I’ve discussed what candy I didn’t like while trick or treating, now let’s talk about what I did like. This list could go on forever, so instead of listing all the great candy that’s available all year ’round (bite size Snickers, Mounds, Twix, etc) I’m trying to limit this list to what felt extra special to me around Halloween.
Dubble Bubble – Never once as a child did I ever ask my parents to buy me some Dubble Bubble, but it was always a standard around Halloween and in the spirit of the season, I enjoyed it (it’s just too bad the flavor didn’t last long). Huge bags of those stuff were, and are still, produced. This guaranteed you could always get a handful of this stuff and throw it into your bag.
Mary Janes – Mary Janes took me a while to get used to, but once I did… MMM!
McDonald’s $1 Gift Certificates for Sundaes – Previously discussed here.
Home baked Cookies – I know, I know… It was considered dangerous to take anything from someone that wasn’t already wrapped & sealed in a factory somewhere, but everyone knew everyone in my neighborhood and there were always a few neighbors that would give out cute little Halloween party favor bags with one or two soft delicious cookies inside. I seem to recall them being sugar cookies with M&M’s most of the time.
Hershey Miniatures – It always seems wrong to eat these if it isn’t Christmas or Halloween. Mr. Goodbar and special dark were always tops with me.
Wax Fangs – Chewable wax fangs! How great were these? They usually had a great subtle spearmint flavor and I have a confession to make… Sometimes I would ingest these!
Candy Skeletons/Bones – Cheap, but fun. They usually came in some tiny box with a goofy poorly drawn skeleton or something on it. Sometimes you’d luck out and get them in a miniature coffin!
Milk Duds/Junior Mints – We’ll double these up because they came packaged the same way and I always associated one with the other because they looked similar. What I’m talking about is those REALLY tiny boxes. They were always a highlight of Halloween for me. Sure, you can buy a theater box or a carton of them, but I still get warm and fuzzy when I see one of those tiny boxes that holds only three or four Mints or Duds.
Flavored Tootsie Rolls – They’re called “Frooties” these days, I think, but in the ’80s I think they were just classified as “Tootsie Roll Vanilla”, “Tootsie Roll Orange”, etc.
Laffy Taffy – Back when they came in SQUARES. Grape and strawberry have always been my favorites.
Tootsie Roll Pops – The best time to eat the orange & chocolate pops is at Halloween (but grape was my favorite)! Usually, I could walk away with a handful of these from class Halloween parties alone.
Lifesavers Creme Pops – I know they make Cremesavers, but do they make the creme pops anymore? Cherry and blueberry were the best. I think banana and orange were the only other flavors.
Popcorn Balls – The Act II popcorn ball is an institution all to itself. They were difficult for me to eat though, my gums usually took a beating from the popcorn shells getting lodged in between my teeth.
May God forgive you for loving Mary Janes and Popcorn balls. You are stronger than I.
May God forgive YOU, Halloween treat blasphemer!
Man, those skeleton candies in a coffin… I thought I’d dreamed those. Thanks.
No problem! That’s a recent pic, but I think it was pretty much the same in the ’80s.