What gift items do you remember from your childhood which would never be gifts today?

[FredaFrogspawn]

Another thread ended up accidentally debating the fact that ashtrays were common gifts for weddings or twenty first birthdays. I remember big marble or onyx ones, and ones on a stand which went by the arm of the chair. No one smoked in our house and we still had a shed load of these things.
Another thing I remember is steering wheel covers, in pleather. What were those about?? And leather covers for the TV listings magazines we all had to have before papers printed what was on with ‘Radio Times’ self importantly embossed on them. (My dad kept his TV Times in there and ringed the programmes he wanted to watch with a Quink ink capitalised ‘Tell Dad When This Is On.’)

Anything else?

My 5yo has a new Fuzzy Felt set! It's a bit fiddly tbf.

I had the dolls in tubes, the dressing table set, even once I got a fancy powder puff thing and some violet perfume!

Ornaments from lucky dips at fetes/school fairs.

Filofax/ Funfax

A 'topsy tail' basically a big 'needle' thing to flip your pony tail.

Scrunchies and chiffon scarf hair tie things.

Notelets

Those flannels that had been shrunk into a little disc and you put them in water to release them.

Jacks game.

Pyjama case (frilly)

We still do satsumas in stockings too.

Tiny little stationery kit that fit into a little box with everything slotting into the right place - glue, tiny roll of tape, scissors, paperclips. I absolutely loved that thing and took it on a primary school trip with me instead of a teddy or anything.

Dolls with China heads that played tunes when you wound up a key at the back. My mum thought I loved them.
Height of sophistication was when I got a pair of tights and a small purse as a young teen.
I really wanted a dressing table set - matching mirror, brush and comb in a metallic silver finish. I would look longingly at them in the Argos catalogue.
My kids would balk at these gifts.

Bath salts in cube form.

They were so special we never actually used them

So much good stuff!

I had completely forgotten about the Cadbury's mini Dairy Milk dispenser! The tiny bars definitely tested better.
Rectangle boxes of fruit pastilles or Smarties - my Nana's next door neighbour would get me one every Christmas.
Holly Hobby and Victoria Plum bedding sets.
Cherryade or Dandelion and Burdock ordered from the milkman - only at Christmas. We use to get the Christmas catalogue from the dairy and we'd be allowed to choose one bottle of pop each.
Tinkerbell makeup - the peel off nail varnish!

My 90s bedroom was covered in ornaments of fairies and little animals. Don’t think I could cope with that amount of tat lying in my kids rooms!

Grew up in the 70's. We would get one big present e.g. tonka toy for my brothers, Sindy for my sister and a yappy battery operated dog for me. Some felt tips, an annual and always a selection box which was generally consumed before Christmas dinner.

We would also get a game to share, one year it was a game called 'Crossfire' iirc. A gun at each end that fired steel ball barings about 1 cm that you tried to score in the opposing ends goal.

I also recall getting a 'continental quilt' for Christmas in 1976 I think.

@Chienloup didn’t those boxes of sweets feel like such a treat and an extravagance?! The boxes of malteasers too. Now I realise they’re less than £1

You've just reminded me of fuzzy felts, I loved those kits! I wonder if you can still buy them?

Fuzzy Felt used to be great! The present day ones aren't as good. I think the brand is owned by someone else now.

A Lady Penelope necklace that flipped open to reveal a mirror. I thought I was the bees knees with that.

Cross posted with @HyggeTygge - now I'm tempted to track one down and buy it for the nostalgia!

Sugar pigs

@thesunwillout

I loved a post office set.

Me too. Mine had dog licences

@Letsgetthishousesold do you mean cherry lips? I really liked them.

@Letsgetthishousesold I think you mean Cherry Lips

Sparklets soda syphon
Onyx table lighters
My Aunt had a coaster with an ashtray attached, it was known as a “sip’n’smoke” set

@Letsgetthishousesold - do you mean Cherry Lips? I loved them, and also the even more strongly scented Floral Gums.

A dolls head for practicing makeup which I was never allowed. also never allowed mr slushy. Got a soda stream though.

Yes dolls from different countries in national outfits, soap on the rope lol 😂, yes bath pearls I likes to roll them around until they burst 🙌🏻, old style nighties, brunch coats (not a gift but I remember nans walking around in an all day coat over their old fashioned nighties, oh my gosh also brush and mirror sets took me back, and who ever wanted those nail sets a day present but we got them they were presents (to file and cut your nails), old fashioned perfumes (Charlie) and bubble baths galore. Little notebooks and little pencils. No idea what for or if I used them. I think we Just kept lots of “stuff” on the shelf as “special” and unused.

God I'm so slow at typing 😂

Fuzzy felt
Dinky diary I had completely forgotten! Adored mine
Mousetrap definitely
Anyone else collect mini glass tankards?

@worraliberty I have never smoked but I want the donkey arse thing more than words can say

Major Minor. I loved this but can't see it being a big hit these days.

Mousetrap isn't a crap gift, mine was my top present one Christmas and I know one day I'll buy it for ds, he'll love it!

No no Major MORGAN

Does anyone remember Whimsies?not sure if that's the correct spelling, little china miniature animals etc. Used to have quite a collection of them.