The Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory

[Hepcat]

The main components (the vials, dropper, cup, etc.) are the same, but one has more goodies in it than the other, a red tablet of "Mystic Paper" being one of them, plus the box insert is somewhat different- same graphics, but the way the insert is diecut is different to accommodate the different/extra pieces, and the way they lay inside the large box.

Right you are! Here are a couple of comparison pictures I found. First the set I probably had:



And then the more elaborate one from the first page of this thread:



I'm wondering whether that's a mixing tray on the top left of the bottom picture.

[Monolith]

I would have to politely disagree, hepcat. This is an extremely rare set, along the same lines as the FM Photo Printing Set and unused Hasbro paint sets, obviously because of its "they were all used by the original owner" nature. It is rarer than a loose Head Speaker (but about the same as a boxed one), and MUCH MUCH rarer than the Horrorscope, which is often referred to as 'rare'. I went many years before even hearing of one in existence or actually seeing one in person.

The Mad Mad Mad Scientist Laboratory looks really cool. I never had one, but I do have a print frame from the above mentioned Famous Monsters Photo Printing set. My brother had the set, the frame is all I have left of it, though. I've had it since the '60's. I wish I had the complete set. You can see it in the lower left of this photo. For years I wondered what the complete set looked like. I never saw one in person, just in photo's.

[Monster Bob]

I'm wondering whether that's a mixing tray on the top left of the bottom picture.

As memory serves (I have this set but it is bagged up and I'm very lazy) that is a heat-proof tray or something for spent matches, etc. I think. It is just a foil lined cardboard square.

[Hepcat]

I saw one of these mad mad mad labs at an antique and collectables show in California about fifteen or so years ago.

What was the asking price at the time?

[Monolith]

What was the asking price at the time?

I don't remember the exact price, but I think it was right around one thousand dollars. I was impressed because I never saw one in person before, and bummed because It was out of my price range.

[Mcdee]

The one on ebay just sold for $2275.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/231441998460?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#ht_547wt_1366
Mcdee

[BijouBob8mm]

I do have a print frame from the above mentioned Famous Monsters Photo Printing set. My brother had the set, the frame is all I have left of it, though.

One of our former UMA members, the late Tom Triman, had two of the FM Photo Printing sets.  One of them was open and used from back in the day, but his second one was still sealed.  Don't remember what he told me about how he came to have that second MIB set...maybe bought back in the day and simply never opened.  He also still had his old Horrorscope viewer.

[Hepcat]

What was Tom Triman's posting handle?

[BijouBob8mm]

I thought Tom posted under his own name...at least he tended to do that on most boards.

[Hepcat]

So who else owns one of these sets then?

[YoungestMonsterKid]

*Sigh* If only kids these days could have kits like these....

there's lots of kits super similar to this
what do you mean?

[Hepcat]

Including the boss cool Tyco Dr. Dreadful Food Labs of course!



Scarey1scd started a good thread on these:

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=28822.msg476812#msg476812

[Hepcat]

there's lots of kits super similar to this

Can you provide some other examples?

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Can you provide some other examples?

I know I had some when I was younger
couldn't name any off the top of my head, though
so I just looked up some right now

[Hepcat]

Those sets are all fantastic! While their box art doesn't even come close to that on the Mad, Mad, Mad Scientist Laboratory, the addition of glow-in-the-dark and edible properties certainly took the play value of the sets a level higher.

Any youngster interested in the important things in life, e.g. alchemy, necromancy, madness, freaking out one's kid sister etc, clearly had the toy avenues in more recent years to provide him with plenty of opportunity.