I am not entirely sure if what I am about to describe
matches with what is retailed in the United States of
America, but it is a record of my experience of a particular
sweet of the 90s in the United Kingdom.
When I was a young lad, and 50p was my pocket money, I
would travel into town on a Saturday morning to exercise my
adept frugal sweet purchasing skills.
My target was two packets of a particular confectionery
known as Dweebs. This tangy, well flavoured masterpiece was
comprised thus:
A cuboid box approximately 2/3rds the size of a 20Pk box of
fags, containing a divider down the centre of the packet,
running from top to bottom. Inside each compartment was a
collection of small balls, about the size of those you would
find blocking an ink cartridge until it was broken in.
The exterior of the packet would clearly display that one
compartment contained ball of one flavour, and the other
compartment balls of a second flavour.
The top of the packet had two perforated peel back lids,
which were resealable, designed such that one flavour could
be suppressed while the second was sampled. The alternative
was also possible, so that both flavours of balls could be
poured simultaneously from the box.
The highly condensed flavour released when Dweebs are
crunched in the mouth are the stuff of dreams. A happy
reminder of soft sofas, and renting Sega MegaDrive games
like Toejam & Earl.
An initial price of 20p per packet was considered quite the
bargain among my peers, but inflation bit us hard. They
moved to 25p within the year, then with a crashing blow to
26p. Drastic action was called for...
Anyone who remembers their pocket money days will no doubt
also remember that vending machines can be the harbourers
of small fortunes, under their colossal mass. All that is
required is a keen eye and a long thin object, cue a stick
from a dying tree. This was a popular way of making up those
extra pennies for prize purchases.