Tuesday, April 5, 2011

D is for.....

D is for......DROPS

Heide - Drops candy box - 1970s

Drops were, hands down, the greatest candy ever made. I used to get a box every time I went to the movies. I loved Drops so much, it never occurred to me that one day they would disappear.

I'm not exactly sure of the timeline, but Drops starting becoming scarce in the mid to late 80s. I once went by myself to see Beaches at a discount theater because I knew they still sold Drops. That's called devotion my friends. Well, that or addiction.

I remember saving empty boxes, writing the name of the movie I'd seen on the box. I distinctly remember flattening the boxes and stashing them in my closest. I'm torn between being embarrassed that I was such a loser, and wishing I still had those boxes. They were from movies like The Breakfast Club, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride. They would be like relics of my youth.

By the 90s, Drops were extremely hard to come by. They weren't in theaters any more, but every once in a while I'd come across some boxes in random, off the beaten track places. I bought every box I could find and milked them for all they were worth. My closest friends knew I was obsessed with finding Drops, and they would buy any boxes they came across on their travels. One of my friends even called the company that made Drops, Heide, to find out where he could get some. My friend was told Drops were no longer being made. Once the existing the supply was sold, no more Drops. The kind soul on the phone that day actually sent my friend a case of Drops for free. My friend gave me the box for my birthday, and without a doubt, it was one of the best presents I've ever received.

I remember my last box of Drops. Meg and I were seeing a movie in Buffalo, Minnesota. I want to say it was one of the Harry Potter movies, but I'm not sure. We stopped in the little drug store down the street from the theater to get some cheaper snacks. I was shocked to find a lone box of Drops in the candy aisle. It's possible I'd never been that happy in my young life. Those last Drops were a little crusty with age, but I savored every last one. 

17 comments:

  1. New follower through A-Z...GREAT post. I feel that way about Cow Tails. And yes, seeing Beaches because you knew the theater had Drops definitely IS devotion. Wow.

    -Vanessa

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  2. I've never heard about Drops - I'll have to search for them! The last sentence made me smile... too bad your C post wasn't Crusty Candy for a double word score!

    - allison writes

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  3. I like the personality in your posts!
    My husband likes Ju Ju's - aren't they similar? (I know they aren't the same...)
    Happy D Day!

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  4. I was never really a fan of those things.

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  5. "D" is for Dude, that's a little "F" for Freaky.
    You are reminding me of my beloved father-in-law who wouldn't hesitate to kill a man for a Zero bar (I am not exaggerating, he goes on "hunts" in back alley convenience stores, always at the ready).
    Your "D"edicated follower, Munk.

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  6. Like an addiction all right. "I remember my last box of Drops." (Like it's the final narrow line of coke, or a heroine bazooka--that sent you to the infirmary.) The irony of you finding your last box of Drops in a drug store is not lost on me. That first line of your last paragraph rings first sentence of short story. Seriously. Good stuff. (The writing and the Drops!)

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  7. VR: Thanks for reading!

    allison: I'm afraid Drops have vanished without a trace. In this day of finding everything on the internet, the only thing I could find on Drops was the lame picture I used in the post.

    Tara: Thanks for the compliment. JuJubes are similar, but smaller and harder. I was never able to get into them though.

    OT: Most people I know felt the same way. Guess that's why they aren't around any more.

    LG: You have to wonder, do dentists hate candy or love it becasue it keeps them in demand?

    Munk: It's so funny, Dude was my second choice for this post, as in "The Dude," Jeffrey Lebowksi.

    Michael: I know, and I've got the cavities to prove it.

    Jayne: You are very kind-thanks

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  8. At the theater where I work, we have a small Bar and Concessions stand. We would always try to find the most obscure, disgusting treats we could, and hide one package in amongst all of the butterfingers, snickers, etc. Whoever pulled out the mystery candy bar and actually wanted to buy it would win both the candy bar and a free drink. Just something we did to amuse ourselves and reward the true candy connoisseurs.
    my favorite old time treats:

    2 words: Good. n. Plenty.
    2 more: Necco Wafers.

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  9. Wow, I never thought Drops would drop off of the face of the Earth. At least you got to enjoy them right on down to the bittersweet end.

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  10. For me it was butter-rum lifesavers. They were my absolute favourite, and you can't get them for love nor money anymore. So sad.

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  11. It seemed like for a while any time I found some obscure product that I liked to eat, the Gods would be notified, and it would immediately be taken off the market.

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  12. I laughed about seeing Beaches just to get Drops. Your blog is really fun, love it.

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  13. Mickey: Great story! Good and Plenties-are those still around?

    Jeffrey: Bittersweet end-how did I not work that phrase in?

    India: Thanks for stopping by. I remember those lifesavers!

    Laoch: It ain't right.

    Julie: Thanks Julie, right back at ya.

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  14. Awesome, 1. I really like this A-Z thing you're doing. And 2, I love sweets and have never heard of drops. They sound illegal which might be why they don't sell them anymore. I just did an animation with A-Z stuff, i've got an image posted of my A-Z screenshots all in one..Have a look at the A to Z here :)

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