The Collectors

What The Collectors does

The Collectors is a London-based removal company founded in 1990 that provides home and office moving services, with a specialization in small removals that positions it as one of the original "Man with a Van" operators in the market. The business serves individual homeowners moving anything from a single box to a full flat, small and medium businesses relocating offices, and a specialty segment of customers needing careful handling of artworks, antiques, and other valuable items. Supporting offerings include full packing services, supply of packing materials, storage solutions resold in partnership with Big Yellow Self Storage, and informational moving guides. Customers obtain pricing through a personalized telephone-based "Quick Quote" service during working hours, with all quotes calculated per job based on volume, complexity, and distance. The company has built its customer base primarily through word-of-mouth recommendations over more than 20 years, supplemented by a strategic referral partnership with Big Yellow Self Storage and brand exposure through features on the UK TV series "First Time Buyers."

The business operates as a private, owner-operated service with the proprietor ("Nick") personally attending every job, supported by a small uniformed team that provides comprehensive goods-in-transit and public liability insurance coverage. The Collectors delivers services directly using its own staff and vehicles, with no resellers or intermediaries; customer reach is via a freephone number (0800 542 5747), a mobile contact, and a basic website that provides service information, testimonials, and video content. Geographic scope is restricted to the London area, with the head office at 100 Longstone Avenue, London, NW10 3UD. The company has not raised institutional capital, has no subsidiaries, and does not disclose revenue; it operates as a bootstrapped micro-business with approximately 9 employees. There is no proprietary technology platform, no mobile app, and no digital dispatch or pricing tooling underpinning operations.

Name

The Collectors

Legal name

The Collectors

Website

https://collectors-london.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Collectors is a London-based removal company founded in 1990 that specializes in small home and office moves, serving individual homeowners, small businesses, and owners of valuable items requiring careful handling across the London area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Moving and Removal Services

akta.pro primary industry

Antique & Collectible Moving Services (HSAKAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fragile-Item Packing (Glassware, China, Antiques) (HSAKADAD)

Keywords

• Home removals
• Office removals
• Man with van
• Moving services
• Small removals

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Removal Services: One-time transaction-based service for home and office removals. Pricing is quote-based, calculated per job based on requirements. Services range from moving a single box to full flat or office removals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Collectors is a London-based removal company specializing in small-scale home and office removals, ranging from single-box moves to full flat and office relocations. Founded in 1990, it provides packing services, packing materials, artwork/antique translocation, and storage arrangements in partnership with Big Yellow Self Storage. The owner personally attends every job and the company is comprehensively insured for goods in transit and public liability.

Product overview

The Collectors operates as a single-service removal company offering home and office removal services with multiple supporting offerings. The core product is small removals, where the company specializes as one of the original 'Man with a Van' operators. Additional services include packing (full packing service, additional packing for valuables, and packing materials supply), storage in partnership with Big Yellow Self Storage, and specialty artwork/antique moving. The company also provides a Quick Quote service and free informational resources (Packing Tips PDF and Moving Checklist PDF). The service is delivered through uniformed, comprehensively insured staff with goods-in-transit and public liability coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home and Office Removal Services
• Small Removals
• Packing Service
• Artwork and Antique Moving
• Storage Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Big Yellow Self StoragecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial 'Recommended removal co.' of Big Yellow Self Storage. The Collectors offers storage services in association with Big Yellow Self Storage, with a logo displayed on their website as a trusted partner. This partnership serves as a key referral channel, positioning The Collectors as the preferred removal provider for Big Yellow's storage customers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• TaskRabbit: Online and app-based marketplace for local hourly labor including moving, packing, and furniture assembly. Overlaps with The Collectors' small-move and packing services, especially in London, but takes a tech-platform rather than single-operator approach.
• Lalamove: On-demand delivery and van-hailing platform operating in London with same-day and scheduled van bookings for moves and bulky items. Competes with The Collectors on convenience and price for small moves via a technology-led dispatch model.
• Fantastic Services: London-headquartered platform providing on-demand home services including removals, man-with-a-van, packing, and storage. Overlaps with The Collectors' core offering but operates as an aggregator with a far broader service portfolio.

Others

• Big Yellow Self Storage: The Collectors' referral partner and storage provider. Adjacent rather than competitive; the partnership is a key customer-acquisition channel, but Big Yellow itself does not perform removals.

Direct peers

• Simon's Removals / LONDON MAN WITH A VAN operators: London-focused small removal firms offering single-item to full-flat moves with quote-based pricing. Direct head-to-head competitors with The Collectors in the same niche and geography.
• Crown Removals: UK removal company specializing in house, flat, and office moves with packing, storage, and man-with-a-van options. Directly comparable to The Collectors across both small removals and standard home/office moves.
• AnyVan: UK-based online marketplace that connects customers with man-with-a-van and removal providers for small and large moves. Directly competes with The Collectors in the London small-removal segment, though operates as a platform rather than a single-operator service.
• Bishop's Move: Long-established UK removal company (founded 1850s) providing home, office, and specialist removals including antiques and fine art. Comparable to The Collectors for both everyday moves and specialty artwork/antique handling, although significantly larger and more national.

Broad incumbents

• Pickfords: One of the UK's largest and oldest removal companies, offering domestic, international, and office moves plus storage and packing services. Serves the same London customer base as The Collectors but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• John Mason International Removal Group: UK-headquartered global removal company with full domestic, international, and corporate relocation services. Comparable to The Collectors in core moving services, but operates at much larger scale with international reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-collectors

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Collectors