I Was SHOCKED By Some Of These ’50s and ’60s Candies Not In Stores Anymore…

Candy stores go by many different names. "Lolly shops" in Australia, "sweet shops" in England, and "confectionery stores" in American days gone by.

Whatever we call them, candy shops have been bringing children joy (and cavities) since glorious sugar was first discovered — almost 10,000 years ago!

It's believed that the first country to domesticate sugar cane was New Guinea, around 8,000 B.C. The people of New Guinea loved sugar so much that they would pick cane and eat it raw, chewing until they reached the delicious, sugary core. This sweet elixir was so treasured by the natives, it actually influenced their religion. In one tale, the human race was conceived when the first man and a sugar cane made love!

Today, thousands of years later, sugar — or "white gold" — is just as beloved. Much like its identical opposite, salt, sugar will probably never lose its place in the cupboards of humanity. Despite its waist-expanding, tooth-rotting properties, sugar is like the North Star of civilization: an ever-fixed mark by which we steer our sensory ships.

As you scroll through these candies of yore — some shocking, some nostalgic — we hope they bring back sweet memories! While you won't find most of these on the shelves of Wal-Mart or Walgreen's, there are still places that sell them today, like Old Time Candy!

Do you remember any of these vintage candies?

Fizzies, first created in 1956, were like a fun and fruity Alka-Seltzer! Twelve years later, the artificial sweetener found in Fizzies was banned by the FDA, leading to a steep decline in popularity.

This chocolate-covered cherry fondant was first invented in 1918! Some say the chocolate, blended with roasted peanuts, was delicious, but that the fruity center tasted like cherry toothpaste. Did you enjoy it?

The Chicken Dinner Bar was introduced during The Great Depression, its name referring to President Herbert Hoover’s promise of “a chicken in every pot." The bar didn't contain any chicken at all! It was just a chocolate-covered nut roll.

Created in 1847, the Necco wafer is another very old candy on our list. The original flavors consisted of lemon, lime, orange, clove, cinnamon, wintergreen, licorice, and chocolate. Did you know that Necco is an acronym for New England Confectionery Company?

Candy cigarettes were produced by many different companies and came in varying flavors and types — like chocolate, bubble gum, or chalky sugar. Some candy cigarettes hid powdered sugar in the wrapper, allowing kids to "puff" and produce a cloud of smoke. You won't find these anymore!

During the Great Depression, a man named John Arbino noticed that, despite their poverty, people always managed to have pennies for candy — so he grabbed a beater and got to making candies like the marshmallow ice cream cone! Bonus fact: The marshmallow plant has been used to make candy since Ancient Egypt.

With its shockingly spicy and exceptionally long-lasting flavor (and of course its nuclear name), this fiery candy was definitely a product of the Atomic Age. It's hard to imagine that such a terrifying time in history inspired something as innocent as candy!

Nik-L-Nip wax bottles were named such because they cost only a nickel, and the tops were "nipped" off to get to the sweet juice inside. Once empty, the bottles themselves could be chewed on like bubblegum. Although nontoxic, the bottles weren't meant to be consumed — but no doubt, they still were.

These sugar-coated jellies were fruit-flavored, obviously to mimic the fruit they resembled. The department store Sears used to sell these in plastic trays that were easy to set out for kids or offer to guests. This is a candy we still see around today.

This chewy taffy was originally only made in large sheets and sold at Woolworths stores, where cashiers would break the sheets into smaller bites and sell them by weight. Later, the taffy was sold in smaller, individually wrapped bars, but kids still enjoyed whacking them into smaller pieces. Turkish Taffy came in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and banana.

With its shocking tagline, "You'll kill yourself scrubbin' with this soap pad," this was no doubt a gag gum. Controversy surrounded its producer, Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corporation, when the factory's groundwater was tested positive for PCP!

A winter staple, tins of these ribbon candies flew off the shelf when the days began to grow colder. Because of their pretty colors and cheerful sheen, they were often used decoratively, displayed in glass dishes or apothecary jars.

These sticky taffy lollipops were first created in 1924. They came in banana, strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla flavors. Though they were known for getting terribly stuck in one's teeth, they were always a must-get at the candy store.

This dip-and-lick candy — still around today, but known as Fun Dip — originally only came in the flavors of lime, cherry, and grape. Though the candy came with a sugar stick for dipping, kids frequently ate the powder right out of the pouch. Talk about a sugar rush!

Another five-and-dime marshmallow candy, Circus Peanuts have been a favorite for kids since the late 1800s. Typically banana-flavored, these fluffy, peanut-shaped candies were often colored pink, orange, or white. Did you know that Lucky Charms were invented by putting pieces of stale Circus Peanuts in sugared Cheerios?

In 1965, Pez made a replica of James Bond's handgun for a dispenser. On the surface, it might not seem all that troubling — but when you imagine a child positioning the shooter in his or her mouth, it becomes a shocking idea. You definitely won't find these on shelves today!

Saf-T-Pops, also known as the "lollipop with the loop" and the "doctor's pop," were thought to be safer for kids on the run. With their flexible fiber loop handle, they were much safer than suckers with straight handles.

Candy sticks have been a favorite of children and adults alike since the mid-1800s. They're so beloved, poems have even been written about them! Here are a few verses from a 1907 poem by Folger McKinsey:

I know the green street where the little shop stood,
And, oh, the stick-candy that tasted so good!
Lemon and wintergreen, cinnamon bar,
Each in its round little, fat little jar—
I see through the glamor of childhood the glint
Of the sassafras, horehound and white peppermint!

In 1965, for only 10 cents, a child could buy a trademarked Playboy candy bar. Hopefully what was inside the wrapper was kid-friendly!

These colorful wafers — perhaps an extraterrestrial-themed product of the Space Race — were crisp on the outside with sprinkles, sour powder, or sherbet on the inside. The pastel-colored wafers were sometimes used by children to "play communion" like the grown-ups they saw in church.

Please SHARE if you enjoyed remembering these nostalgic sweets!