‘Laminated book of dreams’ comes to an end
● After 48 years and over a billion copies printed Argos calls time on catalogue
At the height of its popularity it was Europe’s most printed publication, with only the Bible more commonly found in households across the UK.
Now after 48 years in circulation, the Argos catalogue is no more, with the retailer revealing it is ditching the iconic “laminated book of dreams”.
The encyclopedia-like catalogue was first launched in 1972.
The popular retailer has since printed more than a billion catalogues, but the Covid-19 crisis and the continual rise in online shopping has finally led to the demise of the booklet, which was a treasure trove of gadgets and musthave toys. Vintage collector Anthony Voz unearthed one of the store’s first catalogues during a car boot sale in 2013.
It offers a fascinating glimpse into the ever-changing tastes of British shoppers and acted as a “bible of the day’s popular culture”.
Models with Farah Fawcett-flicked locks and men with helmet hair and Adidas tracksuits can be seen posing with the must-haves in the 1976 edition. They include instamatic Kodak cameras, metal typewriters and gas coal-effect fires as well as cassette tape walkmans and glistening gold opulent watches.
The whole booklet is a vision of orange and brown, featuring homes brimming with Ercol furniture and patio sun loungers.
Customers are also invited to buy state-of-the-art twin turntables on which to play early Elton John LPS, listened to through wooden speakers.
Trendy jackets inspired by the Fonz from Happy Days also feature emblazoned with the word “super”.
Typewriters, adding machines, cassette players and ashtrays are just some of the items that have died out as the years went by.
Mr Voz has shared the images, which shed light on the way British people used to live after scanning and uploading them online. And he was overwhelmed by the response from people who had fond childhood memories of the products featured within.
He said: “The images act as a way to connect with people to discover their stories, their past and their memories.
“For example, people see teddy bears that they owned, or games consoles that they longed to own as a teenager and the catalogues also shed light into how it was to live back then. Looking at the catalogues makes people remember parts of their life that they had forgotten.”
During its heyday, the catalogue featured the likes of Emma Bunton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daley model led clothes for the company before she became a household name.