Vintage 1960s Mattel Thingmaker Lot - Working Heater, 8 Metal Molds, 1967 Manuals, 1978/1978 Creepy Crawlers with original box

Fun fact: Own a piece of toy history! This is considered one of the most dangerous toys to have ever been made and caused the most emergency room visits in toy history. This is for adult collectors only. This toy represents a completely different era of parenting and safety standards. Why did it cause so much controversy?!

1. The "Open-Face" Burner

The silver heater is essentially a hot plate with zero safety guards. It reached temperatures of about 180°C to 195°C. To put that in perspective, that is hot enough to fry an egg or give a child a third-degree burn in seconds.

2. The "Plastigoop" Fumes

In the 1960s and 70s, "Plastigoop" wasn't exactly non-toxic. When you poured it into those metal molds and set them on the heater, it released a very distinct, heavy chemical smell. Kids were basically "huffing" PVC fumes in unventilated bedrooms for hours.

3. The "Boiling Metal" Factor

The heavy die-cast molds stayed burning hot for a long time after being removed from the heater. Mattel gave kids a little metal "grabber" (the one in the photos!) to move the molds to a cooling tray, but one slip of the hand meant touching a piece of metal that was nearly 200°C.

Item Description:

Relive the 1960s with this classic Mattel Thingmaker / and 1970s Creepy Crawlers collection!

This lot is a fantastic starter set or completionist bundle for vintage toy collectors. It features the 1967 Mattel Thingmaker (tested and heating element still heated) and the later 1978/1979 Mattel Creepy Crawlers model (when first pulled from the attic and plugged in,
It lit up and started heating but then the light turned off. I think it might just need a replacement bulb or maybe a fuse but am unsure how to fix it, so it is being sold as is) and a great variety of highly sought-after metal molds. There’s a baggy with bottles of the original plastic-goop but they are no longer usable and a bit dried up, I left them with the lot in case anyone wanted them for nostalgia)

What’s Included:

Original 1967 Silver Thingmaker Heater: TESTED AND WORKING. Heats up quickly as intended.

1978/1979 Creepy Crawlers Orange/Green (Thingmaker ll) Aesthetic condition is good, but unit is currently non-functional (no light/no heat). Sold as-is for parts or repair.

8 Metal Die-Cast Molds: A great mix of nature and fantasy, including:

Butterfly (4520-054)

Dragonfly/Beetle

Assorted "Fun Flowers" Molds

Original 1967 Paperwork: Includes the rare 1967 Replacement Parts Order Form and the "Fun Flowers" instruction booklet.

Accessories: Includes the original metal cooling tray and green "grabber" tongs and metal poker.

Condition Note: These are vintage items from the 1960s. They show typical signs of age-appropriate wear and have some dust and could be cleaned up as they’ve been stored in an attic for quite some time.) Please see photos for exact condition of metal molds and heater surfaces. Review pictures carefully as they are part of the description. Being sold as is.

Ships carefully packed to ensure safe arrival. Please feel free to ask any questions and I’m happy to send additional photos.