With Halloween lurking around the dark and fog-shrouded corner, I started thinking about Halloween candy and just how many sweets and treats of my youth don't exist anymore or are very hard to find. Some of your favorites from days gone by might also be on this list.

Remember Wacky Wafers? They were originally a Wonka brand candy from the 70's and 80's and came in flavors like banana, watermelon and strawberry. Somewhat recently another company started manufacturing them but I think they're only available through mail-order. Speaking of wacky, remember Wacky Packages? They were those crazy cards and stickers that lampooned famous products. Not a candy, but still worth mentioning. Wonka also used to create egg-shaped jawbreakers called Dinosour Eggs. My friends and I would grab several of those treats at Palmer's Variety before our CCD classes at Sacred Heart(the pink church!)

There are lots of candy bars from my younger days that have disappeared or are difficult to find. For instance, Hershey's Bar None. Remember those? It had a crispy wafer with chocolate filling and peanuts covered in chocolate. Gone but not forgotten. What about Mars Bars? I guess now they're called Snickers with Almonds. How about the Rocky Road candy bar? Those you can still find if you look hard for them. And who can forget Sky Bars?? A four-sectioned candy bar with a different filling inside each section; vanilla, caramel, fudge and peanut(my favorite!). Sky Bars are still being manufactured by the New England Confectionary Company(in Revere, Massachusetts!) but are sometimes very hard to find. By the way, a little side trivia. Remember Necco wafers? Made by the same company. That's what the letters stood for. N(ew) E(ngland) C(onfectionary) CO(mpany).

A few more candy bars. Cookies-n-Creme Twix. Only around for about a year, but there are plenty of fans begging for it's return. And finally, for the candy bar category, remember the Reggie? Made for baseball player Reggie Jackson in the late 1970's, it was a mound shape of peanuts and caramel covered in milk chocolate. Talk about a home run!

Tons of bubble gum no longer in existence. Remember Freshen Up? That was the gum that had a liquid center. I seem to remember there was peppermint, spearmint and cinnamon. Whatever became of Chiclets, the gum with the candy coating? Or Mini Chiclets? Hot Dog Bubble Gum(shaped like mini hot dogs)? And because it was the 1980's, some of us will remember Rambo gum and Mr. T Gold Chain bubble gum. Yes, those products actually existed, folks.

And we've barely scratched the surface. When did Certs Mints disappear? What about Cinnamon Tic-Tacs? Or Good & Fruity's(for those that wanted the texture of a Good & Plenty, but didn't want that licorice taste)? Like I said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Any favorites of yours that I missed? Happy Halloween!

 

 

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