Best of … classic candy stores

Contributed by Rachelle Dawson, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Fads come and go, whether in fashion, entertainment, or language.

Much of what has come before is forgotten, but the classics are the things we remember, decades and sometimes generations later. Classic candy stores continue to sell those treats that remind many of us of the carefree days of childhood.

Here are the best of classic candy stores, where you can satisfy your retro sweet tooth.

Old Time Candy

Candy by the Decade

This is the type of place that first comes to mind when you think of classic candy stores. The tagline for Old Time Candy is “Candy You Ate as a Kid.” And Old Time Candy caters to a large audience. You can browse for candy by decade, from before the 1920s up through the 1990s. Whether bubble gum cigars or Push Pops bring nostalgia to you, you will find several pages of offerings under each decade. You may also browse by candy type or occasion. Buy one candy bar, a carton or tub of one type of candy, or an assortment box for your chosen decade.

Southern Candy Makers

More Kitchen, Less Commercial

Some people grew up less on commercial candy than on home-cooked treats from Mom or Grandma’s kitchen. A glossy wrapper or a rainbow of colors aren’t enough to satisfy this crowd, but Southern Candy Makers delivers. Though you’ll find more upscale candies and chocolates here, you’ll also find classics such as pralines, toffee, peanut butter cups, fudge, chocolate-covered pecans, and salt water taffy. Candy comes packaged in gift boxes or tins.

Blair Candy

Blast from the Past

Like Old Time Candy, Blair Candy sells a selection of retro candy. Here you can shop by type of candy or occasion, and you’ll even find an assortment of gluten-free candy. Additional features that set apart Blair from other classic candy stores are the small offering of dog and cat treats, wholesale candy, and candy store supplies. If you want to introduce retro candy into your place of business or your fundraising efforts, you may want to check if Blair Candy will work for you.

Pecans.com

For the Pecan Lover

Pecans.com has its name for a reason: They sell pecans, pecans, and more pecans. From this shop, you can buy plain pecans, flavored pecans, pecan pies, and of course, pecan candy. You may choose dark chocolate- or white chocolate-covered pecans; Texas-shaped fudge; or a sampler of cinnamon pecans, pralines, toffee-covered nuts, and milk chocolate-covered pecans.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Chocolate and Caramel, a Recipe for Success

In business for well over twenty years, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has become something of a classic itself. Its two biggest ingredients, chocolate and caramel, have proven to be a recipe for success, as the original shop has expanded into franchises throughout the United States, Canada, and even the United Arab Emirates. Rocky Mountain is well known for its fudge and caramel apples, but the company also sells a variety of other confections you might expect to find in classic candy stores. Some of the other choices include English toffee, chocolate mints, chocolate-covered pretzels, and chocolate bars. Even their specialties come in a variety of “flavors.” Caramel apples, for example, come in these flavors: cheesecake, M&M, and rocky road. Fudge comes in chocolate walnut, vanilla, rocky road, and vanilla peanut butter, among other flavors.