Take a Chew Down Memory Lane at www.GroovyCandies.com

Cleveland, OH July 17, 2004 -- If you have memories of soda shoppes, sock hops, and '57 Chevy's, then the 50's Classic Candies Sampler ($16.95) will tickle your taste buds, with favorites such as Zagnut, Red Hots, and Boston Baked Beans.    

If peace signs and flower power strike an electric-guitar chord, the 60's Far Out Sampler ($16.95) will rekindle psychedelic joy—complete with Jujubes, Indian Brand Pumpkin Seeds, and Fun Dip.

Or did you do The Hustle under the disco ball? Catch Saturday Fever once again while munching on Pop Rocks, Razzles, and Gobstoppers, part of the Happy Candies from the 70's collection ($16.95). Get out your leisure suit and platform shoes!

The nostalgia-lovers at Groovy Candies have hunted down all the Baby Boomer favorites and offer more than 400 confections—all freshly-made, generally by the original manufacturers.

"People have very happy memories associated with certain candies," says Hughes. "Our customers don't just place orders, they share their lives with us."

Those customers include Rosie O'Donnell, Matt Lauer, Anne Murray, Julia Roberts…even a Supreme Justice in Texas. The candy is popular at reunions, birthday parties, corporate events, and as gifts to soldiers overseas.

Last Christmas, one last-minute holiday shopper had 200 boxes overnighted to Florida from the company's Brooklyn, Ohio headquarters.

Yes, the candies of childhood exert a magical pull over otherwise sensible adults.

And speaking of magical pulls, did you ever wonder whatever happened to Blackjack, Beemans, and Clove chewing gum? Currently, Groovy Candies is participating in a rare, eclipse-like event—one that occurs just every five years. These gums, introduced more than a century ago, are being freshly manufactured and will be available for purchase for a limited time.

While chewing gum-like substances dates back to the Greeks and Mayans, American entrepreneurs got stuck on it after the Civil War. Inventor Thomas Adams (who patented the first gum-making machine) was introduced to chewing gum by General Santa Ana of Alamo fame. Santa Ana chewed chicle, the dried sap of the sapodilla tree.

After experimenting with flavoring chicle, Adams introduced licorice-like Black Jack in 1894. Four years later, he launched Beemans, which—because it contained pepsin—was touted as a cure for heartburn. Strong-smelling Clove enjoyed popularity during Prohibition, because its overpowering scent masked the forbidden aroma of gin.

All three were discontinued in the 1970s, when sugarless gums ruled the industry. Today, Cadbury/Schweppes—which now owns Adams Gum Company—produces the gum on a mysterious five-year cycle.

The gums' popularity endures. Groovy Candies has already received 9,000 requests for advance orders. One customer—a 73 year-old lady name Alice—is buying $1,000 worth. Alice plans to freeze some of it.

"We're getting hundreds of emails every day," says Hughes, a former D.J. "You can order just one flavor or a nostalgia sampler box ."

The gum arrives five sticks in a pack, which Groovy Candies will be selling in various multiples. A quantity of 20 six-packs, for example, costs $11.70.

And what about those other favorites you haven't thought of in years?

"We've done a lot of research. Some candies just aren't available anymore—like Fizzies and the Reggie Bar. Bonomos Turkish Taffy was discontinued, but we sell Doscher's French Chew, which is virtually identical."

"Remember those wax harmonicas you loved at Halloween? Well, the manufacturer tells us they literally ‘broke the mold.' Go figure."

For a taste of more groovy candy lore, contact Lekas & Levine PR, 847.327.9530. Photos available.




This article courtesy of http://www.pearldiamondnecklace.com.
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