If you see a queue for a shop in York, I’d put money on it that it’s for the York Ghost Merchants. The shop went viral for their handmade ghost figurines that people will queue hours for. We went during the Christmas Market period so the city was extremely busy. We probably queued the longest anyone has queued for York Ghost Merchants.
Is York Ghost Merchants worth it?
The queue can be 2-3 hours long, so if you’re not buying any ghosts it may not be worth it. There are a lot of things to see and do in York, do you really want to spend 2-3 hours of your visit slowly shuffling in a queue? If you are buying ghosts (we bought seven in total…) I think it’s worth waiting in line – I have no regrets, they look great on our bookshelf and as wedding cake toppers.
How long is the queue for York ghost Merchants?
We queued for 2.5 hours at 2pm on Saturday. This meant we went into the shop at 4.30pm, giving us an hour to browse before the shop closed (I think we spent at least 30 minutes deciding). So make sure you don’t join the queue too late as the shop will stop letting people join the queue. From reading other comments around the internet, 2-3 hours seems the norm on weekends. There are staff along the queue who are good at estimating how long it will take to reach the shop from where you are.
Be aware there are no places to sit in the queue (I guess you could sit on the floor…). The second queue (that’s right the queue is split into two it’s that long) you can at least lean against the wall. One commenter on Google had a disability and the staff offered to bring a stool to sit on, so you could ask if in a similar situation.
The shop is small, but they do let in less than 10 people in store. Make sure you leave some time to look for hidden, special edition ghosts along the walls too! I don’t think they ever sell out of ghosts, staff replaced bought ones pretty quickly so you have lots to choose from.
What is so special about York Ghost Merchants?
Each ghost is made by hand so you are truly buying something unique. There are so many colours and designs to choose from it can be hard to choose. I think the ghosts make a great souvenir of your trip to York too.
How much are the ghosts at York Ghost Merchant?
The Original Ghosts, standing at a height of 8cm, are priced at £18, while the Little Ghosts, measuring 5cm in height, are available for £9.
Address: 6 Shambles, York YO1 7LZ
Website: https://www.yorkghostmerchants.com/
Next, read about my favourite ghoul boys, Buzzfeed Unsolved and Ghost Files or see the most haunted places in Edinburgh.
