Dangerous Toys From the Past

@celticeagle (184778)
Boise, Idaho
November 25, 2025 11:21am CST
I grew up in the 50s and 60s. I am amazed looking at this article of the toys we kids were allowed back then. There were many that were "extremely sharp, had harmful chemicals, or fired projectiles that could put an eye out" says this article. Here are some that were offered back then: * In 1950 a toy lab set, the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab, came out. It included actual radioactive material and was priced at a whopping $49.50 which is equivalent to $665 in today's USD. * The Agent Zero Buckle Gun came out in 1959 which had plastic pellets that could be fired from the gun. Again, they could put an eye out. * Javelin Lawn darts or "jarts" came out in 1950 with metal tips. They weren't banned until the 80s. There were also the clackers which were two balls originally made from tempered glass which, once again, could fly into someone eye or cut the skin. They were redone with hard wooden balls next. Also a glass blowing kit with an actual Benson burner and a blowpipe. I wonder how many eye accidents occurred back then.
16 people like this
14 responses
@DaddyEvil (166450)
• United States
25 Nov
I've read about those before and actually had a set of the "clackers" when I was a kid. Mine didn't break before I got tired of it and stopped playing with it. We also had a set of the Jarts. Mom put them up in the attic so we couldn't reach them. One of my brothers kept trying to hit the rest of us with them. He got me in the back of the foot with one and mom had to pull it out.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I'm glad your mother put them away. Scary.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (166450)
• United States
26 Nov
@celticeagle True... I'm not sure why she bought them in the first place. None of us used them to play lawn darts anyway.
@much2say (57758)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Nov
I didn't have any of those, but I guess no one really thought about safety back then the way they do today.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
No, and they didn't know how dangerous these things were back then either.
2 people like this
@much2say (57758)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Nov
@celticeagle The radioactive stuff - oh my!
• Torrington, Connecticut
25 Nov
Radio active toys, sign me up lol
2 people like this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
Scary stuff.
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (12243)
• United States
26 Nov
I loved those clackers and was so good at it. Once, I hit myself in the forehead, but kept on going, even as I bruised. We survived some of the craziest toys back then.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I had a Red Flyer wagon that I carried all my toys around in.
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (12243)
• United States
27 Nov
@celticeagle I did too and got my kids them.
@Deepizzaguy (117688)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
26 Nov
That is a good question since in the 1950s were dangerous.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
Seems so.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (117688)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
26 Nov
@LindaOHio (211914)
• United States
26 Nov
I didn't know about the lab kit with the radioactive material! OH my!!!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
Yes, indeed. Scary.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (167411)
• United States
26 Nov
I vaguely remember some of these. My little brother had a battery operated "submarine" which would roll on the floor. It had both plastic torpedoes and surface to air missiles that it fires. Possibilities for injury there.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
Yes, indeed. That sounds like quite a sub.
@AmbiePam (111119)
• United States
25 Nov
The most danger I remember being in was getting my shins bruised with those Skip It toys. I’m sure there were worse toys, but my mom kept a good eye out for trouble we could get ourselves into.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I scraped my knees quite often.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51236)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
25 Nov
Probably not a lot of eye accidents back then because we knew better? Isn't that why there weren't any warnings on those things?
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I seriously doubt it. I think they just didn't realize how dangerous they were.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91197)
• United States
25 Nov
I had to laugh at the names of them though.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
Yes, really inventive and packed a punch back then.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (82375)
• United States
25 Nov
Hey, we had Jarts. I think Dynamite Shack got banned because the roof “blew off” of the shack (maybe three inches in the air but you know how lawyers are). And you mentioned the Clackers!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
What time it was back then.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (39375)
• Toccoa, Georgia
25 Nov
I had clackers and thought they were awesome . Luckily I had no accidents playing with it.
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@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
That's good.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (128569)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Nov
We had the clackers and jarts. Had a lot of fun with both
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@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I bet you did.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (93389)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 Nov
Being a girl I did not know any of these toys, My toys were pretty tame,
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (184778)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Nov
I didn't either.
1 person likes this