York Ghosts are a handmade keepsake from York in Yorkshire, England. They are traditionally made in a city well renowned for its Ghosts. Further information can be found on the OUR STORY section of the website.

We sell our Ghosts from our shop on a medieval street named the Shambles in York, England. In 2023 we opened a second site ‘The Dispensary’ in St Anthony’s Garden located off Peasholme Green- please see the ‘Dispensary’ page. We have many to choose from in the shops and our stock changes daily (and indeed throughout the day). We also sell from our website but Ghosts are only released in batches infrequently rather than being constantly available. We notify of forthcoming releases on Instagram, Facebook and via our email previews (you can sign up for email correspondence from our homepage) in advance. In 2024 we have regular releases scheduled.

We do not currently offer gift vouchers. The Shambles shop accepts cash and card payments. The Dispensary only takes card payments.

We make many different types of Ghost. Each one that we make for the shop is unique, even when making small batches there are discrepancies of markings and colour variation, no two are ever quite the same. We also sell Polished Ghosts which are specially selected and hand polished to give a gloss finish.

Other than our standard shelf Ghosts we make many sub genres of Ghost; Phantoms are Ghosts with coloured eyes (often but not always with tears running down the body), Stonemason Ghosts use a different compound rich in natural mica and silica, Gem Stonemasons have a polished shroud. Metallic Ghosts have included Coppersmiths, The Pewterer, Brazier and the Bell Brass Ghost. Penny Dreadful and Three Penny Dreadful Ghosts have original coins from the nineteenth or early twentieth century imbedded in the base. These more rare and unusual Ghosts are not always available in the shop any only appear as and when the workshop produces a small batch.

We reserve our rights to restrict Rare & Unusual Ghosts to just one per customer in the shop.

What are the Ghosts made from?

Our Ghosts are made from a natural water-based , non toxic British material.

We offer two sizes of Ghost, The Original at 8cm tall and the Little at 5cm tall..

The Original Ghosts are £18 Little Ghosts £9.

The Polished Ghosts are £28 and £15 accordingly.

Original Phantom £21

Little Phantom £12

The standard 2024 tariff of Rare & Unusual Ghosts is as follows;

Original Stonemason £34

Little Stonemason £17

Original Gem Stonemason £44

Little Gem Stonemason £22

Original Metallic ( Coppersmith, Pewterer, Brazier, Bell-Metal ) £49

Little Metallic £24

Original Polished Terrazzo £54

Little Polished Terrazzo £27

Original Terrazzo Stonemason £54

Little Terrazzo Stonemason £27

Original Metallic Terrazzo £64

Original Metallic Gem Stonemason £64

Penny Dreadful £74

Threepenny Dreadful £44

We are open 10am - 5.30pm on Monday to Sundays.

The Shambles shop is currently closed each Wednesday until further notice.

The Dispensary is closed on Tuesday and Thursdays.

We close for annual festive holidays from 25th December to 3rd January.

We are a dog friendly shop and welcome well behaved canines.

Our shop address is No.6 The Shambles, York, YO1 7LZ.

The Dispensary is located in St Anthonys Garden, Peasholme Green, YO1 7PW.

The shops stock upwards of 600 ghosts a day and we do not operate a booking system but you should expect to queue to enter.

We do not have a time limit for customers choosing their ghosts in the shop. The Shambles shop accept cash and card payments, The Dispensary only accepts card payments

At busy periods (particularly at weekends and school holidays) we operate a queueing system outside the shop along the far kerb in the centre of the Shambles . The queue has been known to be 3 hours long at peak times, we ask people to queue with respect to other traders on our street and to follow guidance given by Merchants on the day of your visit. We need to keep access through the queue to the pie shop and must not queue beyond a marked point at the head of the Shambles. The queue must not stray in front of the sweet shop. At busiest times the queue will be split in two with the second queue forming at the the head of the Shambles and running towards Patrick Pool. At very busy times when our queue is at capacity and reaches the Patrick Pool junction we may need to cut the queue off as it cannot continue beyond this point. We then ask customers to come back a little later in the day as it will hopefully have reduced a little by then.

