Stuff you took for granted that no longer exists?

[Confusednbemused]

Was saying to my daughter how I used to go to Boots or Superdrug and take free perfume samples to try at home before deciding what to buy and it occurred to me I've no idea when that stopped and the little strips of paper became a thing!!

What inanimate or service level thing do you miss which you used to take for granted?

Discos. I miss them.

The beef ones.

Sausage egg and cheese bagel from McDonald’s

Walkers lamb flavour crisps.

Department stores.. ooh, I did love a browse around them. Especially the massive Co-op with the restaurant at the top. Now, if I have to go near the city (for dentists) I just travel through & go straight home.. not in dire need of barbers & vape shops.

I really miss Debenhams.

I wondered what happened to those! I never buy celebrations as I don’t like cheap, overly sugary chocolates. However, if there was a box going around then I would always go for the Galaxy truffle as it was the only decent one in there. Now I know why I can never find them anymore!

Aztec bars, when Cadbury's was proper chocolate.
My two favourite perfumes (Lancome Miracle So Magic and Penhaligon's Elixir) - both discontinued years ago, around the same time. I've spent a fortune on 'samples' since and still can't find one l like as much as those. I used to wear perfume every day, even if l was just alone in the house, and l miss it.
Thornton's Cappuccino truffles, and their Brazil nut toffee. Oh, and their Country Caramels. Vanished off the face of the earth with their shops and cafes.
This is why we can't have nice things.

@katseyes7
Have you checked online stores for the perfume ?

*Neveranynamesleft *
Yes, l've tried often over the years since they were discontinued, hoping they'd resurrect them.
There are some online (eBay), but expensive and small sizes which would likely only last me a month or so.
Besides which, considering how long ago they were discontinued, l don't know how they've been stored or if they're actually genuine or not.
I know the Lancome one was listed on eBay years ago when it was still made by Lancome, my friend bought one, and it was a fake from Turkey (the seller admitted she'd bought it there). It was dreadful and my friend got her money back.

90s ecstasy

Brannigans crisps.

Was partial to pink Newyorkers 😁

Saying to a friend “I’ll meet you on the 9.30 bus into town” and wondering whether she’d get on at her stop or not….the joy when she did and then having a lovely day out in Leeds.

You never know with ebay. I sold two genuine lipsticks on there recently, very happy about that and all went well, but was given a bottle of LBTy perfume for Christmas that turned out to be a fake, the giver admitted it came from ebay because its too expensive otherwise. Its been reported and is being returned tomorrow but the problem seems to be growing.

Oh so do I 😔

If you get an instruction book the print is so small you need a magnifier! My daughter bought a car a few months back and when she asked where the manual was the salesman said oh you don't get one you have to go online!

Sainsburys cafe did the most amazing toasted teacakes ever.

DH found this lack of car manual when he bought a new to him car and he wasn't very happy about it.

Oh my goodness. I loved those.

A functioning worldwide political system not run by lunatics or wet wipes.

Also, this.

I miss magazines where you'd get perfume strips and product sachets in the pages. Also, video shops and Topshop and listening to the to 40 on a Sunday on the radio.

Department stores and perfume shops could give out small samples of a perfume that you quite liked. Now staff look at you like you have two heads if you ask for those. They were great to see if you liked it after a couple of decent wears and not just a quick blast in the shop.

I bought something recently, and even with my glasses on and standing next to a window I couldn't read the instructions. They were, however, printed in about 20 different languages, mostly completely useless to me.