Earlier this year it was announced that Fruit Stripe gum, a staple of 1970s kids’ recreational chewing habits, was being discontinued by candy maker Ferrara, who owns the brand. It had stopped production of the gum in 2022, but now it’s official. The once-popular Fruit Stripe gum is dead.
Many of the candies popular in the 1970s have sadly gone the way of Fruit Stripe, and we’ll never see them again. Others are still available, but the local candy store hasn’t stocked them in decades, so devotees of these hard-to-find snacks must do some sleuthing if they want to track them down.
Here’s our list of beloved candies from the 1970s that you just can’t find anymore. Some are discontinued and others are found so rarely in brick-and-mortar stores that many people may have simply assumed they’re discontinued. Either way, you probably won’t see them on your next excursion to Walmart’s candy aisle.
Image Credit: Vintage Candy Co. / Amazon.Com.
1. Charleston Chew Bar
According to the Tootsie Roll Industries Charleston Chews product page, Charleston Chew Bars consist of “chewy, flavored nougat wrapped in a rich, chocolaty coating,” it’s fun to smash them when they’re frozen. You don’t see them often, possibly because their generous length takes up too much real estate on convenience store shelves. It’s still in production, so consider just buying a whole box.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
2. Marathon Bar
We’re not going to lie. Marathon Bars were pretty awesome. They consisted of chocolate-covered braided caramel but were discontinued in 1981 after a scant eight years of production. You can reportedly get the same user experience from the Cadbury Curly Wurly Chocolate Bar, and we believe that the Marathon Bar would want you to find happiness with that one.
Image Credit: Bionic Disco / YouTube.
3. Reggie! Bar
The Reggie! Bar was ubiquitous during Reggie Jackson’s 1970s career with the New York Yankees. Consisting of caramel and peanuts covered in milk chocolate, it’s still commercially available. However, you’re unlikely to see it when you’re out and about, as Jackson is no longer the household name he once was.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
4. Chunky Bar
The Chunky Bar is a compelling mixture of chocolate, nuts, raisins, and Brutalist architecture. While it will win no awards for creative design, its sturdy construction makes it fun to crush between your molars.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
5. Space Dust
In the 1970s, numerous candies on the market could best be described as “exploding sugar,” such as Pop Rocks. Space Dust also did the same fizzing, popping thing as Pop Rocks but had a different texture. Pop Rocks still exist today while Space Dust is no more, but we’re not sad that it’s gone – we’re happy Space Dust happened.
Image Credit: Black Hole Treasures / eBay.
6. Fizzies Drink Tablets
Do you enjoy bubbly, carbonated soft drinks but feel cheated out of the experience of seeing them get made? Well, too bad, because Fizzies Drink Tablets aren’t made anymore. You would pour yourself a glass of water, drop in these flavored tablets, and watch the concoction turn into glorified soda. It was a sponsor of “The Shari Lewis Show” and was pitched by both her and, one assumes, Lamb Chop.
Image Credit: Public Domain / Wikipedia.
7. Milkshake Bar
Made with caramel, chocolate, and malted milk nougat, the Milkshake Bar was created in 1927 and discontinued in 1996. Contrary to popular opinion, it was discontinued due to a corporate buyout, not due to any perceived failure on the bar’s part to bring all the boys to the yard.
Image Credit: Detective Alley / YouTube.
8. Clark 1776 Bicentennial Bar
A limited edition version of the Clark Bar timed to coincide with the 200th birthday of the United States in 1976, this candy was discontinued after Bicentennial-mania subsided. While Clark Bars themselves are not as popular as they once were, they’re still being manufactured, but unfortunately, if you want this specific chocolate relic, you must visit eBay.
Image Credit: Jason Liebig / FLickr.
9. Razzles
Have you ever been sitting there, innocently eating candy, then angrily throwing it to the ground and saying, “I wish that candy was actually gum”? Well, the people who invented Razzles must have believed in the existence of such a consumer because they created a candy that turns into gum upon sufficient chewing. Such a consumer must exist because you can still get them.
Image Credit: Amazon.com.
10. Krackel
Krackel Bars are still made today in their regular full-size form, but you’re most likely to see them in the bags of assorted miniatures that Hershey’s puts out every Halloween. It’s tempting to confuse them with Crunch Bars, which also appear to be nothing more than chocolate bars with off-brand Rice Krispies in them, but in 2012, journalist Joanna Leary wrote in a heartfelt Houston Press article that Krackel Bars are better. “Krackel is thin but strong and can withstand a hearty first bite,” she said. “Crunch, if it isn’t already crumbled when you open the package, cracks quickly under pressure.”
Image Credit: Evan-Amos / Wikipedia.
11. Wacky Wafers
Good news, everybody – Wacky Wafers are back! If you don’t know what they are, much less that they went away, they’re wafers about the size of a large coin and whose wackiness derives from their many fruity flavors. We thank Leaf Brands for manufacturing this fine product and for not creating a “sister” candy called Unadventurous Wafers.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
Image Credit: Clearbargain / eBAy.
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