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Wilson Gumpert Toy Shop


Guest pete_s

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Guest pete_s

This is the toy shop I remember as a kid (late forties).

Wilson Gumpert in Fitzalan Square. Two floors packed with delights.

post-786-1180019706.jpg

WIlson Gumpert advertisement From The Star 1955

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Slightly before my time - but I have to say that lorry looks quite unsafe

lol

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This is the toy shop I remember as a kid (late forties).
Wilson Gumpert in Fitzalan Square. Two floors packed with delights.

From The Star 1955


Hi pete_s I have found this on Picture Sheffield dated 1880 ( J. Wilson & Son, Toy Importers, Great Central Toy Warehouse,

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s19547&pos=2&action=zoom&id=22085

Could it be the start before a major partnership looks a big place.

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On 24/05/2007 at 20:13, deejayone said:

Wasn't it owned by Redgates too?

Not when I recall it in the 1950s. It appeared ‘an independent’ and looked pretty ‘upmarket’ - akin to a London toy shop.
All top quality brands - I recall the  Britain’s  farm, circus, Wildwest and military figure displays in particular - rows and rows of them all carefully arranged on shelves.  
A quintessential toy shop.... Redgates even in its repaired,  post-War form more of a ‘store’ - though very good in its own way as others rightly affirm.
I too, recall the very expensive kids car in the window and it’s pull to padding shoppers........and the very lifelike soft animal replicas - some  almost full size - with price tags to go with em! Makes you wonder if they sold any and who to?! 
More great memories of a world long gone.....

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 My first Hornby clockwork train came from here - 1952. I was still playing with it 10 years later. 

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On 22/09/2008 at 17:47, SteveHB said:

 

According to this advert, they were in 1970 ..

post-188-1222101803_thumb.jpg

I suspect Redgates took the firm over. The name sounds like two people foundered the firm, expanded, then became a Limited Liability Company. Before being swallowed up by Redgates.  

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I am a bit late joining this topic but my first recollections of Redgates are when I visited my grandma with my mum, she lived at the bottom of the Moor and we used to pass Redgates at the bottom of Ecclesall Road and there was a beautiful doll dressed in a turquoise dress which I finally got for Christmas, in 1972 when I had my first baby I had a beautiful Silver Cross high slung pram from Redgates and in 1980 I started work there two days a week on the switchboard until moving to Australia, they were very happy days there, such a pity it had to close, people came from out of Sheffield to shop there and when the Millennium Falcon was the rage the phones never stopped with people trying to find one as every toy shop had sold out

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