The Candy Store.

I have to believe, ever since the invention of candy, there have been very few brands that have not sold well. Sure, some candies have come and gone, and many have expanded with new flavors, colors and varieties, but the sweet tooth is something I doubt will ever go away. When Kraft paid several billions of dollars this past year for Cadbury’s, I think that was a pretty good indication they saw a bright future in the candy business.

But candy is more than a business---it’s something humans love, crave, and will give up practically anything for as long as they can feed their sweet tooth. Just ask my kids which is more important…being with Dad or that candy store? Both, as long as Dad takes them to the candy store!

This past weekend, as a way of convincing my daughter she really did want to go to the zoo with me, I had to take her to our local candy store. Not far from our house, this store has some of the craziest hours I know of---meaning, it’s never open. With a second store in my hip pocket, I ventured to the next town hoping it was open. Mind you, this was on a Sunday at 1 PM---a lot different than a Saturday morning. (I provided the disclaimer when we were on our way over “You know, it’s Sunday and they probably won’t be open, but we’ll give it a try, okay?”)

Sure enough it was open and if you were paid money for big smiles, I would be loaded. The best thing about going to buy candy with the girls is you set a limit and they usually don’t even come close to going over what I said they could spend.

This store, located in Wheaton, IL has one of the most unusual configurations I have seen. It’s easy to miss when you walk up or drive by---it’s only 5 feet wide and 60 feet deep; but it’s filled with candy names from when I was growing up and the popular candy of today’s generation. They also sell popcorn---in fact, I have never purchased candy at the store, but always get a bag of popcorn and a Diet Coke.

The girls on the other hand, they hand pick the pieces of candy they want, place it in a bag, and actually wonder if they are taking too much? Gotta love it. My popcorn and soda are always more than half of the price and we all walk away happy.

What’s really fun about the store is how it takes you back in time and some of the unusual items on the wall. They have candy I have not seen in decades and along the wall they have one of the most unique photos I have ever seen. It’s a photo of a train---every car---and is 13 feet long; the owner of the store, Bill, told me he got it from the original owner whose wife didn’t want it in her home. Now I ask you, “Who would not want a 13-foot picture of a train?” The guy’s wife.

The photo above is of the store. When I went in I thought this would be an interesting blog for “Snap.Shot.” But then again, I would have to drive home and get my trusty Nikon; then it hit me, it was in the car because we were going to the zoo! All I could think of was, “sweeet.”

Thanks for stopping by.