Outpourings of sympathy from all who knew Joseph Buttigieg flooded social media yesterday, as the owner of the iconic Sliema Stamp Shop has sadly passed away.

Known by many for his business, located at 91, Manuel Dimech Street, Sliema – Joseph Buttigieg opened Sliema Stamp shop in 1979, at a time when stamp collecting was a popular pastime.  

Mr Buttigieg’s shop enjoyed recognition as one of the only proper stamp shops on the island, and one could find a vast collection of local postage and historical information within the specialty shop, which, according to a Facebook post by Jesmond Borg, “was more than a destination for the niche collector, local and foreign.”

Sadly, the shop finally closed its doors in 2018, having experienced a decline in popularity.

The owner of the shop was also responsible for the JB Catalogue – Malta's leading stamp catalogue, which he first published in 1984. The last edition of the publication about Malta stamps and postal history, was also published in 2018.

The GuideMeMalta team offers its sincere condolences to all who knew him.