POLL: What candy has a more old peopley image?

Mary Janes

http://urbangirlaccessories.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/378x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/e/necco.jpg

^ worthy nomination

butterscotch candies

hard to beat. I can't see these hanging around another 20 years but they were still fairly popular until... late '90s? (I am a southern boy btw)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdaDe0GoI-A/Twu3fbPmwbI/AAAAAAAABqw/0L_tp9uwvRA/s1600/marissamakes%2Bchowards%2Bviolet.jpg

Just came here to post Neccos. My grandpa was literally the only person I've known who ate them voluntarily (I recall being given them as a kid and reluctantly eating them and wishing they were actual candy and not discs of flavored chalk).

http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llnag6MAYn1qcw9y0o1_500.jpg

how many of these other than werther's are directly marketed to old people

Butterscotch candies from the list, as long as they are stale, but my nomination is

http://www.retroland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/circus_peanuts_650x300_a01_.jpg

In my experience old people candy has two main origins: either it is an individually wrapped small candy with an eternal shelf life, often cheap, and therefore may be placed in a candy bowl without fear of waste or spoilage, or else it is a traditional holiday time treat from the Currier & Ives era that scarcely has a raison d'être other than nostalgia.

http://nuts.com/images/auto/801x534/assets/b1f300173f1417f7.jpg

Please, look at that wrapper...what am I, Alfalfa? This is like the fossil Lucy of candy

By the way, someone should paste in here the great section of Gravity's Rainbow regarding disgusting British candies of the war years...one of the rare instances of Pynchon actually being hilarious

^^^a necco subsidiary

woah what's a candy wafer?? WANT. nothing like that in the UK.

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/ola_colour/29485482/114452/114452_600.jpg

definitely circus peanuts
also licorice whips

neccos are just flavored chalk; you're not missing anything

haha okay fair do's. sure look tasty mind.

Werther's butter candies had a whole 'backstory' in the ads; a Grandpa explaining how they'd been passed down by generations but it was all balls as they were a new sweet at the time of the advert.

that Grandpa was very dicey, very weird vibe with the kid who seemed drugged

From Wikipedia

Mary Jane is a peanut butter and molasses flavored taffy-type candy with peanut butter in the center. Originally made in 1914 by The Charles N. Miller Co., and later by Stark Candy Co.,[1] it is now manufactured by Necco.[1] Charles Miller named them after his favorite aunt, Mary Jane, and the candy has used the same "little girl" illustration on the wrappers since its inception.[2]

http://allsortssrsbzns.livejournal.com

Dear Sirs,

I am returning the enclosed product because I am not satisfied with its quality.

I have been a regular consumer of your excellent Liquorice Allsorts for many years and therefore knew immediately that there was a considerable difference in the taste and consistency of this packet. I did not recognise the new package labelling so I phoned your helpline and was assured that the product was genuine and there had been no change in the production processes. Subsequently, I purchased a 215g bag of Allsorts (also with the new packaging) and I am pleased to say that the content was perfect and unchanged from the original flavours.

I therefore conclude that this packet is faulty for some reason. My observations are as follows:

1. All the items are much too sweet and are much softer and squashier. This is particularly obvious in the all liquorice ones which taste entirely wrong (quite unpleasant in fact) – too sweet and sickly. They also have a twisted pattern rather than straight ridges.
2. The coconut items are lacking in flavour and are not of the usual consistency.
3. The items with the small balls on the surface are very soft, taste different and the balls are much finer. There are also no blue ones of these (only pink)
4. There are no liquorice ‘Bertie Bassetts’

I notice that the package labelling is in a number of languages – could this be a product variant for elsewhere in Europe?

I would be grateful if you could offer some explanation and send me a replacement product or refund.

Thank you for your attention.

christ Mary Janes look amazing too; peanut butter taffy? man UK sweets suck. as James Murphy once pointed out, we never quite 'got' peanut butter the way Americans do. Reese's are are still a pretty new thing here and Butterfinger still doesn't exist outside of the import shops.

they're not all that

you guys have these? i never met anyone who liked them they are absolutely revolting, tasted like the shit you wash your mouth out with at the dentist's

http://www.seriouseats.com/images/20081118-uk-parmaviolets.jpg

wow, no...that flavored crap at the dentist's makes me gag

regional?

came here to post choward's violets!

was skeptical of this thread but the idea of tricking britishers into thinking all of these hard, flavorless lumps are mouthwatering treats forever just out of reach, now that's what i call candy. mary janes are horrible btw

i'll ride for mary janes, they're just fossilized squirrel nut zippers.

this charming short candy-making documentary is pretty old peoplely http://kottke.org/14/07/the-anti-wonka-candy-factory

toffee probably isn't anyone's #1 choice, but if we reformed our voting system and could do a ranked ballot, i bet it would end up in the top 5 overall. reform the vote! reform the vote!

