Argos Book of Dreams

In November 2019 Argos launched a digital archive website called ‘Book of Dreams’ containing all their old catalogues back to 1974. Apparently the site had 1.8 million visits in the first 48 hours. I was really looking forward to rooting through it for teasmades, but sadly the domain address argosbookofdreams.co.uk is no longer active and simply redirects to their main website. However, you can still see lots of old Argos catalogues on Issuu, courtesy of Retromash. They have an index to their online Argos catalogues here.

Using Retromash’s uploads I have created a list of teasmades sold in the Argos catalogues from 1973 onwards, which should be helpful as an aid to dating. It is fascinating to see how the range of models increases during the 1970s and early 1980s, and dropping off again through the 80s.

If you have a copy of one of the missing catalogues, it would be fantastic to add them to Retromash’s excellent resource. Their contact details are on their website.

1973/1974

• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £20.40
• Goblin 843 £14.55
• Goblin 844 £17.95
• Goblin 815 £10.55
• Goblin 835b £21.95

1974

• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £25.60
• Goblin 843 £18.50
• Goblin 844 £22.95
• Goblin 815 £13.50
• Goblin 835b £26.60

1974/1975

• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £26.50
• Goblin 855 £27.75 (pictured with J & G Meakin Poppy crockery, first issued in 1973, not included)
• Goblin 852 £22.95
• Goblin 853 £13.50
• Goblin 854 £26.60

1975-1976 Autumn/Winter

• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £32.95
• Goblin 852 £17.95
• Goblin 855 £34.95
• Goblin 853 £23.95
• Goblin 854 £29.50

1976 Spring/Summer

• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £35.95
• Goblin 852 £18.75
• Goblin 855 £35.95
• Goblin 853 £24.95
• Goblin 854 £29.95

1976 Autumn/Winter

• Goblin 853 £21.95
• Goblin 852 £16.95
• Goblin 855 £30.50
• Pifco Deluxe Teamaker £32.50 (inludes tray, cups and containers)
• Goblin 854 £25.95
• Pifco Teamaker £28.95
• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £34.95

1977 Spring/Summer

• Goblin 853 £23.50
• Goblin 852 £18.50
• Goblin 855 £32.95
• Pifco Deluxe Teamaker £33.50 (inludes tray, cups and containers)
• Goblin 854 £27.50
• Pifco Teamaker £29.95
• Russell Hobbs Easy Riser £36.50

1977 Autumn

• Goblin 855 £32.95
• Goblin 860 £36.95
• Goblin 853 £25.95
• Ekco Hostess £38.95
• Goblin 852 £19.95
• Teeboy Deluxe £25.95
• Pifco Teamaker £35.95
• Goblin 854 £28.95

1978 Spring

• Goblin 860 £36.50
• Goblin 852 £18.95
• Teeboy Deluxe £25.95
• Goblin 853 £24.95
• Goblin 854 £28.50

1978 Autumn

• Goblin 860 £36.75
• Goblin 854 £29.95
• Goblin 853 £26.45
• Teeboy Deluxe £27.95
• Goblin 850 £19.75

1979 Spring/Summer

• Goblin 860 £37.49
• Goblin 855 £38.49
• Goblin 850 £19.99
• Goblin 854 £30.99
• Teeboy Deluxe £27.99

1979 Autumn/Winter

• Goblin 854 £33.79
• Goblin 860 £40.99
• Goblin 850 £21.99
• Teeboy Deluxe £30.79
• Goblin 855 £40.99

1980 Spring/Summer

• Teeboy Deluxe £31.99
• Goblin 855 £39.99
• Goblin Radio 870 £65.99
• Goblin 850 £24.99
• Goblin 860 £40.99
• Goblin 854 £34.99

1980 Autumn/Winter

• Goblin 860 £43.99
• Goblin 855 £42.99
• Goblin 854 £36.99
• Goblin 850 £28.49
• Teeboy Deluxe £36.49
• Goblin Radio 870 £65.99

