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[{"id":285115449386,"handle":"1800s","updated_at":"2025-05-09T16:03:47-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:25-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"depict","published_scope":"web","title":"1800s","body_html":"\u003ch5\u003eThe Industrial Revolution brought a tidal wave of change in sweets.\u003c\/h5\u003e\r\nThe 1800s saw the growth and demolition of enslavement with its close connection to sugar cane; the introduction of new sugars promoted by abolitionist; and the massive shifts in foods due to the Industrial Revolution, including the candy we know today.","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:25-04:00","alt":null,"width":1735,"height":2048,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2024-02-07T163445-582_e10ae7ea-2a45-4424-8199-cfe5833ac1db.jpg?v=1726760305"}},{"id":285115482154,"handle":"1900s","updated_at":"2025-05-09T15:00:24-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:27-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":null,"published_scope":"web","title":"1900s","body_html":"\u003ch5\u003eThe rise of candy we know today - from Candy Bars to Sponge Candy.\u003c\/h5\u003e\r\nThe 20th century launched an unprecedented age of candy made for kids, sent to soldiers at war, and reflecting everything from Prohibition to the Cold War. The colors were bright, the scent alluring, and the flavors out of this world.","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:27-04:00","alt":null,"width":2048,"height":2017,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2023-04-19T123907.127-1_473a8e56-fd45-41fa-8de7-d821f1aae1d9.jpg?v=1726760308"}},{"id":289156300842,"handle":"50s-candy","updated_at":"2025-05-09T13:45:22-04:00","published_at":"2024-12-12T09:31:29-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"50s Candy","body_html":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eThe 1950s were a remarkable time for candy! World War 2 was over and sugar for candy had returned. In the late 1940s and 1950s, candy makers were busily creating new selections – such as flavored Charleston Chews – and bringing back others. Many 1950s candies, such as Goobers and Raisinets were stars at movie theaters and drive-ins, where Americans enjoyed films at over 4,063 outdoor screens. Playing the card game bridge with friends? Bridgemix candy was the swet of choice. Need a breath freshener? Grandmothers carried hard candies in their purses just in case. Advertising also gave older candy a bump, from new Taxi-Cab themed wrappers on Abba Zabba to the advertising campaign for Good n’ Plenty, featuring Choo-Choo Charlie.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2024-12-12T09:31:28-05:00","alt":null,"width":2048,"height":2048,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/C_BRIDGE_MIX_2.png?v=1734013889"}},{"id":291189227562,"handle":"all-candy","updated_at":"2025-05-09T15:45:23-04:00","published_at":"2025-01-30T08:34:32-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"ALL CANDY","body_html":""},{"id":286636113962,"handle":"christmas-delights","updated_at":"2025-05-09T14:40:21-04:00","published_at":"2024-10-31T13:15:22-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Christmas Delights","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-10-31T13:15:19-04:00","alt":null,"width":1170,"height":1055,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/IMG_9211.jpg?v=1730394921"}},{"id":285115613226,"handle":"gift-boxes","updated_at":"2025-05-09T11:45:24-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:37-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Exclusive Gifts","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnique Gifts - ONLY AVAILABLE at True Treats! From pre-history – today! Plus stories and period illustrations on TT packaging!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:38-04:00","alt":null,"width":1170,"height":1088,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2023-02-14T103111.798-1_3f4318d0-87ab-4be1-87c1-5077c58d4c6e.jpg?v=1726760319"}},{"id":285116268586,"handle":"unplugged","updated_at":"2025-05-07T15:40:23-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:39:12-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Just for Kids","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:39:13-04:00","alt":null,"width":1858,"height":1879,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-8-1-e1695398628207.jpg?v=1726760353"}},{"id":285116039210,"handle":"only-at-true-treats","updated_at":"2025-05-09T14:00:26-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:37:04-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":null,"published_scope":"web","title":"Only At True Treats","body_html":null,"image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:39:07-04:00","alt":null,"width":2259,"height":2112,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/IMG_2267-scaled-e1657311617531_769562dd-003d-414e-be10-0757e094f8a1.jpg?v=1726760347"}},{"id":290043822122,"handle":"quick-order","title":"Quick Order","updated_at":"2025-05-09T15:45:23-04:00","body_html":null,"published_at":"2025-01-03T14:49:08-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"quick","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"variant_price","relation":"greater_than","condition":"0"}],"published_scope":"web"},{"id":285115547690,"handle":"retro-treats","updated_at":"2025-05-09T15:20:32-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:32-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"depict","published_scope":"web","title":"Retro \u0026 Penny Candy","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the Circus Peanut of the 1800s to the Satellite Wafers of the 1950s. Variety! Memories! Delicious!!