down with the system!

voting for butterscotch

sugared almonds
barley sugar

maybe those are for the 110-and-over old crowd

tbh if stet and Keith were gonna prioritize some coding for ILX a built-in borda count ballot system would probably be pretty worthwhile. Maybe we can kickstart it

of all the polls to break the camel's back

http://tommcmahon.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tar6.jpg

http://laeastside.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/saladitos.jpg

toffee is legit my favorite candy. i didn't know it was for olds!

i buy the co-branded weight watchers/whitman's sugar free toffee candies all the time! really good and only like 50 calories a piece.

the liquid filled Carmel apple Werther's are pretty good

I love Necco Wafers! But I also use to sneak into the medicine cabinet and eat tums and calcium supplements as a kid. Also these were my favorite candies as a kid
http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0782/3.jpg

There seems to be no particular correlation between whether a candy has strong associations with old people and whether it is delicious or horrific or something in between. The poll is meant to gauge image, not desirability.

In my own case, liking a particular candy could be a prima facie case that it actually is an old people candy. So, my mentioning that I think Werther's Originals or butterscotch candies are perfectly edible and really fairly tasty is likely to gather a round of lols, whereas max saying the same would net him an entirely different kind of lol.

i don't drink, i don't smoke, i do still eat candy a lot
this place is what's up btw
http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/10/economy-candy-lower-east-side-best-candy-store-nyc.html
http://www.economycandy.com/

RIP Moishe; your work brought me great joy
http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/02/economy-candy-moishe-cohen.html

I'll say circus peanuts -- I've never seen anyone under 80 eat one willingly. But special mention to chocolate covered fondant cherries, my grandmother's favorite.

My kid eats circus peanuts all the time, but he was introduced to them by his grandpa.

And to be honest, I'll sneak peanuts out of his bag when he isn't looking.

old people candy is the best candy

butterscotch is not a good candy at all.

^ rude

http://ep.yimg.com/ay/blaircandy/butterscotch-hard-candy-buttons-25lbs-20.jpg

My mom had a purse full of these when we went out house-hunting when I was eight, with like a small handful of these thrown in:

https://nuts.com/images/auto/510x340/assets/4c2b5187da20aea5.jpg

Anyway, it was a hot June and house-hunting took all day, all weekend, for several weekends in a row. I was pretty sick on one of those weekends too. Whenever I'd start getting cranky and tired, mom would hand me a butterscotch (or cinnamon if I was lucky) and I'd jam it in my mouth and bitterly crunch on it until the sugar took over.

Once I came up with a rap lyric: "my style is more original than Werther's" but I consent figure out what rhymed, wish I had Eminem's number

Write-in vote for Pontefract cakes

Mary Janes were commonly found in my halloween candy bag when I when I was a kid, which were the only time I ever ate them, so I don't associate them with old ppl at all. Plus its name conjures up weed more than candy.

Not candy per se, but certain chewing gum flavors like Clove, Teaberry, Black Jack - do young people even know these taste like?

Mallo Cups.

Individually wrapped hard candies like starburst mints, butterscotch balls, etc. in glass bowls though are the oldest-people candy IMO.

this charming short candy-making documentary is pretty old peoplely http://kottke.org/14/07/the-anti-wonka-candy-factory

― stately, plump buck angel (silby), Wednesday, February 11, 2015 10:50 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is so great and should be watched by all lovers of candy, ty silby

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/PontefractCakes.jpg/280px-PontefractCakes.jpg

In the UK these are known as Pomfret Cakes or Pontefract Cakes, when I was a kid a pensioner from a couple of doors away used to reward me with a handful of these if I carried her shopping bags.

I love Pontefract Cakes so much.

Judging by my candy preferences, I am 85 years old.

choward's violets are one of my favorite things ever. most people think they taste like soap and they sorta do but they're so so good.

I have never heard of Pontefract Cakes! Are they licorice?

butterscotch is not a good candy at all.

― how's life, Thursday, February 12, 2015 8:52 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Butterscotch is delicious you insane person!

A moment of silence, please

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/east-side-candy-man-morris-cohen-dead-article-1.2108732

Werther's Originals

The Paedo's Favourite

^ rude

― example (crüt), Thursday, February 12, 2015 8:54 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

My granny was partial to these, and to Victory V's, but, as she'd smoked 60 a day for 50 years I reckon these were about the only things strong enough for her to taste...

