Artist scans and uploads every page of 1976 catalogue prompting wave of nostalgia from web users

1970s edition had 250 pages and featured sideburn trimming razors

2011 issue has 1000 pages and has an iPad and a range of buying options on the front cover

It's been called the laminated book of dreams but now the Argos catalogue can take its place alongside more historical documents.

Because as these photos show, the trusty Argos tome so popular with children in the run up to Christmas, can provide a fascinating insight into the changing tastes and aspirations of the nation over the past 35 years.

When artist and vintage lava lamp collector Anthony Voz found the 1976 catalogue at a recent car boot sale in London he decided to scan every single page and upload every one to the internet.

Look back in time: The Argos catalogue from 1976, found at a car boot sale in London, is providing an insight into how we used to shop .. and live

It was only when the 27-year-old was inundated with the recollections of people who saw the online version of the catalogue that he realised just how the humble book could unlock the years.

The vintage memorabilia collector had originally uploaded the pages to act as a reference for others with a love of old fashioned items.

How times have changed: The Argos catalogue 2011 edition boasting 1000 pages compared with just 250 in the 1976 edition

But as soon as the pages went live the London-based collector was overwhelmed by hundreds of messages of nostalgia from web users.

He said: 'The images act as a way to connect with people to discover their stories, their past and their memories.

'For example, people see teddy bears that they owned, or games consoles that they longed to own as a teenager and the catalogues also shed light into how it was to live back then.

'Looking at the catalogues makes people remember parts of their life that they had forgotten.'

Even a glance at the front cover of the glossy book from 1976 and today's brochure shows just how far technology has come both in terms of what is inside and how the Argos catalogue looks today.

The 1970's version shows a happy family on the front cover while the 2011 edition features a tablet PC displaying the Argos website and a range of online purchasing options.

Typewriters, adding machines, cassette players and ashtrays are just some of the things that either no longer appear or have a minimal amount of space now dedicated to them.

Writing on the wall: Typewriters, with their range of features listed in the catalogue, are virtually a relic of a past age with the advent of personal computers and now tablets like the iPad

Sound investment: Handheld portable radios were on the up in 1976, but today music on the move can be accessed and stored on mobile phones.

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In '76 I got a spacehopper and a spinning top....and a whole pile of teddy bears. Beat that!

Oh yeah there was a pile of oranges and apples in a sock...and a plastic watch as well.

I used to ask and ask and ask , " what am I getting for Christmass? " , and my old mum used to reply , " A doll and a drum and a kick up the bum " .

messed up post-sorry

Most of my kiddy christmases were between 1939 and 1949 - so I saw very little for the first few years, except for some small warships made out of balsa wood, with pins as guns, and the orange in the stocking.

In 1940 I got a Dinky anti-aircraft gun, which came in very useful in 1941, when we were bombed out (hit by a German bomb - not smoking too much weed) and the ARP guy carried me out of the ruins while I was telling him I'd shoot the pilot down. (Clear memory of that incident).

By the time Argos came on the scene I was past all tthis, but they were always good for a quick, cheap prezzy.

For me in the early 1960s the arrival of the Sears Roebuck catalog was always a major event. The Christmas catalog was also a sought-after item around the house. Things were simpler back then. I still remember the man coming over to install a TV tower and antenna and then two guys carrying in the Setchell Carlson B/W TV. That was hi-tech gadgetry in those days. These days no one gets to appreciate the smell of tubes warming up in a dusty TV as you wait minutes to try to pick out images out of a snowy screen.

Cracking post....I'm hearing a rumour that Argos are in big financial trouble, their own online business is destroying their High Street shops, which of course are expensive to run.

Anyway I would love to get my hands on that catalogue.......I remember the Freemans catalogue being a big thing in my house......I think every article of clothing I wore till the age of 16 came from Freemans. It allowed my mum to pay it up and that was a real boon with a young family.

There was no HP in our house when I was a lad . All our stuff was paid for in hard cash , most of it second hand I admit . I think the idea was , if you buy it second hand you can sell it on again .

I'm waiting for Zzaa to tell us how everything was second hand and he had four older sisters etc....