The Most Dangerous Toy Ever Made Just Sold at Auction for $13,000
A PlayStation 5 is a fine gift. But can it scramble your DNA and melt your face off? (???)
One of the most dangerous toys of all time just sold at auction for over 13 GRAND. Unless you're in your 80s, you've probably never heard of it.
In 1950, the guy behind Erector Sets came up with a new science kit for kids called the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab . . . and it came with actual URANIUM. (Here's a photo.)
It had four glass jars, each with a small amount of radioactive material inside. So you could use a Geiger counter to test the radiation levels. (Fun!!)
It wasn't THAT dangerous as long as you didn't open the jars. But playing with it still exposed you to the amount of radiation you'd get from a full day in the sun. (I guarantee at least one kid cracked open those jars and ate that uranium. It's the backstory for every superhero.)
Some say it's the most dangerous toy ever sold. "Radar Magazine" once named it the second-most dangerous. They gave the top spot to Lawn Darts.
Less than 5,000 sets were sold between 1950 and '51. It got pulled from the market thanks to "government restrictions" and because it was too hard to get the uranium.
Full sets are tough to come by, especially in good condition. An online auction for one ended yesterday with a winning bid of $13,200.
(Here's a photo of the set they bought. The retail price was $49.50, which was a lot of money back then . . . over $650 if you adjust for inflation.)
Originally posted on December 12th, 2024