An Array of New Soda-Flavored Confections! Plus Some History on the Love of Cola Candy!

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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I’ve always enjoyed when confection crosses over with another category of product and even when the mix doesn’t quite work, it can still be a notable experience.   This is definitely true when soft drinks lend their flavors and branding to candy.

Today I’m going to take a look at a few new releases that fall into this territory while also digging back into some historical packaging that shows how soft drinks and candy have long been connected and how taste preferences both here and abroad have shaped the flavors that companies are willing to market to various regions.

I’ve got lots of fun packaging to share, so make the jump to check it out!

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Posted in 1980's, Boxed, British, Bubble Gum, Chocolate, Gum, Gummies, Topps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Photo Hunt 1980: A Detroit Candy Man.

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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I’m excited to finally be back after an extended (and somewhat unexpected) hiatus, so I thought I’d kick-off my return with a tasty confectionery photo hunt from 1980.

I last tackled a photo hunt way back in 2012 when I presented a series of candy merchandising photos from 1975.  Today’s subject is a bit different as the candy was not the focus of the photographer’s lens, but rather the shopkeeper enveloped within it.  I’m also excited to share the photo as it is the work of acclaimed American photographer, Eli Reed.

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Posted in 1970's, 1980's, Bubble Gum, Chocolate, Fleer, Gum, Hershey, M&M's, Mars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

My Year in Collecting: 2014!

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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For the past five years, I’ve made it an annual tradition to gather together some of my favorite “collector acquisitions” from the previous twelve months in the form of a visual collage.  While it is by no means a comprehensive list, it is meant to be broad enough to reveal many of my hobby high points from the previous year.  So make the jump to check out my year-in-collecting highlights from 2014.

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Posted in 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, Chocolate, Mars, Nestle, Peanut Butter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Valentine’s Day 2015 gets Snoopy with Nestle Crunch!

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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Nestle Crunch recently partnered up with Charles M. Schulz’ Peanuts characters, first launching with a fun selection of packaging for Christmas 2014.  That partnership promises to see the Peanuts characters gracing Nestle Crunch packaging throughout the year, with new holiday packaging for Nestle Crunch all along the way.  For the Valentine’s holiday that means we’re getting a pair of lovely Nestle Crunch Snoopy packages!

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Posted in Chocolate, Holiday, Nestle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Valentine’s M&M’s Packs from Taiwan!

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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Happy Valentine’s Day!!

M&M’s can always be counted on for a great assortment of seasonal offerings each year and that’s certainly true for the Valentine’s holiday.  And while those are always neat to see, I recently picked up something especially cool due to its unusual nature; a set of Valentine’s M&M’s packs released exclusively to the Taiwan market back in 2012.  Make the jump to check them out!

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Posted in Boxed, Chocolate, Holiday, M&M's, Mars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brach’s 1972 “Share a Little Love” Valentine’s Day Promotion!

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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For today’s pre-Valentine’s Day post, I’ll be sharing a Brach’s candy salesman promotional packet created in support of their 1972 “Share a Little Love” campaign.  It’s a terrific and unique look into our confectionery past and it follows up a few other Brach’s salesman packet offerings I’ve shared in the last year.  Make the jump to check it out!

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Posted in 1970's, Boxed, Chocolate, Holiday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Our 550th Post! Plus Our Biggest Video Announcement Ever!

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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Today marks CollectingCandy.com’s 550th post!  Hooray!

It’s a big number and comes on the heels of the site’s third anniversary just last week.  With that in mind, we’ve decided to use the occasion to announce a major new endeavor spinning out of CollectingCandy.com.  The announcement comes in the form of a video (for reasons which will be obvious upon viewing said video). So make the jump and check it out!

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Posted in TheCandyGeek | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The (Nearly) Definitive History of Nestle’s Choco’Lite! — Plus: CollectingCandy.com’s Third Anniversary!

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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Today is special to me as it marks the Third Anniversary of CollectingCandy.com – first launched on February 6th, 2012.  And while I wasn’t able to program a week-long anniversary celebration as I did last year, I have endeavored to bring a few especially fun pieces together this week, concluding with today’s post on the history of Nestle’s Choco’Lite bar.

This is one I’m especially excited to share as it represents the culmination of years of hunting for (and finding) little grains of historical information along the way.  There are still Choco’Lite promotions and pieces I haven’t turned up material for, so this isn’t as complete as I’d like, but it’s awfully close.  So make the jump to check out the (nearly) definitive history of Nestle’s Choco’Lite!

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Posted in 1950's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, British, Chocolate, Nestle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The Surprising Candy of Howard Johnson’s!

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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I’ll often talk about how much I enjoy branded candy packaging that comes from unusual sources like private label or “store brands”.  These aren’t your typical Hershey or Mars offerings in that you can only find them at specific retail outlets, so even in the modern age they can remain quite regionalized and hard to find.

Howard Johnson’s is one such unusual source of branded confections, but it stands out due to its especially rich history.  You see, Howard Johnson’s is one of a select group of businesses that is inevitably intertwined with the history and romance of what is known as “Roadside America” as well as a period when coffee shops and diners ruled the land.  So make the jump to check out the surprising candy of Howard Johnson’s!

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Posted in 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, Chocolate, Gum, Hard Candy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

1997’s Cadbury Spice Girls Chocolate Bars!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Jason Liebig

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Today I’m flying back to the heady days of the mid-1990’s to take a look at the confectionery output of the pop-culture musical phenomenon known as The Spice Girls!  Make the jump to check it out.

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Posted in 1990's, British, Cadbury, Canadian, Chocolate | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments