Sweet-Tooth Fix For Baby Boomers: Nostalgic Candy

wlky ^ | 10-30-03

[wheelgunguru]

Baby Boomers can't seem to grow up, at least when comes to their taste in candy.

People who want to celebrate Halloween with wax lips, Gold Mine Gum and other hard-to-find candies from their youth are finding more companies catering to the middle-age sweet tooth.

The Woodstock Candy company in upstate New York is doing a booming business, catering to the boomers' sweet-tooth.

They have retro goodies like wax lips, candy cigarettes and those candy buttons on paper. But the company is up-to-date in marketing.

Boomers can buy their sugar fix from the Web site WoodstockCandy.com.

There's also a bow to the political correctness of the 21st century. Candy cigarettes are now called candy sticks. But some old-time favorites still provide a puff of sugar when you blow through a hole in the middle.

Bridget Sweeney-Bell says people are usually thrilled to find candy from their childhood is still available. She says candy buttons, Nik-L-Nip and candy cigarettes are big sellers this year on her Web site.

Tom Scheiman stocks 2,500 items in his Cleveland candy store, 200 of which he classifies as "nostalgic."

Nostalgic candy has become a niche in the $24 billion U.S. candy business, in part because the biggest candy makers like Wrigley and Pennsylvania-based Hershey have concentrated on fewer items, especially chocolate.

That means wax lips and Atomic Fireballs can be hard to find on store shelves.

[ErnBatavia]

I'll have to find an Abba Zabba and see if the wrapper is still politically incorrect...probably not.

[FReepaholic]

My favorite was the orange Wowee Wax Whistles.

Play music for awhile and then chew 'em up.

[EllaMinnow]

Not a candy, but my childhood favorite...

[spectre]

You're EVIL!!! :~)

sw

[SamAdams76]

I used to eat these as a kid. Now you can't find them anywhere. No matter. I can't eat that crap anymore anyhow.

[stands2reason]

One of my favorites---I don't know if it's nostalgic, is Judson Cherry Sours.

[Warren_Piece]

Marathon Bar

I was just about to post about these!!!! They were my absolute FAVORITE!!! Thank you for making my day.

[SouthernFreebird]

I've only ever heard them called 'N****R' babys. To this day I don't know their actual name... I can't see them making a come back anytime soon.

[stands2reason]

I used to love the "Pink Owl" cigars. They were bubble gum.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about those!

[evets]

Can't get enough Super Sugar Crisp...

[Argh]

Clove Life Savers! But don't bring back Fizzies, thanks...

[Warren_Piece]

Bottle Caps! (Except the root beer flavor, yuck!)

[stands2reason]

My favorite was 7-up (?) candy bar. It had seven different fillings lined up in a row. Oh, and Fruit Stripe gum.

[MissAmericanPie]

There use to be a candy lip stick that was too good to put into words, bite off a chunk and it would turn creamy. Gosh I would love for some company to bring it back again.

[Delbert]

Damn, I havent seen that little propeller head in ages, There was another one as well...Quisp and Quake cereal.

[SamAdams76]

Another favorite childhood candy of mine was these swedish fish.

The variety store on my block used to sell these as "penny candy". I used to get a brown paperbag full of these and savor them all day long. My mouth tingles just thinking about them. It's a wonder I didn't rot my teeth out.

[stands2reason]

Do they have Mars bars (with almonds) anymore? I used to loooove those.

[Carb_Addict]

Sen-Sen's are the nastiest things I have ever tasted.

My mom has talked about them for years and wanted some...a few weeks ago a candy store opened and the owner ordered some for her ...nasty, nasty, nasty....tastes like soap.

[MikeO]

You can go back again...

http://www.quisp.com/

Haven't tried it, but supposedly the same stuff we grew up with.

[Argh]

Oh, I forgot, fruit-flavored Dubble Bubble too.