Ideal Mobile Crime Lab

[The Toyroom]

Does anyone remember/having any info on the Ideal* Mobile Crime Lab? I had one as a kid (big Hardy Boys/Three Investigators fan) and can't find anything on it. Came in a blue plastic case with a yellow heavy duty flashlight that attached to the top. When you removed the light, the case opened and had stuff like a fingerprint kit and an Identi-Kit (with various photos of face parts that you could piece together to form a composite of the bad guy).


* at least my memory tells me it was by Ideal.

[MegoSteve]

I remember this!

This is one of the few childhood memories I have of toys, strangely enough... The Mobile Crime Lab was on clearance at Hills department store, and I really wanted it. My mom gave me money and dropped me off in the toy department. I found it and took it to the register, but I somehow lost my money between the toy department and the checkout lane. The cashier rang me up and I didn't have the money, so she picked up the intercom (probably to call the toy department to put it back for her). My kid brain thought she was calling someone because I was in trouble, so I ran out out of the store embarrassed and upset. I found my mom at the grocery store and she came back and bought it for me.

Oddly enough, I don't remember much about the toy itself. I've checked eBay a couple of times for it over the years, but never found it.

[The Toyroom]

Ah-ha! Well that's at least a semi-validation! :biggrin: I got mine at Grandway department store and I too remember it being a clearance item (last on the shelf I believe). I had to have one after 2 of my friends had one.

[MegoSteve]

Look what I just found. I could kick myself:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-70s-Amsco-Mobile-Crime-Lab-MIB_W0QQitemZ200103617836

I emailed the seller to try to buy it and he told me he sold it already. Wah.

P.S. Check your PMs.

[The Toyroom]

Wow! Thanks for solving the mystery Steve! No wonder I could never find anything through Ideal links....it was Amsco, not Ideal! Never heard of Amsco!

Here's a pic of anyone's curious about what we're talking about:
http://www.timewarptoys.com/mcl3.jpg

I still have the Identi-Kit somewhere

[brineb]

I would have killed for that as a kid!!!