The disappointments of Christmases past still weigh heavy on the minds of British adults, according to a nationwide poll by Argos revealing the gifts that Brits were sad to miss out on as children.
Game Boy topped the list of longed-for gifts, with Mr Frosty and Sega Mega Drive coming in a close second and third. Those now in their 40s were most likely to have put Mr Frosty on their Christmas list, while those currently over 50 desperately wanted a Walkman.
Among these gifts that adults missed out on as children, overall respondents would most still like to receive a lava lamp but those now in their 30s and 40s still really want to try out the Sega Mega Drive to re-live their childhood gaming dreams.
The top ten longed for gifts of Christmas-past are: Game Boy, Mr Frosty, SEGA Mega Drive, Lava lamp, Walkman, Barbie Dream House, Rubik’s Cube, Karaoke Machine, Twister and Furby
Respondents also shared the worst gifts they received instead of what they truly wanted, with people being given a crocheted waistcoat, a geography encyclopedia and even half-eaten chocolate instead. Perhaps in the hopes of getting better gifts than this, a third (30 per cent) of adults still opt to write a Christmas list.
Those still pining for the gifts that never made it under their tree can find a selection of the most popular presents from Argos complete with the original catalogue images for a welcome blast from the past.
To spread some much-needed Christmas magic in the run-up to the big day, nostalgic Brits can comment on Argos’s dedicated competition Twitter post with the item from The Gift That Got Away website that they most wanted, along with #ArgosChristmasMagic, and the Argos delivery elves will surprise lucky winners with a delivery of their longed-for gift.
The list of the gifts that got away comes as searches for ‘retro’ on the Argos website increased by 110 per cent in November compared to the previous month as the nation entered a second lockdown. Meanwhile in the same period, Sega Mega Drive, Mr Frosty and Stretch Armstrong have seen huge upticks in page visits of 324 per cent, 241 per cent and 258 per cent respectively.
The new research found that two fifths (38 per cent) have been buying nostalgic items over the course of the pandemic, with two in five (43 per cent) saying it brought them a sense of comfort and 30 per cent wanting some escapism from what’s been a very difficult year.
The data also showed that 70 per cent miss how magical Christmas was as a child and two thirds (67 per cent) think it becomes less exciting as you get older, with half (49 per cent) even admitting they think it’s unfair that adults miss out on the magic of Christmas. 44 per cent also wish they still believed in Santa Claus.
Rob Quartermain, Senior Campaign Manager for Argos said: “After a long and difficult year, people need some Christmas magic more than ever. We want to bring some joy to the last weeks of 2020 by surprising people with the gift they always wanted as a child but never received. The memories of not receiving that Barbie, board game or console lingers on decades later, so we hope the nostalgic gifts will sprinkle some magic to their festive season.”
Those looking to bring some immediate magic into their own homes this Christmas, can also get the Marvin’s Magic 130 Magic Made East Tricks set on the website, as featured in this year’s Argos Christmas advert, which draws on the themes of nostalgia and escapism.
