Remember those little science demonstration boxes you could get back in grade school? 

Each box, which would come as a kitchen matchbox in size, had just one experiment or demo in it.   It was like a Kit of the Month. 

Some were incredible -- like, you might  get a whole gram of actual mercury in there.  Others would just contain some little scratched-up, plastic magnifying glass with some crummy piece of yellowed paper that would make some stupid sham claim that this was about "Optics".  You just knew that some stooge at the company had saved them a WHOLE LOTTA MONEY on this month's swindle.

Then the stupid Box-of-The-Month club would try to see how really stupid you had learned to be by trying to pump you up about how now, because of this stupid little crappy piece of plastic -- with a couple of air bubbles trapped in it from Formosa where it had been made -- you were just like Isaac Freaking Newton because now YOU, TOO!, could discover how to BEND LIGHT!

Light -- the most important phenomenon in nature and now you, yes you!, were going to learn to BEND it -- like Superman or something.

Then you'd find some old stained sheet that told you what some of the other numbers in the series were that had been available back in the 30s when this stuff had first come out and they were rally gunning for real gusto and brisk sales.  One would be a kit with a piece of actual yellow phosphorous in it that would glow at night.  Another would be, say, a gunpowder-and-nitro kit to learn about mining. 

You'd try calling the old phone number but it would only have about 5 digits in it.  Finally you'd find a way to connect to them and some guy would answer and you'd say, "Yessir, I would like to order that kit with the block of pure sodium in there." 

"Naw, son, we haven't carried that in over 20 years." 

You just couldn't accept it. 

"Sir, are you absolutely SURE?" 

"Fraid so." 

"Well, could you please just look around in the back room and see if maybe one is  left in there by mistake or something?  I would really like to get this for my birthday." 

"Young fella, one o’ them kits burned down half of Rahway, New Jersey back in’ 41.  We couldn't afford t’ keep a-sellin em." 

"Well, sir, what you people don't know is that I'd be REALLY REALLY CAREFUL with it.  Seriously.  I really would.  So don't you just have one in stock there?  Come on.  I'll pay a quarter extra." 

Click.

Next day, you call back, trying to disguise your voice. 

"Chem-Hazard Kits  Company?" 

"Yes, that's us." 

"Well, this is President Kennedy.  We want you to start making some of your old kits again.  We need these for the space program.  Please make No. 17 and No. 34 again." 

"How big a lot did you need?" 

"Well, we do need a lot but not too many.  And don't worry -- we will send some money in the mail.  Just one of each kit will be OK for now.  Don't worry about the postage cause we'll come get them.  My mom  is gonna . . . oops . . . “

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- - -

I can’t resist showing you this story on A. C. Gilbert, inventor of the Gilbert Chemistry Set

http://ideafinder.com/history/inventors/gilbert.htm

and the Erector Set, too.

This is our great science hobbyist store in Chicago:

http://www.sciplus.com/

--Robb