A few weeks ago I went to the dime store on a mission and ended up taking a trip down memory lane. In the last few years I have grown disenchanted with purses and started carrying around wallets instead. I was looking for a new wallet and knew the store (probably the only dime store here in this part of town) had hard covered wallets with pretty designs. I quickly found what I was looking for and decided to explore the store. I had gone in there in the past, but usually with a purpose and left no time for browsing.
Growing up, we frequented a Ben Franklin close to our house. While our mom went off shopping in the back of the store, my sister and I went down the candy aisle, and with small plastic baskets in hand, picked Garbage Pail Kids and Baseball Cards, Blow Pops, Tootsie Rolls and whatever other candies caught our fancy.
Back to the present time, I let the little Colleen go wild in the dime store that day. I went to the candy aisle and the not only did the assault of bright colors and sugar smell trigger memories, but the candy brands as well. Runts, Nerds, Dum Dum suckers, Blow Pops, Sugar Daddy, Slopoke, Bit O' Honey, Spree, Sour Patch Kids, Laffy Taffy, Now and Later, Dubble Bubble and Fruit Stripe gum.
So much gum and tootsie roll flavors
Pop Rocks!
Candy Cigarettes (now called "Candy Sticks")
As we got older, our visits became less frequent until we no longer shopped in the dime store. I grew up and the candy from childhood got tucked within the many layers of memories. I will confess that I did purchase candy that day. After all, there is nothing wrong with indulging the child within once in awhile. I'm glad this dime store has been able to hold its own against the ever growing number of big chain retail stores. From the number of kids in the candy aisle that day, I'm sure this place is providing memories for this generation. May the dime store live on.
Love these shots! So much color - and sugar! I remember the candy cigarettes. They didn't taste good but were fun to play with. My generation alright!
ReplyDeleteHehe. Yeah, I remember the Candy Cigarettes tasted like chalk but we looked SO COOL. ;P
DeleteDid you ever have those bubble gum cigarettes? If you blew in the end of their paper wrapper, a little bit of powder shot out like smoke.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to take us to Woolworths, where my sister and I were allowed to buy a Matchbox car or a plastic horse or dog, all 99 cents.
We got our candy from a neighborhood candy store one street over. Long red licorice whips, Charms suckers, Lemonheads, Chick-O-Sticks, wax lips and mustaches, candy dots on a strip of white paper, and the candies you listed. We got 50 cents allowance every two weeks. It all went to candy.
I think, perhaps, I'm a bit older than you!
I don't remember the bubble gum cigs but I do remember the wax lips and mustaches. Those tasted awful! Did you ever have the "fruit" drinks that came in the wax bottle? Gah that was another disgusting tasting candy...
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