Brits willing to pay for the return of ‘priceless’ childhood toys
Toys have been named the most memorable aspect of childhood by one in 10 Brits, while two thirds (64%) admit they'd be willing to cough up the cash if it meant their safe return.
On average, Brits would happily fork out £40 to bring back their most beloved toys - and 3% admit they'd pay up to £100, according to research commissioned by TSB to mark the launch of its new flexible home insurance, Pick and Protect.
The nostalgia surrounding childhood toys is so strong that more than a third (38%) of Brits still owns their childhood toys, while 29% have handed their much-loved toys to younger family members - a tradition that seems to be growing, with young people most likely (32%) to pass down toys.
When it comes to the childhood toys Brits most want to bring back it seems 'retro' reigns as LEGO is voted most favourite childhood toy by a third (31%) of Brits. Despite its iconic plastic bricks first taking shape in the late 1950s, it was also ranked most popular toy amongst younger people, with 43% of 18-24 year olds putting it top of the list. In fact, the nation's favourite toy was the only one to make it into the top five for both men (35%) and women (28%).
Taking second place, 60s toy Etch a Sketch drew a fifth of the votes (18%), which rises to 23% for women, while 50s modelling clay Play-Doh is the third most popular childhood toy with 16% of the votes. Standing the test of time, Play-Doh is also favoured most by younger people, with more than a third (34%) of 18-24 year olds choosing it as their favourite toy.
Other timeless toys Brits want to resurrect include 50s icon Mr Potato Head - named favourite toy by 12% of younger people, 40s stair-climbing toy Slinky (22%), the Yo-Yo (17%) and Polly Pocket (23%).
Often the cause of sibling squabbles; toys are highly guarded possessions for most children with 71% of people admitting they were attached to their toys as a youngster. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many 'retro' toys can be found listed with hefty price tags on eBay. For example, the LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon is currently being auctioned for up to £7,995 and the original Kahootz Spirograph is selling for around £25, despite today's edition being less than half that price (£9.99).
The research comes as TSB launches Pick and Protect - its new insurance offering that gives homeowners the flexibility to select exactly what they do and don't want to cover, helping cut out unnecessary or overlapping cover.
The new product, available in partnership with Aviva, also caters for students and first-time buyers with a dedicated student package and starter contents package, as well as offering global gadget cover and global bike cover as additional add-ons.
Ian Ramsden, Director of TSB Home Insurance, said: "Our research shows there's a strong sense of nostalgia around the toys people owned as children, which continues into adulthood, as many Brits admit they're willing to pay handsomely to bring back their favourites. The things that people most want to protect really varies, which is why we believe customers should be given similar flexibility when it comes to insurance. Pick and Protect home insurance doesn't bundle together lots of cover and ask customers to pay for it, whether they want it or not. It is a new way of doing insurance and one which sits well with TSB's current home insurance offer.
Full details of TSB's Pick and Protect can be found at tsb.co.uk/insurance/home-insurance/