Why become a BCCS member?
Joining the British Compact Collectors’ Society connects you with a like-minded community of enthusiastic compact collectors who share the same passion, creating opportunities for discussion, research, and friendship.
BCCS membership gives you access to decades of shared knowledge and experience to help you research your latest finds. It also offers the chance to see (and sometimes buy) a remarkable range of compacts from members’ private collections, including compacts that rarely come up for sale on the open market today.
Other benefits of joining the BCCS include member newsletters, access to member-only areas of the website with back issues of Face Facts magazine, access to our private Facebook Group, and the opportunity to attend regional meetings and the annual BCCS Convention each October.
'Face Facts' Newsletter
Annual Convention
Research Your Finds
Private Facebook Group
Regional Meetings
BCCS Shop
Website members' area
The members’ area of our website contains many pages of information about vintage compacts and collecting.
There is a wealth of information to help you research your latest compact finds including back issues of our newsletter Face Facts and a series of shorter blogs in Collectors’ Corner as well as a host of Q&A’s.
You’ll also find information about previous and upcoming annual BCCS Conventions and regional group meetings.
You will also have access to the BCCS shop to buy collecting-related merchandise and BCCS branded items.
Face Facts newsletters
As a member you will receive regular issues of our newsletter, Face Facts. You will also have access to our extensive back catalogue of issues through the website, and be able to search for specific topics across the issues or download a full copy.
Face Facts contains in-depth features about compacts and related themes as well as a variety of other articles including news from regional groups, letters from members plus reports on our annual Convention.
Recent in-depth articles have covered topics such as Nacrolaque – French Imitation Mother-of-Pearl, Japanese Compacts 1920s – 1950s and Women in Sport. There have also been recent themed features on 30 Years of the BCCS, Plastic Fantastic!, Japan & East Asian, and Story Time.
Regional groups
There are plenty of opportunities to meet and chat to like-minded vintage compact collectors as a BCCS member. Both in person, and online.
At our regional meetings members share their latest finds with fellow enthusiasts and there is often chance to buy, sell or swap compacts with other members.
Regions currently covered include London & Surrounding Counties, Wales & West, Sussex, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Scotland. We welcome and actively support new groups if you find there is not one in your area already and would like to set one up.
Members' Facebook group
Another key part of BCCS membership is access to our members‑only Facebook group, a lively online space where collectors connect, share, and learn from one another. With over 100 members and daily posts, it’s the perfect place to enjoy photos of recent finds, explore themed collections, ask questions, and exchange knowledge.
We strongly encourage all members to join. With the BCCS community spread across the UK and around the world, the Facebook group is the one place where everyone can take part, no matter where they live. It has a warm, supportive atmosphere, with members socialising, offering advice, and looking out for each other. Many people find it helps them feel more at home in the Society – especially if they’re thinking of joining a regional group or attending the annual convention for the first time.
Joining is free and simple: all you need is your membership number.
BCCS Annual Convention
The annual BCCS Convention in October is a highly anticipated event for members each year.
It is a fabulous day out with hundreds of compacts for sale, presentations by knowledgeable speakers, and the chance to get to know fellow compact collectors and dealers.
We’ve enjoyed celebrity speakers from the BBC Antiques Roadshow, Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip and Flog It, including Eric Knowles, Ian Pickford, Katherine Higgins, Kate Bliss, Jonathan Pratt, Will Farmer, Charles Hanson, Ben Cooper and Catherine Southon as well as talks by BCCS members themselves.
The Convention has been held in a number of locations over the years including Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham, Warwick, Bracknell, Birmingham, Didcot and Oxford.
A superb lunch, and morning & afternoon refreshments are also included in the ticket price.
As a BCCS member you will be able to attend and bring guests along as well.
Membership Fees
UK single membership is £22, UK joint membership with a spouse or partner at the same address is £27.50 and overseas membership is £31. Renewal of membership is 1 April each year and there is a £1 payment processing fee.
Questions about membership
What types of membership are there?
The Society offers three types of membership: UK Single for individual members living in the UK; UK Joint for you and your spouse or partner at the same UK address; and International for members residing outside the UK.
When does membership renew?
BCCS membership renews on 1 April each year.
Can I still join if there are only a few months left in the membership year?
Yes, you can still join. People who join the BCCS between 1 January to 31 March will receive 75% off their membership fee and then pay for a full year’s membership on 1 April.
What happens when I pay for membership?
When you select your preferred membership option on the Join Now page, you’ll be taken to the checkout. There, you’ll enter your contact details, choose a password, and provide your payment information (credit or debit card). Once you click Place Order, your payment is authorised, your membership is created, and you’re officially a member.
You’ll then receive an email receipt confirming your payment, along with a welcome newsletter. With your membership number, you can request access to the BCCS Facebook group.
You’ll also have immediate access to the website’s Members’ Area, where you’ll find member‑only content such as Q&As, recent articles, and back issues of our newsletter Face Facts. From there, you can also purchase tickets for our annual BCCS Members’ Convention each October — always a highlight of the BCCS calendar.