Do you know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop? Perhaps you remember tears from the fire of an Atomic Fireball? Those days of rummaging through our candy haul and trading sweets may be long gone, and with them, most of the delicious candies that we remember from our trick-or-treating days. So as we prepare our kids for the upcoming Halloween festivities, take a walk with us down memory lane and delight again in the candy you found at the bottom of your Halloween bag as a kid.

Candy Necklaces

If the crusted, dried globs of sugar stuck to your neck did not give you away, the resulting white paste surrounding your mouth sure did.

Big League Chew

Gum shaped like tobacco? Brilliant. Now where’s the…

Candy Cigarettes

This is so non- PC it almost HAD to come from a time when moms had no problem microwaving food in their styrofoam packaging.

Tootsie Pops

While the candy may be timeless, those of you who remember a certain owl that asked ‘how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop’ are showing your age!

Gobstoppers

Did you want to join Charlie and his golden ticket in Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory? If so, give yourself an amazing Gobstopper.

Fruit Stripe Gum

Did you ever ask yourself, what does the zebra on the packaging have to do with gum? Whatever the connection, fruit stripe gum was delish (though not a great halloween treat, unless you got the whole pack).

Fun Dip

Pure sugar scooped up with a sugar stick you can eat? Their tag line should have been, “Annoying moms the world over.”

Now and Laters

These little taffys were so tough you truly could have some now and then a bit later.

Zotz

A precursor to Pop Rocks, these candies had a disconcerting sour, fizzy center. Fortunately, the cool name and pretty packaging offered excellent swapping opportunities with unsuspecting younger siblings.

Charleston Chews

Major score if you snagged one the “full-sized” chewy nougat bars as a Halloween treat.

Sugar Daddy and Sugar Babies

In case there was any doubt about the key ingredients in these sticky caramel creations, they stamped it across the front in bold scarlet letters as a warning to parents (and dentists).

Gold Nugget Gum

When you were little a quarter was a windfall, but a whole bag of gum? Pure gold.

Cry Babys

What was it about this generation of candy makers that created the need to make kids cry?

Mary Janes

In our neighborhood, Mary Janes were usually bottom of the trick-or-treat bag remnants that you would pawn off to your cousins or grandparents mid-November.

Atomic Fireballs

Let’s just call these little devils, “set your tongue on fire.” Remember daring your friends to see how long you could hold one in your mouth?

Razzles

So wait, it’s a candy, and then turns into gum? Well, in theory anyway. It was always a bit of a chalky mess in your mouth as you tried to get the gum to solidify. (Let’s put it this way, it was no Bubblicious).

Sixlets

Candy-coated chocolate balls – there’s no down side here.

Astro Pops

Green, yellow and red icicle suckers that could send our taste buds into outerspace!

Pop Rocks

That snap and crackle on your tongue was the big payoff of these little carbonated rocks, and who remembers hearing all about the rumors of mixing them with cola?

Jawbreakers

As far as dollar value, these massive candy balls take top billing. You could make these things last for days if you wanted them to, just as long as you didn’t stick the whole thing in your mouth.

Which nostalgic candy would you most like to find at the bottom of your Halloween bag?

— Laurie Halter

Photo credit: Mike Towber, Sara Anne Marshall, Phillip Stewart, Robot Matsuri!, chris5015, Luke Healey, Steve Dinn, floating ink, sock shot, sweetworks, Joe Loong, sha-put-ski, Timothy Tolle, Lunchbox Photography, JeepersMedia, Eric Kilby, OldTimeCandy