A near-complete Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory toy, $14,196 (£10,410) at RR Auction.
Alfred Carlton Gilbert had founded what became the AC Gilbert Company in 1909 and scored an enduring hit in 1913 with the Erector set. He envisaged the Atomic Energy Lab as the chemistry kit to end all chemistry kits and it was marketed to post-war America in 1950-51.
Priced at $50, which equates to roughly $650 (£480) today, the detail that modern parents would find most alarming are the four varieties of uranium that came as standard: carnotite, autunite, torbernite, and uraninite.
It was never enough to threaten the lives of young would-be scientists, but it helps explain its reputation as ‘the most dangerous toy in history’.
That reputation prompted bidders at RR Auction (25% buyer’s premium), in Amherst, New Hampshire, to pursue a near-complete example to the all-inclusive sum of $14,196 (£10,410) on June 11. The toy had an estimate of $4000 and went to a private online bidder.
“At the end of the day, it’s really the story around this toy that helped drive the price,” said Bobby Livingston at RR. “The Atomic Energy Lab has become a cultural touchstone - a symbol of that post-war moment when atomic science was both something to be feared and something people thought might power the future. And let’s be honest: nothing quite says ‘Atomic Age’ like handing kids a science kit that actually included uranium samples.
“It’s extremely rare to find the lab not only close to complete, but still holding onto the original ore samples,” he said, surmising that there are “fewer than 50 substantially complete examples” left worldwide.
“Pictures don’t do this set justice,” said Livingston, adding, “When you open it up, the inside lid is bursting with vibrant graphics - atomic diagrams, bold colours, and vintage slogans like ‘Learn how to split the atom at home!’ It’s almost theatrical in how it presents itself.
“And the hardware itself has real presence. The Geiger counter clicks and hums, the cloud chamber has weight to it - you can feel that you’re handling a serious scientific instrument, even if it was sold as a kid’s toy. It’s that mix of genuine science and childlike wonder that makes this piece so compelling in person.”
This was the second Atomic Energy Lab that RR has handled. Six months earlier, in December, it sold a complete version of the kit for $16,500 (£13,200), which is believed to be an auction record.
“As far as we can tell, these two sales set the bar pretty high,” Livingston said. “Before that, most complete or near-complete kits were selling in the $6000-10,000 range over the past decade.”
