In the late 50's when I was a kid living in New Jersey (the chemistry state) I had a good size chem lab starting from a Gilbert chemistry set (don't see them any more in the Christmas catalogs). I would get on the train go into NYC to a chemical supply house called John H Winn Chemical Co on 23rd St, I must have been 12 the first time my dad took me there after that I went by my self. You would see lots of kids buying all sorts of chemicals I could by anything I wanted but I did have to bring a letter from my dad to get the more dangerous stuff like concentrated acids and the like. Never thought about making drugs or explosives though everyone did a little pyro with some Strontium Nitrate for a nice red color. Oh those were the days, wish I kept one of his catalogs.
Craig (the other Craig)
Craig (the other Craig)