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/25/article-1297420-0A8C92FC000005DC-70_468x327.jpg

^ remember those as tiny black bits of bitumen which scorched the roof off your mouth should you be foolish enough to take one if offered. Victory V's were even worse.

i get fisherman's friend in my stocking every year. one of my faves tbh

also chowards violets

enbb has great taste in candy

voted werther's

i'd try victory v's if they still contained ether and chloroform

didn't realise they still make Victory V

Victory V lozenges are available in specialist shops and online, but no longer contain chloroform or ether. However, their scent and flavour is still vividly reminiscent of diethyl ether - presumably recreated via artificial means, in order to preserve the original flavour.

oops xp

Pontefract Cakes are licorice, yes, and delicious (if you like licorice).

Ha, Fisherman's Friend is my coughdrop of choice. They look like dog vitamins.

Further solidifying my age in candy years...

the fisherman's friend i love is HOREHOUND that stuff is awesome
i dig teaberry gum btw

Believe me, i could do with a Fisherman's Friend to barrel bomb my sinuses right now but it's not what I wanted when I was 8.

oops, you posted the Economy Candy obit, forks, sorry

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1184598/Lozenge-conquered-world-Fishermans-Friend-netted-packet-modest-British-family.html

The Germans get through packs of Fisherman's Friend in much the same way that we consume crisps or chocolate bars.
Young Germans see it as a funky pick-me-up, a sort of chewy Red Bull.
The Scandinavians enjoy a salty version designed for a palate that thinks pickled fish is yummy.
In many Far Eastern countries, the lozenges are regarded as a luxury item on a par with a box of chocolates.
Thailand loves fruity Fisherman's Friend in chewing gum form. So it goes on.

can someone more well-travelled than me confirm if any of this is true

Mary Janes 4lyfe btw

Voted barley sugar, which I don't even know what that IS.

also root beer fisherman's friend.
fuck, i just bought some claey's candy on amazon because of this thread, thanks a lot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley_sugar

hold up, i'm confusing claey's candy and fisherman's friend... talking about these:
http://www.ruralking.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/l/claeys_horehound_hard_candy_drops_bags_12-piece_box-500x500-500x500.jpg
VERY different obviously

Horehound. This is the best thread evuh

Having googled Fisherman's Friends they aren't what I thought they were either - tho my granny definitely still liked them too!

I love horehound!

I did a book report once in grade school on some book set in the times of yore (might have been a LI Wilder book) and brought in horehound to pass out to everyone because it was mentioned in the book.

I feel like root beer barrels would go well on this list - those are good too.

Also, licorice bears.

root beer barrels are the best

This is kind of like how's life's post above but to me these are the ultimate old people candy (though I haven't seen them with printed wrappers before):

http://www.candywarehouse.com/assets/item/regular/Brachs-ice-blue-im-125257.jpg

a lot of the suggestions itt are very good though

YES I was thinking of those stupid things but because the wrappers are never printed I didn't know what they were called. Worst candy.

<3 Brachs caramels tho

I have never seen those blue things!

I remember when there was an actual Brach's store in...Grand Haven? I think. Weird.

Are Nips old people candy? Coffee nips forever.

that teddy gray video is a real treat, thanks

The Brach's Pick a Mix was the clearinghouse of old people candy.

God I hate and do not understand Nips at all. They give you ALL the terrible breath of coffee with none of the caffeine or pleasure of actually drinking it. Just, why?

The Nips with the chocolate in the center are the only ones worth trying. My wife's grandfather is a Nip fanatic and as such I HAVE TRIED ALL THE NIPS.

xps to myself

http://www.leftylimbo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/brachs_pick_a_mix.jpg

Nips old-people?

Generally speaking, all hard candies tend to be somewhat old-peopley. I can't offhand think of any young, hip hard candies. And while children may eat a lot of hard candies when they are available, they tend to be available most often through the agency of grandparents. I do occasionally see them at places of business, e.g. my local branch bank has candy bowls near the tellers, but kids can't gorge on them as they do at granny's house.

xp YES, THAT!!!!! The squishy Christmas peppermints are my FAVORITE, they use them in all the Christmas parades because when Santa throws the candy it won't shatter on the asphalt like hard ones.

Except my sister gave me a bag for Xmas last year and they fucked up my stomach for 5 days so god only knows what's in them.

man, as a kid i had all kinds of hangups with the brach's pick a mix because i was FOREVER tempted to steal a few and always tormented with the fear that if i did i was a bad person and if i didn't i was a fool.