The Dispensary queue winds around the edge of the gardens and the Merchants on duty will advise

* Please note that at peak times and weekends we often need to cut off the queue ahead of the closing time to prevent it continuing to grow. The time that we cut off the queue will depend on how busy it is that particular day. To avoid disappointment please do not arrive towards the end of the day at peak times as the queue may have already been closed.

When purchasing Ghosts in store please check carefully that you have picked up the goods that you have paid for and ask for a customer receipt to be sent by text or email as proof of purchase if required. Unfortunately it is not possible for us to offer refunds to customers who contact us retrospectively to say that paid for more Ghosts than they brought home with them. It is the customers responsibility to check that they have the correct number of Ghosts when the leave the shop and have been charged for them accordingly.

Please check your Ghosts before purchase as we cannot refund or replace Ghosts which are reported as damaged at a later date. Please see our terms and conditions for further information.

We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all customers. We appreciate however, that our often lengthy queue may prove prohibitive for some. If you require assistance in this respect please do contact us prior to your visit by email to appointments@yorkghostmerchants.com if at all possible so that we can discuss your requirements. Accessibility bookings can be made a maximum of 3 months in advance of an appointment.

Our shop can be accessed by wheelchair users, although the shop itself is very small we will always do our very best to help with specific needs. The Shambles itself is a rather narrow cobbled medieval street but although it poses slight challenges, is also navigable by wheelchair. If you have problems with standing in the queue outside we do have stools which we can offer. If you have any concerns or specific questions please do contact us in advance of a visit and we shall do our best to help , please email : appointments@yorkghostmerchants.com

The Dispensary is a much smaller shop but has a wider entrance and more space around the queue with flatter, paved paths, sloping access and no steps.

Black Box Edition pieces are made in collaboration with skilled makers and crafts people using traditional materials and techniques to produce objects of worth and curiosity, Their limited status has led to them becoming highly sought after and much coveted Ghosts and prized amongst collectors.

Black Box Edition Original York ghosts are sold in a specially commissioned black 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. Edition size has varied from just 22 to an edition of 1,000 Glass “Resident” Ghosts in a special State Room green box.

We have made 22 Black Box edition Ghosts to date and most can be viewed on the Archive section of the website.

Black Box Ghosts are either sold online, in the shop, via clandestine release or from the Understore. During Ghost Week, a Black Box edition is usually available as part of that years installation.

Our online shop operates a little differently to others. each York Ghost is made by hand and is not a mass produced item, due to the small batch, handmade nature of our ghosts, we cannot supply our online shop with a constant stock. Instead we release ghosts at certain times of the year, either as an open order for a limited period, or as a set batch size. Our online policy is one Ghost per customer but not per household.

The best place to find information about upcoming releases is social media via our Instagram or Facebook feed and via our email previews (you can sign up for email correspondence from the bottom of our homepage). We always give a full preview of scheduled releases in advance and will give notice if we are using Queue-Fair. We highly recommend setting up a customer account on our site in advance as the Ghosts sell out very quickly, setting up an account means that details do not need to be input during the checkout process and greatly speeds up the sale procedure. If Queue-Fair is in use , you will have 5 minutes from entering the shop to checkout, please refer to the Queue-Fair section of the FAQ’s for more information.

Our ghosts are released through the ‘Shop’ page on our website at specified times. If Queue-Fair is being used you will be sent to a virtual waiting room or queue when you click on shop ( if you visit the shop page outside of releases it will be empty).

What is an open release ?

An open release is an online order opportunity whereby the “window” to order last for a specified time, usually one hour. There is no rush to place the order as all orders placed in the one hour timeframe will be honoured. Orders are then dispatched in invoice order with the orders placed first being sent first, the dispatch process can take up to 5 weeks.

What is a Clandestine release?