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:33-04:00","alt":null,"width":2560,"height":1920,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Image-19-scaled_b6f0e6f7-b0e2-40d4-a984-8c445a3a8497.jpg?v=1726760313"}},{"id":295426359338,"handle":"retro-candy","updated_at":"2025-05-09T15:20:32-04:00","published_at":"2025-04-15T12:28:46-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Retro Candy","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2025-04-17T07:32:06-04:00","alt":null,"width":4032,"height":3024,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/d012120c-b13e-4d6b-a71a-b3d39470a2cd_2.jpg?v=1744889526"}}]
["1900s candy","buy candy","buy historic candy","buy retro candy","Candy made in the U.S.A.","chewing gum","gift","gifts","Grandma's candy","hard candy","Old Fashion candy","retro treat"]
AS SEEN ON - Jeopardy!, History Channel, PBS, Atlas Obscura, New York Times, NPR, Ologies, WBUR, Delish, Food Network Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Huff Post, CNN, Tasting Table, Gastro Obscura, Voice of America, Daily Mail UK, Oxford University Press, Pittsburg Post, Southern Living...
This delightful collection is no mere gathering of retro candies. These are the favorites that grandmothers kept in their purses and candy bowls for most of the 20th century and which they dispensed to the grandchildren hey loved. They are such familiar candies as Tootsie Rolls, Mary Janes, sour balls, butterscotch disks, Teaberry Gum, Starlight Mints, Strawberry Filled Candy…and don’t forget the ever-present Lifesavers!...to name a few. Housed in a plastic fun- size purse, Grandmother’s Purse is the long-lasting gift. The candies are durable, and the purse can be refilled, just like grandmothers’ purses whose contents signified love. The purse comes with a keepsake tag telling the story of Grandmother’s Purse. Contents are all historically true but may vary depending on availability. This collection is a perfect example of 1900s candy gift nostalgia, reminiscent of sweets from world war candy rations and candy timeline box keepsakes.
Product Details
Size: 8 ounces in a 6 X 2-3/8 X 4" Plastic Purse
Allergen Disclaimer: Please note that our products are made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, and wheat. While we take precautions to prevent cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that our products are allergen-free.
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Please allow 3-5 business days for processing new retail orders. Many of our products are hand-made and assembled, so some orders may experience some delays depending on availability. Most orders are shipped within 5 business days. If you have any questions or concerns about your order please reach out to us.
100% Satisfaction GuaranteeWe provide service the old-fashioned way. If something isn’t right, contact us, and we’ll make it right. Need ideas for a gift? For party favors? Let us know
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100% Authentic Historic Candy The ONLY research-based historic candy company in the U.S., proudly offering genuine historical candies with the story of each
The Story Behind Grandma’s Candy Bowl
For generations, grandmothers kept candy in special candy bowls and purses, which they dished out to the grandchildren they loved. The ritual began with grandmothers who remembered sugar shortages of the Depression and World War I and II. Candy – and sugar – was hard to find: these shortages lasted for years. When it returned, candy was a symbol of affluence, well-being, and confirmation that everything was alright. Above all, it was a symbol of love. Like the sweets in world war candy rations, this tradition endured tough times. Today, it’s celebrated in our 1900s candy gift collection and the candy timeline box. Discover more here and in Susan’s blog from her book “Sweet as Sin.”
True Treats is the only historically accurate candy store in the world, bringing the past to life through researched sweets, teas, syrups, and more. Every product is rooted in history, telling the story of how people from all walks of life enjoyed treats through time. Leading this effort is Susan, a nationally recognized candy historian, researcher, and author who appears regularly on TV, radio, and in major publications. With over 40 years of experience, she has written ten books and founded True Treats to share the fascinating history of candy in a fun and delicious way. Susan’s work uncovers the surprising origins of America’s favorite sweets, from ancient uses of sugar to the candies of the 1900s. Through True Treats, Susan makes history an interactive experience, allowing customers to taste the past while learning the stories behind every bite.