GILBERT U-238 ATOMIC ENERGY LAB
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By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25797)
United States
October 8, 2018 9:44am CST
A post by @FourWalls got me thinking about warning labels and disclaimers, and that got me thinking about warning labels on toys, and that got me searching on the web for a specific toy I vaguely remembered.
While trying to find information on another bizarre and dangerous toy I remembered once seeing a television commercial for, I came across this even more bizarre and dangerous kit once sold with the encouragement of the US Government (according to the website article found here http://mentalfloss.com/article/68391/10-dangerous-toys-decades-past-and-commercials-sold-them).
The kit came out in 1951 and contained actual radioactive particles. You can read more about this and other not-so-bright toy ideas in the article at mentalfloss.com. Those among you of my generation will probably remember many of the toys listed.
Have you ever had or bought for a child a toy that was later pulled from the market as unsafe after being introduced with much fanfare?
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5 responses
@FourWalls (86949)
• United States
8 Oct 18
We had Dynamite Shack when I was a kid. It got pulled because of the "danger" of the roof coming off the shack.
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@FourWalls (86949)
• United States
8 Oct 18
@DWDavis — you wore plastic thumbs and had to pick up pieces of “dynamite “ with them and put them down the chimney before the roof “blew off.”
A rather funny game where you wear oversized thumbs and try to put dynamite sticks into a shack before it blows up. I enjoyed this as a kid... I am most certain it would be frowned upon for its "explosive" theme now-a-days...
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@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
8 Oct 18
@FourWalls I found a video of it on youTube. The plastic thumbs looked familiar. I may have played it when I was very little.
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@wolfgirl569 (136113)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Oct 18
I have or they changed them to make them safer. But many of what I bought for the kids were safe if used right. And part of that was under adult supervision. I was willing to play with my kids instead of having my nose in t.v. or the phone. So we never had a problem.
But radioactive material is a different story. Glad they realized that stuff is not safe.
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@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
8 Oct 18
@wolfgirl569 I suspect that is one of the reasons the kit was pulled after only two years on the market.
@wolfgirl569 (136113)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Oct 18
@DWDavis Yes, but kids will ingest, if nothing else by not washing their hands.
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@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Oct 18
In good condition, that would be a valuable collector's item.
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@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
8 Oct 18
I can only imagine what it might bring at auction. Do you suppose the radioactive pieces would have been confiscated or turned in by now, though? Never mind, answered my own question with a little more research. The isotopes used were of minimal risk. One of the estimates I saw said a kit in like new condition would sell for about $5,000 if a collector can find one.
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@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
8 Oct 18
There are so many toys that have come out that have proven to be not so safe. For example the you sauntering irons, lawn darts etc.
What's funny is the following video is what i was watching when I saw this discussion .
You won't be seeing any of these toys on anyones wish list this Christmas. GMM #818! Get your Rhett & Link Bobbleheads now at http://rhettandlink.com/store G...
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