This year's Argos Black Friday deals are about to end, but you have time to walk behind the scenes before the sales begin.
Argos has published a large archive of its catalogs since the 1970s in a collection called "The Book of Dreams" (a name invented by comedian Bill Bailey). The catalogs, stretching back to 1974, feature classic toys and technologies, as well as some real quirks.
Overseas highlights include a Casio keyboard from 1980 to 1981, which includes five sounds (including a piano and flute), as well as 10 preset rhythms (such as bossa nova and rhumba). This all sounds reasonable enough and worthy of a course for an electric keyboard from the 80s, but for whatever reason, Casio has also chosen to build an electric calculator.
This certainly preceded the trend of playing music on a scientific calculator, and it probably sounded better, too.
Casio's electronic musical instrument and calculator are a strange mix of '80s technology.
(Image credit: Argos Limited)
In the days before security cameras and bells, the only technology that protected your home from potential burglars was a good burglar alarm. Argos took a rather dramatic approach to advertising in 1985-86, illustrating the page with a dark, backlit silhouette leaning heavily against dark glass.
You will notice that Argos not only sold alarms, but also had a safe for your valuables disguised as an electrical outlet. It's not as useful as a tile tracker if your items are stolen, but it's a sneaky idea nonetheless.
Argos took a dramatic approach to commercializing home security technologies in the 1980s
(Image credit: Argos Limited)
In 1991-1992, radio cassette players had grown considerably, with several catalog pages entirely devoted to them. "Today, there are so many functions available in audio equipment that not all of them are easily understood," Argos explained kindly. "Our goal here is to explain some of them."
Unfortunately, the catalog did not include a cross reference to a page that contained the pencils needed to order his tapes when they were flipped.
In the 1990s, Argos stocked an impressive number of nearly identical radio cassette players.
(Image credit: Argos Limited)
Argos began stocking video games in the 1980s, with Mattel Intellivision and Atari Ingersoll, and in the 90s, its pages were decorated by Gameboy, NES, and Sega Master System, along with the Commodore C64.
It's worth noting that a Gameboy game that would cost € 40 in 1991 would equal around € 90 of money today. Games have gotten a lot more affordable since then, and we're expecting great deals on consoles this Black Friday and Cyber Mondays, especially with various games.
Games have become a key part of Argos' entertainment offering in the 1990s
(Image credit: Argos Limited)
The entire archive is worth visiting, but keep in mind that you might end up regretting that Scalextric set or Mr. Frosty that your parents refused to buy you for Christmas.
As for Bill Bailey, to thank him for his dedication to the catalog, this year the "Good Guardians of Argos" offered him his own laminated Dream Book, which he would cherish forever.
This happened today. My own personalized laminated dream book. Thank you, thank you, good guardians of Argos! I cry tears of joy! pic.twitter.com/Q1BMHebK3ctobtober 18, 2019
Where is a blue pen when you need it?