About us

MintFirsts was established by George Tsopanellis and Konstantine Sykiotis in 2004. It originally operated from Victoria Mill in Manchester. The founders had contrasting goals: George badly needed to sustain a habit of discovering hidden book gems, Konstantine secretly hoped sales would free up some floor space.

Many things changed since those early days. The business is now run from Athens, where Konstantine's wife, son and two daughters also live. George added Switzerland to a list of countries of residence that includes Australia, England and his native Greece. The one thing that hasn't changed is Konstantine's strong reservations about the space occupied by book stacks, and George's aversion towards anything technical.

The 2024 relaunch of the MintFirsts website is the by-product of an ambitious effort to adapt book cataloguing to the digital age. This involved a long series of clashes between Konstantine's contempt for pregooglian relics, and George's obsession with established convention. The resulting compromise might leave purists apoplectic, but gave birth to an innovative cataloguing system, soon to be made available as SaaS.

Future plans are not immune to controversy either. Konstantine looks no further than the suburban town of Spata – where our book showroom is located – for its sheer convenience, rustic surroundings and splendid weather. George, on the other hand, is nostalgic of England. He only developed a degree of affection for Spata when he realized that it is the birthplace of Xenophon, the military leader, philosopher and historian of ancient Athens.

From a more practical standpoint, Spata is host to Athens International Airport, vital gateway to worldwide book events, and main entry point for travellers arriving in Greece. Airport pick-up and drop-off can be arranged for customers wishing to view our book stock. We are open by appointment throughout the year, at 22 Pigis Street. Please contact us to schedule a visit.