The amount of money raised and the name of the company to be acquired were not disclosed.

Martingale’s chairman Robert Dighero claims the angel investors bring ‘a wealth of experience in online marketplaces’ as well as ‘networks in Asia, Europe, North and South America’.

They include Fabrice Grinda, co-CEO of international classifieds site OLX, who says Martingale ‘combines social media with collection management and trading abilities’.

Martingale’s Toy Collector website includes blogs, directories, competitons and events, as well as ‘a wiki-based catalogue to include every toy ever produced’. The company’s management believes eBay’s dominance in the online auction marketplace is giving way to more specialist sites.