Author Archives: Jason Liebig

About Jason Liebig

A New York City based writer, editor and sometimes actor. After spending much of the 1990′s in the comic book business helping tell the stories of Marvel Comics’ X-Men as series editor, he has since split his time between developing his own entertainment properties while still consulting and working on others. Having been described as “the Indiana Jones of lost and forgotten candy”, Jason is one of the country’s premier candy collectors and historians with his discoveries appearing in countless blogs, magazines, newspaper articles, and books. Always happy to share his knowledge and unique perspectives on this colorful part of our popular culture, Jason has consulted with New York’s Museum of Food and Drink and has also been a featured guest on Food Network’s Heavyweights, France’s M6 Capital, and New York’s TheActionRoom.com. My Google Profile+

Hickory Farms Chocolate Bar Wrappers of the early 1970’s!

Hickory Farms is mostly associated as a catalog retailer of meats and cheeses these days (with the occasional holiday pop-up store), but over the years they’ve had permanent mall locations and offered all sorts of consumable gifts, including a run … Continue reading

Posted in 1970's, Chocolate, Private Label | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Finding Fruit Face – Another Mystery Solved!

As a confectionery brand historian and collector, one the most common inquiries I get are those that ask my assistance in identifying some product or brand from the hazy memories of that persons childhood.  I’m happy to get these requests … Continue reading

Posted in 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, Boxed, Hard Candy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

My Year in Collecting: 2017!

While most folks do their 2017 “year in review” type editorials in December or January, mine tend to slip to February and in the case of this year and last, the month of March.  Even so, I’m wonderfully-excited to share … Continue reading

Posted in 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, Boxed, Canadian, Chocolate, Christmas, Easter, Fleer, Gum, Gummies, Halloween, Hard Candy, Hershey, Holiday, M&M's, Mars, Nestle, Reese's, Sour Candy, Timeline, Topps, Wonka | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Bazooka’s Big Buddy – A “Big Stick” Bubblegum History 1968-1984!

Today’s entry is going to be a big one, and it covers a brand whose history I’ve been chasing down for over a decade.  One of the original “big stick” bubble gum brands, it’s Bazooka’s (and Topps’) Big Buddy!

Posted in 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, Bubble Gum, Topps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

1980’s Mountain Chew Bubble Gum – An Unusual Blend of Brand Knockoffs! – Plus CollectingCandy.com’s 6th Anniversary!

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  If that’s true, then Philadelphia Chewing Gum was an irrepressible flatterer when they released Mountain Chew in the 1980’s, a bubblegum product that managed to pull inspiration from two iconic brands: … Continue reading

Posted in 1980's, Bubble Gum, Gum | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Canadian Twizzlers’ Twisted Shoutout Artist Edition Packs!

During the Summer of 2017, Hershey’s of Canada released an amazing series of special edition Twizzlers packaging featuring artwork by four talented artists.  This promotion was called Twizzlers Twisted Shout-Outs and resulted in sixteen different striking Twizzlers packs.  Make the … Continue reading

Posted in Canadian, Hershey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

FYE and Astor Chocolate’s Food Fight! – Featuring the first chocolate bar that tastes like a McDonald’s french fry!!!

You may not know the name Astor Chocolate but you’ve almost certainly seen their products.  They’ll often produce private label chocolate bars for cities and tourist locations – I featured a pair of their lovely Times Square Toys R Us … Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate, Private Label | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Marsettes: Mars’ Mid-Century Answer to Rolo!

Back in 1958, the Mars company introduced a product to the USA market that might sound familiar:  It was a roll of caramel-filled drum-shaped chocolate candies, wrapped in gold foil.  Mars called this new offering Marsettes, and while their time … Continue reading

Posted in 1950's, 1960's, Chocolate, Mars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

My Year in Collecting: 2016!

Though it arrives a little later than I’d planned, today I’m excited to present my 2016 “Year in Collecting” retrospective graphical collage.  This is the eighth year in a row that I’ve put one of these together and it’s fun … Continue reading

Posted in 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, Boxed, Canadian, Chocolate, Gum, Gummies, Hershey, M&M's, Mars, Nestle, Reese's, Timeline, Topps, Wonka | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day 2017 with Six New Just Born Boxes!!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!  While there was a lot of great new Valentine’s seasonal offerings this year, I’ve only time for one post.  I’m choosing to dedicate today’s feature on the six new-for-2017 Just Born boxed Valentine’s seasonal offerings – … Continue reading

Posted in Boxed, Holiday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment