Antony Michael Redgate Nunn

Antony Nunn Agencies

From the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the toy industry, Antony Michael Redgate Nunn sadly passed away earlier this month.

Toy World is sad to report that Antony passed away unexpectedly on the 5th February, aged 69. He was the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the toy trade, as previous generations ran the well-known Redgates store, established in 1857, in Sheffield. In the 1960s, Redgates became known in the trade as one of the best toy shops outside of London, often referred to as the “Hamleys of the North.”

Antony’s journey into the toy trade began in 1971 when, at the age of 18, he moved to London to work for import business, Cowan de Groot. Two years later, armed with plenty of new-found experiences, Antony he returned to his roots in the North and joined the Redgates family retail business, overseeing Redgates’ wholesale division, Wilson Gumpert. Redgates and Wilson Gumpert were instrumental in the founding of buying group Toymaster; Michael Nunn, Antony’s father was chairman of White Rose Toys, a buying group which was a cornerstone to Toymaster as we know it today.

Antony met his wife Silke in 1977, the daughter of Franz and Marianne Goetz, founders of prestigious doll manufacturer, Goetz Dolls, based in Germany. After Redgates and Wilson Gumpert closed in 1988, Antony co-founded AM international with Mark Eckersley to distribute dolls, children’s toys, nursery goods and even garden gnomes.

In 1998, after ten years of successful trading, Antony decided to forge his own path and Antony Nunn Agencies was established. His son Patrick joined in 2009, and now the business will proudly continue under Patrick’s leadership as the fifth generation of the family to work within the toy trade.

Antony will be remembered in the industry for his good humour, fair and honest business practices, and his lifelong dedication to a trade that he was proud to be part of.

Outside work, Antony was an active sportsman, running marathons and half marathons as well as being a proficient golfer and an avid squash player, in the later years reverting to racketball. He would also never miss an opportunity to support his beloved Blades from the stands.

As a very generous, considerate and kind man, Antony supported several charities he was passionate about, joining Osteoporosis2000 as a director in 2000. More recently he was asked to become a patron of a local hospice: Ashgate Hospice, Chesterfield. This privilege filled him with immense pride and he dedicated a significant amount of his later life to raising money and bringing further awareness to the essential work and care the hospice provides.

Antony will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. He leaves behind his wife Silke, daughter Charlie, son Patrick and his grandson Walter.

From the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the toy industry, Antony Michael Redgate Nunn sadly passed away earlier this month. Toy World is sad to report that Antony passed away unexpectedly on the 5th February, aged 69. He was the fourth generation of his family to be involved in the toy trade, as previous generations ran the well-known Redgates store, established in 1857, in Sheffield. In the 1960s, Redgates became known in the trade as one of the best toy shops outside of London, often referred to as the “Hamleys of the North.” Antony’s journey into the toy trade began in 1971 when, at the age of 18, he moved to London to work for import business, Cowan de Groot. Two years later, armed with plenty of new-found experiences, Antony he returned to his roots in the North and joined the Redgates family retail business, overseeing Redgates’ wholesale division, Wilson Gumpert. Redgates and Wilson Gumpert were instrumental in the founding of buying group Toymaster; Michael Nunn, Antony’s father was chairman of White Rose Toys, a buying group which was a cornerstone to Toymaster as we know it today. Antony met his wife Silke in 1977, the daughter of Franz and Marianne Goetz, founders of prestigious doll manufacturer, Goetz Dolls, based in Germany. After Redgates and Wilson Gumpert closed in 1988, Antony co-founded AM international with Mark Eckersley to distribute dolls, children’s toys, nursery goods and even garden gnomes. In 1998, after ten years of successful trading, Antony decided to forge his own path and Antony Nunn Agencies was established. His son Patrick joined in 2009, and now the business will proudly continue under Patrick’s leadership as the fifth generation of the family to work within the toy trade. Antony will be remembered in the industry for his good humour, fair and honest business practices, and his lifelong dedication to a trade that he was proud to be part of. Outside work, Antony was an active sportsman, running marathons and half marathons as well as being a proficient golfer and an avid squash player, in the later years reverting to racketball. He would also never miss an opportunity to support his beloved Blades from the stands. As a very generous, considerate and kind man, Antony supported several charities he was passionate about, joining Osteoporosis2000 as a director in 2000. More recently he was asked to become a patron of a local hospice: Ashgate Hospice, Chesterfield. This privilege filled him with immense pride and he dedicated a significant amount of his later life to raising money and bringing further awareness to the essential work and care the hospice provides. Antony will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. He leaves behind his wife Silke, daughter Charlie, son Patrick and his grandson Walter.

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