1981 Spring/Summer

• Goblin 860 £44.99
• Goblin 855 £43.99
• Goblin Radio 870 £63.99
• Goblin 854 £38.99
• Goblin 850 £28.99
• Teeboy Deluxe £35.99

1981 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1982 Spring/Summer

• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £41.99
• Goblin Radio 870 £59.99
• Goblin 860 £44.99
• Goblin 855 £43.99
• Goblin 854 £38.99
• Goblin 850 £29.49

1982 Autumn/Winter

• Goblin Radio 870 £59.95
• Goblin 860 £42.95
• Goblin 854 £36.95
• Goblin 850 £29.45
• Teeboy Deluxe £29.99
• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £42.95

1983 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1983 Autumn/Winter

• Goblin Compact £36.95
• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £44.95
• Teeboy Deluxe £29.99
• Goblin 860 £41.95
• Goblin Radio 870 £59.99

1984 Spring/Summer

• Goblin Radio 870 £62.95
• Goblin 860 £44.95
• Goblin Compact £38.95
• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £44.99

1984 Autumn/Winter

• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £46.99
• Goblin Radio 870 £64.95
• Goblin 860 £44.95
• Goblin Compact £39.99

1985 Spring/Summer

• Swan Compact £39.99
• Swan Radio £64.95
• Swan DeLuxe £44.95
• Russell Hobbs Chelsea £46.95

1985 Autumn/Winter

• Swan Compact £37.95
• Swan Radio £66.95
• Swan DeLuxe £47.95

1986 Spring/Summer

• Swan DeLuxe £47.95
• Swan Radio £66.95
• Swan Compact £37.95

1986 Autumn/Winter

• Swan Compact £38.95
• Swan DeLuxe £48.95

1987 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1987 Superstore Spring/Summer

Unknown – pages missing

1987 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1987 Superstore Autumn/Winter

Unknown – pages missing

1988 Spring/Summer

Swan DeLuxe £49.95

1988 Autumn/Winter

• Swan DeLuxe £49.95
• Philips Tea for Two £18.75
• Philips Café Duo or Tea for Two Clock Radio add-on module £14.95 (shown with Café Duo £18.75)

1989 Spring/Summer

• Philips Café Duo or Tea for Two Clock Radio add-on module £14.95
• Swan DeLuxe £49.45

1989 Autumn/Winter

• Philips Café Duo or Tea for Two Clock Radio add-on module £14.45
• Philips Café Duo £18.75
• Philips Tea for Two £18.45
• Swan DeLuxe £48.95

1990 Spring/Summer

• Philips Tea for Two £18.25
• Swan Compact £44.50

1990 Autumn/Winter

• Swan Compact £49.50
• Philips Tea for Two £20.50

1991 Spring/Summer

Swan Compact £51.50

1991 Autumn/Winter

Swan Compact £54.50

1992 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1992 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Swan Compact £49.50

1992 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1993 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1993 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Swan Compact £48.50

1993 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1993 Autumn/Winter Superstore

• Swan Compact £48.50

1993 Christmas

• No tea makers other than a Philips Tea for Two

1994 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1994 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Swan Compact £49.50

1994 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1994 Superstore Autumn/Winter

• Swan Compact £49.00

1995 Spring/Summer

Unknown – not digitised

1995 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Russell Hobbs Signature 2 Cup Tea/Coffee Maker £21.50
• Swan Compact Auto Tea/Coffee Maker (model D01P1, not named) £48.50

1995 Autumn/Winter

Unknown – not digitised

1995 Autumn/Winter Superstore

Unknown – not digitised

1996 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Russell Hobbs Signature 2 Cup Tea/Coffee Maker £21.50
• Swan D01P1 £51.50

1999 Spring/Summer Superstore

• Swan D01P1 £54.50

Finally, here’s the Christmas 2019 video from Argos which launched the online archive: