Which Mattel Thingmaker sets do you like the best?

[Hepcat]

Pick the five Mattel Thingmaker sets you like the best!

[frankenstein73]

I chose the giant creepy crawlers (1965) and the fright factory (1966), as the coolest but had to add the after 1978 because i had the witches caldron set with the round green plastic trays, man i played with that thing alot! all i have left of it is one tray withthe octopus on it  . i need to search for one to fill that void. I do have a bunch of the older creepy crawlers and fright factory and other various old metal molds and a few old cookers. i prominately display them in my glass case. i have a few original bottles of goop with some stuff still in em, they are cool! I looked into buying some more vintage bottles, but man they bring a pretty penny,esp if they are still packaged.  i have bought my kids the newer sets and they love them! cant sem to buy enough goop to sate them! this is a toy that will always be fun no matter what.

[RPM]

I like the Creeple People and Giant Creepy Crawlers. Had them both in my younger days as well as the Fright Factory. I have a Creeple People set and a pile of molds I've picked up over the years.

[Hepcat]

The original Mattel Thingmaker was one of the many toys dumbed down due to pressure from the Hysterical Mothers of America Opposed to Just About Everything Fun. From Wikipedia:

It is generally believed that production of the original Mattel Thingmakers was discontinued following consumer safety concerns over allowing children to use a small electric heater as a toy.

In 1978 Mattel released an updated (and safer) model of their "Creepy Crawlers" toy. Called the "Thingmaker II", this version used a very differently formulated Plastigoop, and utilized plastic molds, into which was poured the heated Plastigoop. In this set one heated the Plastigoop and poured it into the green plastic mold(s) to cool; the molds were not put into the heater, which looked like a small cauldron. The reformulated Plastigoop did not work well and the process of making bugs, etc. with these sets was painfully slow, taking an hour or so to make a creation. Needless to say, the late 1970s sets did not work as well as their predecessors, and the attempted revival was a short-lived one.

[Universal Steve]

I also bought some of the seperate mold sets. I had Superman, Batman, and Green Hornet that I liked. Superman and Batman you could make a figure but the Green Hornet was just a green hornet that you put over a pencil and you could  make a ring.

[Flower]

Here are my votes ~

Creepy Crawlers 
Creeple Peeple
Fun Flowers
Mini-Dragons
Zoofie-Goofies

[monsterphile]

The original Mattel Thingmaker was one of the many toys dumbed down due to pressure from the Hysterical Mothers of America Opposed to Just About Everything Fun.

Of course, it's easy to dismiss safety concerns when we're not the ones directly impacted by an injury or some sort of harm.  It's like playing Russian Roulette with better odds.  Parents have a reasonable expectation that a toy is supposed to be designed and manufactured in a proper way.  Whether it was a Thingmaker or an Easy Bake Oven, kids did sometimes received burns, and while most were probably minor, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't the occasional more serious one.

There's a popular internet email/Facebook post about all the crazy stuff we did as kids years ago and how "we survived and turned out fine" but this isn't necessarily true.  There were kids who fell out of trees and broke their necks, kids who crashed their bikes without helmets and got brain damage, lost fingers to fireworks, etc.  You just didn't hear about it because news wasn't as instantaneous as it is these days.  My mother had a cousin gorwing up and he did lose an eye when he and a friend or sibling were playing around with a wire coat hanger.  Sure, most tragic events are common, but if it happens to someone you know, it does have more of an impact.

When my daughter turned 3, one of my wife's friends gave her an Easy Bake Oven.   She hadn't looked at the age recommendation guideline on the package and probably just thought it was a play item.  She just didn't know any better.  We knew that it was something that she was too young to do on her own.  Luckily, they're designed much better than they used to be for others who might not as well-informed.  Protecting kids should always be first and foremost.

Rob

[Hepcat]

Here are the top vote getters so far:

[charp13]

I only had the Creepy Crawlers set, but I would love to have owned them ALL!  Mmmmm, I can smell those bugs now   

[Flower]

Charp:

You need a couple of these ...

[Hepcat]

Cool! A truly awesome concept!

[charp13]

Ooooh, that would be cool to have. Edible body parts rule! Especially when you make them yourself     

[Flower]

Ooooh, that would be cool to have. Edible body parts rule! Especially when you make them yourself 

You can also share them with others .. 

[Hepcat]

I'm surprised that the Zoofie-Goofies haven't received more support. A great concept and terrific graphics!

[monsterphile]

I think my brother and I had the original design Creepy Crawlers and the Eeeeks! sets.  Personally, I think the Fright Factory had the best  artwork.  I think the problem with Zoofie-Gofies is that they look like they're silly with cutesy animals.  As a kid, I would have had no interest in such a thing.

Rob