I like the strawberry things that have the softer candy inside.

http://i.imgur.com/8zDu9.jpg

When my parents moved into our house, we had to entertain ourselves for many hours while my poor mom scrubbed absolutely every inch of the place. To keep us happy she let us have Brachs caramels at intervals, but since everything was so dirty she wouldn't let us touch them, so she unwrapped each one and put it in my mouth.

xp I LOVE THOSE STRAWBERRY THIGNS TOO

on my last trip to economy candy, i got a half pound of jelly bellies, a half pound of nonpareils, a half pound of boston baked beans and a half pound of "chocolate babies" which are softer tootsie roll type things.
http://www.economycandy.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=2235

What is this terrifying stripey stuff though? What flavors are they - beets? goulash? deviled eggs?

http://www.cleanme.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Hard-Candy.jpg

she wouldn't let us touch them, so she unwrapped each one and put it in my mouth
wut

i like all these old people candies but i am not a very big chocolate fan so hard candies/caramels/licorice is where it's at
that and gummi bears/fancy jelly beans

my mom sent me with a packet of fishermans friend to see the nutcracker on a class trip. i was sick but desperate to go because i loved the nutcracker. i ate the whole packet, kind of thinking that she sent them as a snack for the show, like goobers at the movie theater. loved them ever since

how's life's photo is truly terrifying. when confronted with such nasty-looking globules and caltrops as a child, I knew that, despite the promised sugar content, eating one would end in remorse. I'd eat one anyway.

Those strawberry ones are all-time.

I've haven't tried these since I was a kid but my grandfather would always let me choose one. I remembering there being more options.http://lgcdn.candyfavorites.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/u/l/ultimate_candy_stick_assortment.jpg

she wouldn't let us touch them, so she unwrapped each one and put it in my mouth
wut

I guess our hands were just really dirty? Plus something something they had recently sprayed the foundations w pesticides & stuff, didn't want us to poison ourselves, idk.

Pick a Mix! I didn't even realize how much I missed it.

What is this terrifying stripey stuff though? What flavors are they - beets? goulash? deviled eggs?

those dark green stripey ones were WATERMELON I think.

Never seen these outside of grandmother context:

http://www.candystore.com/andes-mints/

Oh I like Andes mints, they were fancy after-dinner treats at my house. Except once I bought a box of them for a jr high class party and when we opened the candies they were full of dead maggots made into the chocolate.

I have a lot of weird candy-related memories apparently.

Not exactly candy but
http://i.imgur.com/IAUB7Be.jpg

trebor extra strong mints are more old peopley

never heard of this Clove gum before but i think i would like to try it

What no candied ginger? To me thats the ultimate grandad lolly.

can't believe i forgot Victory V; classic 'old schoolteacher' sweets. and trebor extra strong mints yeah they're totes old peopley. also any mint i guess, especially if they come in a medical-looking packet

http://www.pharmacy2door.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/j/a/jakemans-cough-sweets-menthol--eucalyptus-100g-274-expanded.jpg

i, um, regularly have a box of andes mints in the fridge. And a bag of candied ginger in the pantry. they're both good for indigestion!

butter mints

Andes never struck me as old peopley; I remember their being all the rage when I was in maybe middle school.

Oh. Oh dear.

Well wiki tells me they were launched in 1950. I would not have guessed.

brb gotta go sell candy to classmates out of a duffel bag

In Canada, I tend to associate most stuff from Kerr's as old people candy.

cough drops aren't candies!

and this is more like it Except once I bought a box of them for a jr high class party and when we opened the candies they were full of dead maggots made into the chocolate.

breath mints are not candies either

Every time I see this thread I think

http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/blogs/lists/80.png

also not candy;

https://communicatingacrossboundaries.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/altoids.jpg

and ditto 'Altoids' which sound like a haemorrhoid remedy.

re: Clove gum

my mom said that in the 60s it was trendy at her school to fold the C down and hang the wrapper from your purse or pocket, so that it said LOVE

That is adorable.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

This was a great thread.

Sucrets in the old tin also not candy, but they might as well have been for my grandfather. I'm sure it's the same for many when it comes to lozenges and mints and the like.

I remember a version of this commercial with old people instead of the couple here, but apparently the internet hasn't gotten around to putting that version on youtube yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxzpE7N0B4Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxzpE7N0B4Y

Oh I like Andes mints, they were fancy after-dinner treats at my house. Except once I bought a box of them for a jr high class party and when we opened the candies they were full of dead maggots made into the chocolate.

I am experiencing some indescribable emotions over this anecdote.

all frenchin' with lifesavers in.

I miss Woolworths and the two-tier pick n mix section. was convinced I was gonna live on massive paper bags of the premium wrapped chocolates when I was old.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

OTM

great thread, also inspired me to buy a bag of werther's originals, which worked out great. also, the Teddy Gray's video is super pleasant.

grandma: did you have one of my candies? they're new!
me: yeah, I've had Werther's before.
grandma: no, they're new! they have cream in the middle!
me: OH SHI-

http://i.imgur.com/SkA5hPU.jpg

That looks pretty nasty.

Candy buttons (heretofore unmentioned in this thread) are pretty grandparenty because in addition to your candy, you usually get a mouthful of paper as well.

i accidentally bought a bag of sugar-free werther's originals, it is such a bummer

right? they're more or less inedible

And then they make you poop.