Occasionally Ghosts are released from our website shop at un-scheduled times. Without notice or warning a small batch might appear late at night in the case of Nocturnal Emperors or early in the morning, or indeed at any time of the day, once sold they disappear into the ether, We call these Clandestine releases. Sometimes a timeframe will be announced for a clandestine release, a smaller than usual number of Ghosts will be released individually or in small numbers at random times and intervals during the advertised period until the batch is gone as opposed to a general release when the full batch is released at a pre advertised time and sells quickly. A picture of the Ghost may appear on our Instagram stories just prior to a Clandestine release.

How do I set up an online account?

Accounts can be set up by following the link in the top right corner of our HOME page (to the left of the cart icon). An account will allow the user to pre enter data such as address and card details which will in turn greatly speed up the checkout process , fast checkout is important when trying to purchase limited releases. Log in to your account from the home page or shop page before adding to basket.

Adding a ghost to your cart will not secure a sale, the Ghosts will not be allocated to you until the payment has been accepted. All successful purchases will be followed by an onscreen order confirmation and email order confirmation.

How much is postage in the UK?

We charge £5.90 P&P which is generally using DPD couriers, you will receive delivery notifications via text or email once DPD have collected your parcel, please do make sure that you respond to these messages to avoid missing a delivery. We use Royal Mail for certain areas of Great Britain that are not covered by DPD’s standard service.

Do you ship outside the UK?

Yes we ship to most countries. It costs £13.50 to the USA, Canada & Australia and £10 to European destinations.

PLEASE NOTE - Deliveries to EU countries from 1st July will incur TAX and import duties upon or in advance of delivery. these will vary from country to country and are the responsibility of the recipient and not TYGM.

How long does delivery take?

On large releases we send out parcels in order of receipt (first placed orders sent first). Sending out of the last orders can take 5 weeks from ordering. Delivery times should take 1-2 days for UK parcels, 3-7 days for European parcels and 5-10 days for international parcels, if your parcel has not arrived within these times frames please contact us straight away, our couriers have a 14 day issue notification policy in the UK, which extends to 21 days internationally, outside of which we cannot claim for missing/lost or delayed parcels. We will try to update customers via social media if we are experiencing longer order times during extremely busy periods.

If I order online can I collect from the shop?

Due to the increased demand on the shop we no longer offer a collection service.

Policies regarding purchasing online

Due to the handmade nature of our product we cannot supply more than one ghost per customer. If you live in a household with other collectors, orders must be placed separately, under different names and with different accounts. We reserve the right to cancel any orders made under the same name and account with the same shipping address.

Due to the increase in online demand last year we found our customers started to experience error messages and glitches. We have been doing our best to try and resolve these issues but we are also aware that the high traffic and demands created by limited releases is most likely the cause.

We have taken the decision to trial virtual queueing software to eliminate these technical problems but it is a new way of doing things and we would encourage you to read the following information.

What is Queue Fair and why are you using it?

Queue Fair is an award winning virtual queueing system that we will be using for our online releases moving forward from summer 2023 while we assess how it performs. The system lets us have a high number of customers access our site without experiencing the error messages and payment processing issues or even site crashes which have become increasingly common as the demand for our Ghosts increases.

We will announce our use of Queue Fair ahead of releases to keep you better informed and prepared.

How does it work?

Queue Fair acts like a funnel and takes large amounts of visitors to a waiting room and then lets a steady flow in every minute rather than hundreds all at once. We use the ‘Pre-Sale’ waiting room of Queue Fair, which will be open an hour ahead of a release. If you join this waiting room you enter a ‘Ghost Ballot’ which will give you a random queue position based on the amount of customers also waiting in Pre-Sale.

When the Queue goes live at our pre advertised time, everyone has an equal chance of being near the front of the queue, irrespective of what time within the hour they joined Pre Sale. The programme- guided by us- then lets a number of customers through every minute so that the website itself doesn’t become overloaded. If there are a small number of ghosts and a large amount of people all trying to access the shop page at the same time, you may well find that your queue number is bigger than the amount of ghosts available. This will allow you to decide whether to wait it out or leave the website.

