument Society
Set up in 1983, the society brings together people with a specialist interest in scientific instruments, ranging from antiques to electronic devices only recently out of production.
scientificinstrumentsociety.org
Scottish Pottery Society
This group, whose origins go back to 1972, aims to further the knowledge and understanding of Scottish ceramics.
Shelley Group
Formed in 1986 with members worldwide, the group promotes collecting and researching the ceramics manufactured by the Shelley Pottery (formerly Wileman & Co), Stoke on Trent.
Silver Society
Founded in 1958, the society brings together members who share a common interest in silver: its history, context, forms, makers and methods of creation.
Society of Caddy Spoon Collectors
Founded in 1963, the society has about 60 members located mostly in England but also in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. It publishes an annual journal, and a quarterly bulletin.
Society of Jewellery Historians
Founded in 1977, this group aims to stimulate interest in jewellery and its history from all periods and cultures by organising lectures, study visits, symposia, private views of exhibitions and publishing new research.
societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk
Society for the History of Collecting
This organisation brings together scholars, collectors, museum curators and others who are passionately interested in the study of collecting - including the relationship between collecting and the art market.
Spode Society
Founded in 1986, the society aims to bring together collectors, museums and all lovers of Spode, Copeland and Garrett, Copeland and more recent Spode wares; and to promote, share and study the history and products of the Spode factory, its workforce and the Spode and Copeland families.
Staffordshire Figure Association
Established in 1996, this group comprises members from across the globe who share their pleasure in English pottery figures made from the 18th to 20th centuries.
staffordshirefigureassociation.com
Textile Society
Promoting the study of textiles and celebrating their history and culture, this society was established in 1982. It gives educational and professional awards and holds fairs in Manchester and London.
Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society
Britain’s national society promoting the study and conservation of tiles and architectural ceramics since 1981.
Torquay Pottery Collectors Society
Founded in 1976, the society aims to raise the profile and the collecting of the pots produced by the Torquay and south Devon potters in the second half of the 19th century through to the late 20th century.
Train Collectors Society
The society was founded in 1979 for those with a broad interest in the collecting and history of toy and model trains. Based in the UK, it has about 500 members worldwide, including in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.
Transferware Collectors Club
This club covers British transferware including blue and white, Staffordshire pottery, pearlware and more.
transferwarecollectorsclub.org
UK Belleek Collectors’ Group
For collectors of Irish Belleek parian and earthenware, this group holds meetings and publishes regular newsletters.
Wine Label Circle
A group of wine label collectors and enthusiasts with varying levels of knowledge. Founded in 1952, it provides two annual in-person meetings and regular online events. It produces an annual journal of related articles and a regular newsletter.
Writing Equipment Society
Established in 1980, the society is devoted to the conservation and study of writing instruments and accessories. Its members’ interests cover pens of all types and related accessories.