Mike’s Candy Wrappers Blog

While I’ve yet to see the gas promotion wrappers from Hershey in stores around here that I discussed in this post (perhaps Pittsburgh isn’t one of the markets they’re targeting?), Hershey’s gone onto their next promotion…the Olympics.

It’s your chance to win one of more than 100,000 prizes. The grand prize is a 2008 Chevy Tahoe. If you win the Tahoe, I hope you also win some gas in their other promotion to help fill up that bad boy. Look for specially marked packages of various Hershey products like Hershey bars, Kit Kats, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, etc., and check the wrapper to see if you won. Other prizes include 42-inch Panasonic Plasma TVs (5 to be given away) and some 100,000 $10 Visa cards. This is a contest where I would rather end up with the first place TV instead of the grand prize Tahoe. Well, I guess I could sell the Tahoe and then buy a Plasma TV. Contest runs through March 30th, 2009, and is to remind us that Hershey is the official U.S. Olympic Team Supplier for the 2008 Olympic Games.

If you’re looking to get into the Olympic spirit, you can head to Hershey’s Olympic site and see how you can get a free set of U.S. Olympic Team Rings Wristbands with qualifying purchases and get all the details on the contest.

I know candy gets a bad rap with some people. Too much sugar, not good for you, makes you fat, cavities, etc. Well, if you’re one of those people, this story isn’t going to change your mind.

Kansas City police are looking for a guy who walked into a drug store, bought a Baby Ruth, then pulled out a gun and robbed the place while the store was full of customers.

Luckily, nobody was hurt. But to drag a harmless candy bar into your criminal activities is just reckless. I’m sure there’s some group somewhere planning a rally to show the horrible connection between candy and crime. I better shut up now before I give people ideas.

Just a quick update on why I haven’t added any new wrappers in a while.  Basically, two reasons.  A little short on time lately and the room where my PC is doesn’t have AC.  And it gets hot in here in the summer.  And PCs don’t like the heat.  I have tons of wrappers to scan, but not sure when I’ll get around to it.

Still looking for the recently released Dark Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Can’t find them anywhere. Hoping that now that the movie is out, they’ll start popping up in stores around here. Has anybody seen these? I’ve seen the miniatures in a mixed bag in K-Mart, but I want the regular size wrappers!

I really don’t follow baseball anymore (I’m a hockey guy), but I did go to a Pirates game last week thanks to free tickets from work. And one thing I always did like about going to a game was the 7th inning stretch. Well, the All Star game is tonight in NY at Yankee Stadium and Adam Wilbur will be leading the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. Who’s Adam Wilbur?

He’s a high school band teacher from Medford, NY, who won a contest sponsored by Baby Ruth. Adam and his brother submitted a video of him singing (with his brother on the tuba), got picked as one of three finalists, and won the sing-off held yesterday as part of the MLB Fanfest. I can’t sing at all and even if I could, I’d be terrified to sing in front of all those people.

Another thing I’m planning on doing with this blog is post questions from people like you…people who have left me a comment and asked about certain candy bars or some other thing I don’t know the answer to. Usually, I post these questions on the comments page and hope someone who can help sees them and answers. Perhaps with the blog, it will be easier to see the questions and answer them. I do plan to keep posting them on the comments page as well.

So, let’s knock off a question. This one is from Shirley from Monroe who wants to know the name of the wafer bar before Kit Kat. She says it was a big bar of vanilla sugar wafers and vanilla filling stacked about five high and dipped in milk chocolate, and were sold in the 1940’s and maybe the 1950’s. That’s before my time and I really couldn’t find any information on the Internet. If anybody knows, click the comments link below. Thanks!

Just a quick note to mention that the Candy Comment page has been updated. I have a lot of wrappers to scan and upload, but no real timetable on when they’ll be done.

As I get older, I am getting more cynical. But there’s at least one area where me being cynical might be saving me money. I’m sure we’ve all seen kids selling candy bars outside stores. I have season tickets to the Pittsburgh Penguins and towards the end of the season as the weather starts getting warmer, we’ll run into kids selling candy. I want to do good…I really do. But how do you know if those kids are really selling for the charity they claim? You don’t. As a recent article in the Boston Herald shows, you just never know where the money is going. Heck, anybody can go to Sam’s Club or Costco and buy a box of candy bars, print out a flyer from their PC, staple it to the box, and head out in front of a busy store and sit there raking it in.

I say all this, but sometimes Laurie will give in and buy something. Especially if the kid seems nice and polite. While this is no guarantee he’s being honest, it’s all you have to go on. I do take some solace in knowing that I’m (er, well, Laurie as she’s usually the one throwing the money around) trying to do good so hopefully karma will smile on me, er her…well, us since she usually hits me up for the money. And, if the kid isn’t really there for charity, hopefully karma will take care of that as well.

While I don’t talk much ice cream on this web site, I do like it.  A lot.  And now Baskin-Robbins has come up with a contest that has a name that is ripe for disgusting jokes…none of which you’ll see me doing.  But I’m thinking of them.  July is National Ice Cream Month and Baskin-Robbins is celebrating with Lick-A-Thon events on July 17.  Ahem.  OK, family friendly site.  Let’s keep that in mind.  You can challenge friends, family, etc, to a “lick race” (their words, not mine) to see who can lick a scoop of Oreo Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream the fastest.  Of course, you’re trying to become the ultimate Lick Champion at participating stores across the US.  This all goes with Baskin-Robbins going crazy with the Oreo line up which now features 19 Oreo ice cream products.  By the way, check with your local Baskin Robbins because while I saw this story in a couple different places on the Internets, I see no mention on their web site.

I’ve yet to see them in the store, but it looks like buying candy could get you gas.  Gas for your car, that is (ha!  a fart joke!).  Look for specially marked Payday and Skor candy bars which offer the chance to win cash for free gasoline.  Or, I suppose you could use the money for anything.  Anyway, look inside for game pieces.  Fifty grand prize winners get $2,340 to use toward gas for one year and 5,500 first prize winners get $45 (which barely covers one tank for a lot of people…but it’s the thought that counts).  If you’re wondering how they came up with $2,340 as a grand prize, they figure $45 for a full tank every week, times 52 weeks.  Game runs to the end of the year.

Kinda neat how Hershey kicked off the contest.  They set up shop at a 7-Eleven in Romeoville, IL, and surprised motorists with free tanks of gas. In all, Hershey gave away more than 5,000 gallons of free gas to 380 customers. Not only that, they also received PayDay and Skor bars.  Keep listening for details as Hershey is spreading the word with a 2 month radio campaign in 36 markets, which include radio advertising, on-air announcements and contests.

It’s not very exciting since I just told you everything, but you can check out their web site at www.hersheys.com/cash4gas for details.

I was always an Oreo fan…not much of a Hydrox fan. I didn’t even know they stopped making Hydrox in 1999, replacing them with the reformulated Droxies. Then, in 2003, the Droxies were gone.

Well, just in time for their 100th anniversary, Hydrox are back! And the Kellogg Company is looking for the biggest Hydrox cookie fan (I don’t know if that is supposed to be taken literally).  It’s all to reintroduce Hydrox cookies for a limited-time reintroduction.  Head to www.hydroxcookie.com and upload your stories and photos describing why you are the biggest fan. You’ve got until July 14.

Three grand prize winners get a six-month supply of Hydrox cookies (which is one package a week for 24 weeks, which comes to two cases) and a trip for two to New York City. The winners will also be guests at a 100th anniversary celebration and will be among the first to taste the newly released cookies, which roll out in August. Plus, they will attend a closing bell ringing ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange.