# Nitrocellulose crib toy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitrocellulose-crib-toy/332273 "2005-11-22T16:54:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitrocellulose-crib-toy/332273/1 "2005-11-22T16:54:27Z")
We raided an antiques store when dressing a set for my friend’s first feature film, _Cut Up_. One of the things we snagged was a crib toy, a baby that would hang by a string over a baby’s crib. It was so creepy-looking that I bought it from the antiques dealer after the shoot. I was told by the proprietor that the toy was fromthe 1920s, and that it was made of cellulose. He said that it was dangerous, since it was highly flammable and could even explode if given a hard enough shock. I find it hard to believe that a crib toy would be made of nitrocellulose. :dubious: (Although I do know that many things _were_ made of the stuff early on.) I reckon it must be some other kind of cellulose. But I’m curious: Is it at all _possible_ that it’s made of _nitro_cellulose, and not some innocuous kind of cellulose? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitrocellulose-crib-toy/332273/2 "2005-11-22T16:55:57Z")
Sorry. I thought the hamsters were feasting on my post. This is a duplicate thread. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitrocellulose-crib-toy/332273/3 "2005-11-22T17:05:06Z")
Can’t vouch for that, but as a child I recall seeing my mother’s silver teething ring (actually more barbell-shaped, about three inches long) with imprints of her baby teeth clearly all over it. This item would date from the early 1920’s. Image sticking a hunk of metal (silver, no less) in a child’s mouth these days to ease teething pain! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitrocellulose-crib-toy/332273/4 "2005-11-22T17:09:45Z")
I’ve emailed **samclem** to have this thread closed. If this one gets replies, then the other one should be closed instead.