I started collecting stamps in 1977 shortly after my 6th birthday. The stamps that started it all for me were the 1c and 2c stamps depicting Sir John A. Macdonald and Wilfrid Laurier that were current at the time. I saw them in a change dish on top of my mother's dresser and I was immediately captivated by the designs. I wanted to find more of these little works of art, and more, and more.
My dad bought me a beginner's stamp album and some bags of stamps on paper. I learned how to soak stamps off paper, dry them and sort them into countries, and then organize my stamps. I collected worldwide, and had a blast on very little money until my teens, when I began to realize that I needed to specialize. I tried many different specialties, eventually settling on King George VI British Commonwealth in my 20's. My collection grew and was very extensive when I was forced to sell it in 1999. But I started up again and collected Nigeria and Canada forming a collection that would become the backbone of my current inventory.
I had always wanted to be a stamp dealer since my earliest days of collecting, but back in the 1970's before the technology of the internet, this seemed like an unattainable goal. So, I went to university, studied accounting and became a Chartered Accountant in 1998. I worked in public accounting for 21 years, eventually ascending to the position of partner in a mid-sized Toronto firm.
However, the pull of becoming a stamp dealer never really left me and the desire to serve the hobby was stronger than ever. So, in 2015, I made the decision to leave it all behind to start my company, Brixton-Chrome. I started on e-bay and worked hard to build my business, enjoying as much success there as a dealer selling there can have. But recently, I have decided that it is time to strike out on my own with my own website, and so I am very proud to bring you the site you are visiting now. It is my sincere hope that you will have fun here and will enjoy your hobby more for having been here.
Thanks for your support and happy stamping!