Once you access the shop page, we would urge you to complete your purchase quickly as you would have done before. You will have 5 minutes to complete your purchase but if the amount of ghosts is small, the people being let in after you may still be able to get a ghost before you if they are quicker or you spend time filling in details.

If you do not check out in 5 minutes you will lose your position and the Ghost will be reallocated to stock. The Shop page will state that the Ghosts have sold out ahead of the queue closing officially. As usual we specify just one Ghost per customer, if extra Ghosts are purchased in a single transaction the extra Ghosts will be refunded and added back into stock allowing others to purchase them.

 POST SALE

After the sale you will see a page which informs you that the queue has ended and the product has sold out.

We see this system as entirely democratic whilst maintaining our website responsiveness and performance. However, as mentioned previously we will continue to monitor effectiveness and customer satisfaction. We ask for your patience as we evaluate the results and feedback.

The Understore is a password protected shop that we do not publicly discuss. Access is through a crossed torch symbol on our website and is generally gained by solving a series of clues or by somehow obtaining a password through good fortune by other means. Please do not ask the shop Merchants for help in this regard as they do not have any knowledge of the secrets of The Understore. An eighteenth century bookseller can be rather helpful though.

Can I buy by mail order by email or special request?

Unfortunately we are unable to fulfil individual requests currently, our workshop is busy making for the shop and the online releases.

Do you make custom Ghosts?

We are unable to make custom Ghosts in small quantities currently.

Do you sell gift vouchers?

We do not sell gift vouchers at the moment but are looking into the possibility of introducing them soon.

The Guild Room offers a unique York Ghost Merchants shopping experience in a tranquil and genteel setting at our premises at 31 St Saviourgate. Available strictly by appointment or invitation only, we stress that we are unable to accommodate any customers who have not booked through the calendar.

Unfortunately although we love dogs we do not allow dogs in The Guild Room out of respect of your fellow guests.

Appointments will be made available a few weeks at a time through the availability calendar. As this is an exclusive experience there will be limited availability on a first come first served basis. Further information and booking calendar can be found on our Guild Room page via the menu bar above.

Strayghosts are Ghosts which appear in locations all over the world. They have wandered from the Shambles and are free to anyone who finds the ghost first. A picture of the strayghost will appear on our Instagram stories along with its location ( town/city ) the information given is always rather vague and luck and some good judgement will be needed if you are to be successful in finding one. Stayghosts only appear intermittently and at random, to date they have been found in locations including London, New York, Barcelona , Manchester, Sheffield and Edinburgh. Official strayghosts will always bear a base stamp of either the letter R, the crossed torches or the word Stray along with a number. Ghosts found without these identifiers have not been placed by the Merchants or their helpers.

We understand that once purchased a buyer may choose to do what they wish with a product. However, we do not support or endorse the buying of our Ghosts solely for third party selling, furthermore, if we have evidence that a customer is buying purely to resell for immediate profit then we shall exercise our rights to cancel the order(s) and choose not to accept future orders from the same customer or delivery address or those connected with buying this way. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders online or sales from the shop that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors where our product is being bought specifically for reselling. for profit.

What is Ghost Week?

It is a week long celebration of Ghosts in the the city of York. which takes place in the last week of October over the half term week. The main attraction is The Little York Ghost hunt, each evening a hundred of our Little ghosts are hidden along the atmospheric streets that flank the Minster, this is a seek & keep event. There are other free events to engage in too and we hope that Ghost Week grows a little each year. Ghost week 2024 will run from Saturday 26th October - Sunday 3rd November.

Ghosts can be cleaned or marks may be removed by using a cloth and warm soapy water. A lightly abrasive cloth can be used with soapy water to remove a more stubborn blemish (this technique does not apply to Phantoms, rare and unusual ghosts such as Stonemasons, Terrazzo, Metal or polished ghosts). Dry your Ghost well after cleaning to avoid water marks. To preserve your Ghost avoid prolonged contact with direct sunlight and do not keep a Ghost in a kitchen where it may become grease stained. Our Ghosts are relatively hardy but will not survive a fall from height onto a hard floor or an attack by a dog.