Mixing bubblegum and taffy might seem like a bit of a redundant concept – they’re both a chewable confection, after all. But back in 1986, novelty bubblegum manufacturer Amurol did just that when they introduced Baffy, the “taffy that turns into bubble gum”.
Amurol’s Baffy was said to “look, pull, and chew just like taffy” and as such it certainly fit the bill of a novelty bubble gum. Sold as a two pack with an outer-wrapper style and size that was very much in line with the popular Tangy Taffy brand (now Laffy Taffy), the hope must have been to grab some of the taffy bar market share.
Here’s a look at an outer wrapper for Baffy:
Amurol – Baffy – cherry taffy bubble gum – outer candy bubblegum wrapper – 1986
When I added that Baffy wrapper to my collection, it was actually still sealed and full package.
Amurol Baffy Taffy Bubblegum unopened pack photo
As regular readers of CollectingCandy.com already know, old bubble gum can be a sticky, difficult substance to deal with, and it can ruin wrappers from the inside out. Add vintage taffy into the vintage bubblegum chemical mixture and you get one of the stickiest, most-difficult messes I’ve ever had to deal with.
Fortunately, the inner wrappers took all of the brunt of the decomposing confectionery damage and protected the outer wrapper nicely. Of the two inner wrappers, I was only able to salvage one of them, and after a lot of cleaning, it came out looking pretty good. Unlike the outer wrapper which was a mylar type of material, the inner wrapper was part paper and part some plastic material, making it difficult to open cleanly or to keep intact. The stains the contents left are clear in the scan here. I should note that even now this inner wrapper retains some taffy-bubblegum residue on the inside of it.
Amurol – Baffy – cherry taffy bubble gum – inner candy bubblegum wrapper – 1986
I had long assumed that Baffy was only ever sold in cherry flavor, as I’ve only encountered a wrapper for it one other time and it was also cherry. During some research last week, I came across a candy trade magazine clipping which revealed that Baffy was available in grape flavor as well as the cherry, and not only that but it was also sold as 5-cent individually-wrapped pieces:
Amurol – Baffy taffy bubblegum – individually wrapped grape and cherry – candy trade magazine clipping – July 1986
So there you have it, an example of what might be the only time the worlds of taffy and bubblegum have ever truly merged. Anyone out there remember Baffy? If you do, make sure you leave a comment and let us know.
Maybe someday I’ll track down one of the grape wrappers or even one of the individuals. For now, that’s everything I’ve got on the bubblegum-taffy known as Baffy. See you next time!
So were you supposed to swallow it or spit it out when you were done?
I remember Baffy and remember it fondly if only because the one and only time I encountered it (at 13 or 14 years old, in 1987 or ’88) I composed a verse on the subject:
“Late at night she goes outside to eat a piece of Baffy
Chewy, cherry, partly gum, and also partly taffy…”
It was very sticky and difficult to free from the wrapper (the “going outside” was in hopes that the cooler air on a summer night would make it easier to unwrap). The taste was not dissimilar to AirHeads, a taffy that came on the market soon enough afterwards to make comparison possible.
Back in the 80’s when Big Lots was Pic n Save… they sold the buckets of the individual pieces. I loved this stuff! Everyone did, that’s why i searched for it in hopes I coyld buy it from a nostalgic candy company. Does it still exist?