Yes. It was a big deal (the Halloween killer in Houston). Everyone was trying to get mothers to give our treats that weren't edible. I gave out nickels & dimes, and my kids were so embarrassed they didn't want to claim me as their mother. I loved getting pennies when I was a kid, but my kids and all their friends wanted CANDY -- the gooeyer the better.
Do you remember the name of the treat the killer used? Was it Pixie Stick?
I thought giving money was great -- no candy in the house to munch on afterward (watching the waistline) and the left overs went right back into the grocery budget. But my idea was NOT a hit. Pencils and pads were too expensive to purchase 100 pieces.
Yes, it was Pixie Stiks, which was really upsetting to me because I can remember going to the corner convenience store and buying loads of them. After that I avoided Pixie Stiks like the plague. They would make great big huge tubes of them