In my childhood I had access to lots of old mercury switches, that is how I got a hold of this amazing liquid metal.
These switches were made of glass, and some really good switches were under vacuum. I know this, because these were not easy to break and with enough mechanical force, some of them imploded, like a TV tube. Over the years I must have collected about 1 liter bottle full of mercury and it was so much fun to play with. Sometimes it ran down the kitchen table and splashed all over the floor in tiny pieces.
These days its probably not so easy to get a hold of mercury.
Who knows, maybe special permits are needed to buy it.

Dimethylmercury ((CH3)2Hg) is a different story, this is pure poison and you want to keep your hands away.
I am still flabbergasted, that some dentists are still using mercury fillings for teeth.