A queue hours long gathered down The Shambles in York. Curious as to what people were queuing for we went to the front and stood in front of a shop window with a sign that read The York Ghost Merchants. But just who are The York Ghost Merchants and why are they so popular?
Racking up over 1.2 billion views on TikTok it’s safe to say that The York Ghost Merchants have gone viral and then some as this little shop in York contains tiny little ghosts made from a trade secret material. The shop is absolutely littered with hand made and hand painted ghosts where no two ghosts are ever the same.
The shop has been created and designed by David Bloodworthy and Angus Mcarthur, who said it aims to tell the story of ghost making, which dates back more than 600 years.
David told The York Press:
The story we tell is of the tradition of ghost making, which dates back to the 1400s when pilgrims would purchase badges, tokens or souvenirs which they would take into holy shrines to be imbued with positive spirit and energy.
They were effectively creating their own good luck charms.
Although their origins are shrouded in mystery, York Ghosts seem to have followed a similar tradition, carved from oak and used as protection from evil over the years.
York is known as the city of a thousand ghosts – but that should be 2,000 now – and is often referred to as the most haunted city in Europe, so it is almost unthinkable that there has been nowhere to purchase a traditional York Ghost in the city for at least the last century.
We are happy that we’re now able to redress this balance, and look forward to York Ghosts once again being rehomed and cherished across the four corners of the globe.
You simply choose either a small (£9) ghost or a large (£17) and pay at the counter in a wonderfully themed and quirky shop.
If you want tourist attractions and things to do in York you can visit Hole in The Wand, you can visit a Harry Potter store but can you take home a unique souvenir one of one in the world for less than £20. I think not. You can however, have one of the most popular ghost related souvenirs to take home with you as a keepsake of your visit.
But what makes The York Ghost Merchants so popular?
The York Ghost Merchants Popularity
York city prides itself on its haunted past and is well known for its ghosts. Haunted locations and ghostly apparitions have become a part of York’s legacy and stand aside the Vikings and Romans as direct heritage of the city.
Original York Ghosts are handmade in a workshop located above the shop on The Shambles in York (there’s also a work shop just around the corner in their Georgian townhouse on St Saviourgate). The ghosts are made with British material and are only made in small batches so that the ghosts are unique. The making process of the ghosts is a trade secret, one that the merchants will never reveal.
There’s an old craftsmanship that goes into the creation of these ghosts and their shape and form is derived from the companies own personal collection of historic artefacts and images, a York souvenir unlike any other with no other ghost ever being the same as yours.
Purchasing a ghost comes with its own ceremony as customers walk through a shop of over 1000 ghosts in both sizes and when the customer chooses the ghost they’d like they take a photo of it in a specially lit pedestal before it’s packed in a travel box and heads off to its new home.
So to you answer the question of what makes them popularity. I’m still not entirely sure, I feel it’s a blend of a viral trend mixed with the uniqueness of the item and the whole ceremony and personal touch that makes this a must have souvenir when visiting York. The fact that each one is unique is also a nice touch and considering it’s essentially 1 of 1 (in terms of paintwork) then £9 for a small ghost and £17 for a large ghost doesn’t seem that farfetched as far as price point goes.
The York Ghost Merchants Products
Each ghost with a spirit of its own embodies what York is all about. You know what you’re getting the second you walk into the shop and at two price points you’ll never be mistaken or confused when it comes to shop variety. You want either a small ghost or a large ghost it’s as simple as it gets.
Located on The Shambles the building itself was built in 1780 and is a traditional store with a Georgian heritage and theme. Oak panelled walls and display cases show off the ghosts as they haunt the shop searching for an owner.
The shop also release special edition ghosts and instead of a normal online store will have a flash sale online of the rarest ghosts which sometimes are made from different materials. Some ghosts in the past have been contracted to outsider makers including bronze, aluminium, ye, pewter and coppersmith ghosts.
These rarer ghosts are known as Black Box Ghosts. The most sought after the highly collectable ghosts of them all that come in a specially commissioned black and gold embossed box, with an insert card detailing the edition number and batch with a date and initials of the Merchant who has signed off the ghost.
Resale of these ghosts is insane with every single Ebay listing I’ve seen selling for double the retail value minimum. The scarcity of not being available online and only available in store has shot the resale value up considerably.
For rarer pieces I’ve seen ghosts sell for upwards of £500 and as we speak one listing is on Ebay sitting at £1000 with over 50 bidders going at it to scoop up a rare ghost indeed.
York is referred to as the most haunted city in Europe and up until The York Ghost Merchants arrived there wasn’t anywhere in the city to purchase a traditional York Ghost for at least a century.
Own a unique souvenir from the most haunted city in Europe that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. I must admit when I walked past the queue I didn’t see what the fuss was about.
Ten minutes passed and I suddenly felt this fear of missing out yet I was still adamant I wasn’t queuing for a shop of little ghosts. Two hours passed and I was on Ebay looking for a ghost of my own. True story. These spirits really do know how to lure you in!
For more information on The York Ghost Merchants you can visit their official website at
