80s/90s childhood: What Christmas wishes were always out of reach?

[Cosywintervibes]

If you grew up poor in the 80s or 90s, what did you always want but never got? And what shops did you love wandering around even though everything in them felt way out of reach?

For me, it was Rockport boots and White Musk from The Body Shop. I must have spent hours wandering through Woolworths, Boots, The Body Shop, Debenhams… even Clinton Cards, just staring at things I knew were far too expensive for us. My version of Christmas magic back then was just walking around the bustling high street, imagining what it would be like to be able to buy even one of those things.

Did you ever manage to get any of your “one day” wishlist items once you got older? Or do you still remember the things you wished for but never had?

A few toys when I was younger, Mr Frosty, a Get-a-long gang toy, Care Bears, Mr Fruity and an areoplane playset. As I reached my teens though I never really sought after anything, I knew there was no point. I come from a town that had a massive market that was very central to shopping and part of the towns hub, absolutely everything we got was from the market, food, flowers, clothes, school uniform, shoes, makeup, perfume.. I had school friends who lived in wealthier areas that loved all things Bodyshop, top shop, miss Selfridges etc but i used to think they were daft spending money on stuff they could get cheaper on the market. I still think this way with a lot of things.

I’m the same — growing up with very little just gets wired into you, doesn’t it? I still live really frugally now and think carefully about every purchase, even when I don’t have to anymore. It’s funny how those habits stick.

I do let myself have the odd treat these days though, and it still feels a bit special every time. I think when you’ve spent your childhood knowing something was “out of reach”, buying even a small thing you once wanted feels like such a win.

Totally get what you mean about markets too — when you grow up thinking the market is the “normal” place to get everything, the shops your friends loved just seem unbelievably expensive!

Although I’m sensible, I absolutely do treat myself these days and as I’ve gotten older I don’t feel the need to miss out on something I want just because I don’t necessarily need it, it’s hard fighting the instinct to be sensible though.

I make sure my DCs don’t feel this way, I still teach them to watch what they spend but they get everything they want off their Christmas lists and I teach them they deserve to enjoy everything they have and they don’t have to save everything for best like I was taught.

It was always a Mr Frosty - don't know why, but I wanted one for years and never got one. My parents did their best for my sister and me growing up, and I know that they went without to provide for us both, including not eating at times.

Although I didn't get one, I do remember Christmas with fondness and appreciate what we got given.
Nowadays, I still have some worries about money to an extent, but I do treat myself and the family, as it is nice to have things you want rather than need.

Apparently they remade mr frosty a few years ago because it was the highest ranking toy that children wanted and never received!

I just knew Mr Frosty would come up, I also wanted one, and got one as an adult- it was a disappointment, and the stuff it made didn’t look anything like the delicious slush that the adverts portrayed 😂

Mr frosty and the cadburys dairy milk dispenser where you pulled the lever and it popped out chocolates

We finally got a Mr Frosty and it was the biggest let down ever! Thankfully if I recall someone gave it to my Mum for us after their own kids didn’t use it, we soon found out why.

Dream phone!

I did get fashion wheel though

@Bookishworms I got the Cadburys machine one Christmas, complete waste of time. Once you have eaten all the chocs it’s useless and they were really hard to find and stupidly expensive to buy more!

Pretty sure I never got my top item on my list each year as I refused to play along with my mother’s public image campaign . We were told when we saw Santa and he asked us what we wanted that I was to say ‘world peace’ and my younger sister had to say ‘no more starving children’ . Of course my sister did it and I would then say exactly what I wanted - mr frosty/lights alive/magic steps/get in shape girl set etc etc 😂😂😂 I just buckled under the pressure !

I managed to eat all of mine and my siblings with just one 2p at 5 am on Boxing Day the year we got those ! Because I asked for lights alive (see my above post) and didn’t get it but my sister did so I was annoyed ! Clung to that 2 p with my nails and pulled it back out each time to reuse !!!

That’s hilarious! I’d forgotten about Lights Alive. I wanted it but never got it.
i can also attest that Mr Frosty was crap and a massive let down.
I wanted a Soda Stream for quite a long time. I think I would have been disappointed with that too, tbh.

Mr Frosty for me too, and a soda stream. But my best friend was an only child and better off and she had ALL the toys, including Mr Frosty, so I hung out at hers a lot. We're actually still close friends in our 50's but she's never forgiven me for the time I told her I was too old to play with dolls 😂.

I wanted a magna doodle and got an etch a sketch that only drew in straight lines… was first year of the magna thing and was too expensive… still not over it now!

Best present for me (and possibly worst for my parents) was a doll with a little record in the back that laughed or cried.. it ran out of battery quite often 😂

tbf my teenage years were better as I was youngest of 3 so parents had more money and my db were both working so I got a bit spoilt

Mr Frosty!! We were very middle class but cash poor although I don't know if it was a money thing or my parents didn't approve.

My sister got the Cadbury dispenser and it was a bit crap as it was really hard/ expensive to replace the bars.

I hated etch a sketch it made my brain hurt

Checked into this thread this morning and there were no new posts. Will catch up tonight.

Mr frosty and that doll you fed that cherry smelling food to. Baby all gone

How did the mr frosty company make any money nobody was allowed one 🤣

I was a child in the 60s/70s.

I was desperate for a space hopper, a pogo stick, an etch-a-sketch and a Spirograph. I never got any of them.

We weren’t particularly hard up but my parents would never have spent that sort of money on toys.

That mini post office and sweet shop that had stamps to buy and sweets to sell.
mr frosty
cabbage patch doll - my mum said they were ugly
but I do remember getting my Little pony dream castle to share with my sister, which was epic

Everything I saw in the ads in my Archie comic books and American teen magazines - like the Lisa Frank bicycle with hidden compartments!
(We did not live in America)

My mum gave me a letter I’d written to Father Christmas as a child. I asked for an Indian doll in costume (Native American, but I was about 9, and didn’t know any better). I told FC that he could get one at the ‘Bargain Shop’.

I just never believed I deserved anything expensive; I didn’t realise that my family weren’t well off enough.

I still buy most things from Charity shops.

I love that you wanted to help FC know where he could find the toy.

I never actually ‘asked’ for anything specifically for Christmas - I knew my parents bought our presents, and though they did put effort into finding and buying us nice things, I somehow always felt/knew I couldn’t ask for such and such a thing, in case it was too much and they felt bad…?