What is America's first penny candy to be individually wrapped?
The first individually wrapped American penny candy to be sold was the Tootsie Roll! This timeless chewy chocolate flavored candy has been around since 1896. Believe it or not, penny candy used to cost one cent a piece, and if you were lucky, you could get two pieces for a penny. If a particular candy has survived this long in the marketplace, there are two reasons for its long existence. The first reason is that it is delicious, and the second is its nostalgic value. Adults who grew up with childhood memories of the penny candy store are some of the happiest consumers of these nostalgic treats. Even though some of the recipes have changed over the years, this wrapped candy is basically the same as it was 50 years ago.
Do you remember......
"I can remember Mom giving us a handful of pennies and we could buy a ton of penny candy with it. The banana turkish taffy was always my favorite. " - Patricia A., Jacksonville, FL
"When I was growing up there used to be a candy store right around the corner from my school. My mom used to give me like 5 cents!! I would be able to get 5 pieces of candy!! Those were the days. There is no such thing as "penny candy" anymore. Those were the days!!" - Maureen W. of Kearney, NJ
"Whenever my family went to visit my grandparents in Gridley, CA, my brother and I would get $1. Was it a bribe to get us to go to Grandma's house? No. It was because we always ALWAYS stopped at the Penny Candy Store nearby. One dollar-at the price of 1 cent each (unless you got the Reese's peanut butter cups which were 5 cents-meant 100 candies. We were in heaven! xoxoxo" - Deanna W., Orem, UT
"My fondest memories was the penny candy counter. I loved the little boxes of candy, lemon heads, boston baked beans...but, my favorite was the little candy jaw breakers. They are so delicious, you couldn't help but pop one in your mouth to slowly dissolve, but I could never wait that long and always crunched them up! The more I crunched, the more I wanted. That's one of my favorite candy memories being a little girl~" - Tracy R., Hobart, IN
"I remember "earning" paisas, the Indian equivalent of pennies by keeping my room clean and doing little chores around the house to buy the candies that came with free plastic finger rings in various colors. Those rings were the fashion in our school. I can still feel the excitement I had when I collected the rings in each & every available color." - Shija B., Overland Park, KS
"My friends and I were always out side exploring the small town we grew up in. Building hide-a-ways in the woods that were close by. We loved the out doors and the many things we found to do. We would always put our money together jump on our bikes and spend it on our favorite goodies. Bonomo Taffy was our favorite along with gum balls. What a Great time we had!" - Di B., Huntington, WV
"Penny candy was the best!!!...a dime could buy you enough candy for the whole day...my sister and i thought a dime could buy you the world...can you imagine that?!?" - Marion S., Boxford, MA
"When I was younger I used to make a trip down to the corner store nearly everyday with my friends. We used to get bagfuls of candy and have the most amazing times. I recently came back home to see that the store is about to close. That place is full of candy-filled memories." - Krystle B., Newton, MS
"I loved growing up in the 70's and 80's. Candy was very important to me then and it still is, but it is way more expensive and not as good it you ask me. I used to buy candy buttons, boston baked beans, Nik-L-Nips, and Razzles (they were my fav)." - Heather B., Batavia, OH
Do you remember......
- Mary Jane Candy: Still comes in a yellow and red wrapper. This peanut butter and molasses flavored taffy was first made in 1914.
- Smarties: Small pastel candy discs that have been around since 1949.
- BB Bat: Chewy taffy lollipops in banana, chocolate, strawberry, and peanut butter. They no longer come in vanilla.
- Mexican Hats: Very chewy candies in the shape of a hat. The Henry Heide Candy Company made these in 1925. Comes in various colors: black, green, yellow, orange, and red.
- Red Hot Dollar: The original Red Hot Dollars were raspberry flavored. Very chewy candy that sticks to your teeth.
- Atomic Fireball: The round spicy hard candy that has been around since 1954, and still individually wrapped.
- Bit-O-Honey: Been around since 1925. Honey flavored taffy bar with pieces of almond.
- Kits: Mini square taffy candy in banana, chocolate, strawberry, and peanut butter.
- Pixy Stix: Paper straws filled with colored flavored sugar.
- Wax Bottles: Fruit flavored sugary juice inside the wax bottle.
- Now & Later: First made in Brooklyn, NY, in 1962. Original colors were red, green, and blue.
- Caramel Creams: 1918 Caramel Cream's were produced by Goetze.
- LemonHeads: Round lemon candy that's been around since 1962.
- Root Beer Barrels: A real classic candy! Individually wrapped root beer flavored hard candy in the shape of a barrel.
- Candy Buttons on Paper: Strips of mini sugary colored buttons stuck to paper. Part of the experience is eating bits of paper along with the buttons.
"I can remember Mom giving us a handful of pennies and we could buy a ton of penny candy with it. The banana turkish taffy was always my favorite. " - Patricia A., Jacksonville, FL
"When I was growing up there used to be a candy store right around the corner from my school. My mom used to give me like 5 cents!! I would be able to get 5 pieces of candy!! Those were the days. There is no such thing as "penny candy" anymore. Those were the days!!" - Maureen W. of Kearney, NJ
"Whenever my family went to visit my grandparents in Gridley, CA, my brother and I would get $1. Was it a bribe to get us to go to Grandma's house? No. It was because we always ALWAYS stopped at the Penny Candy Store nearby. One dollar-at the price of 1 cent each (unless you got the Reese's peanut butter cups which were 5 cents-meant 100 candies. We were in heaven! xoxoxo" - Deanna W., Orem, UT
"My fondest memories was the penny candy counter. I loved the little boxes of candy, lemon heads, boston baked beans...but, my favorite was the little candy jaw breakers. They are so delicious, you couldn't help but pop one in your mouth to slowly dissolve, but I could never wait that long and always crunched them up! The more I crunched, the more I wanted. That's one of my favorite candy memories being a little girl~" - Tracy R., Hobart, IN
"I remember "earning" paisas, the Indian equivalent of pennies by keeping my room clean and doing little chores around the house to buy the candies that came with free plastic finger rings in various colors. Those rings were the fashion in our school. I can still feel the excitement I had when I collected the rings in each & every available color." - Shija B., Overland Park, KS
"My friends and I were always out side exploring the small town we grew up in. Building hide-a-ways in the woods that were close by. We loved the out doors and the many things we found to do. We would always put our money together jump on our bikes and spend it on our favorite goodies. Bonomo Taffy was our favorite along with gum balls. What a Great time we had!" - Di B., Huntington, WV
"Penny candy was the best!!!...a dime could buy you enough candy for the whole day...my sister and i thought a dime could buy you the world...can you imagine that?!?" - Marion S., Boxford, MA
"When I was younger I used to make a trip down to the corner store nearly everyday with my friends. We used to get bagfuls of candy and have the most amazing times. I recently came back home to see that the store is about to close. That place is full of candy-filled memories." - Krystle B., Newton, MS
"I loved growing up in the 70's and 80's. Candy was very important to me then and it still is, but it is way more expensive and not as good it you ask me. I used to buy candy buttons, boston baked beans, Nik-L-Nips, and Razzles (they were my fav)." - Heather B., Batavia, OH