Candy Box has two box sizes available with several term options. They send hard and soft candies plus some chocolate. Here are the monthly costs based on prepayment. The discounts for longer terms are not great but if you care to commit, you can save a little.
Mini Box (contains 7 to 12 items)
Month to month - $20.00
3 Month Prepay - $19.33
6 Month Prepay - $19.17
12 Month Prepay - $18.75
Big Box (contains 15 to 20 items)
Month to month - $40.00
3 Month Prepay - $38.33
6 Month Prepay - $37.50
12 Month Prepay - $36.67
A $19 Groupon for the Big Box got my attention. The candy arrived a little more than two weeks after placing the order. It was shipped via USPS Priority mail in a plain white cardboard box. Inside was an explosion of color, long forgotten memories and some really creative packaging!
No need for an explanation card, promotional flyers or coupons. My 9 year old self knew exactly how to proceed. The two longest items were wound around inside the box; a 14" Rainbow Nerds Rope and a 13" package of Necco Candy Buttons. I don't know why long candy is such fun; it just is!
Here we have Bean Boozled jelly beans from Jelly Belly. I was happy to see this brand until I saw some of the flavors in the box: Stinky Socks, Lawn Clippings, Toothpaste, Rotten Egg, Barf, Canned Dog Food, Moldy Cheese, Booger, Baby Wipes and Skunk Spray. There are also some "normal" flavors but locating them requires serious risk! The other box is filled with Surf & Turf Nerds in Raspberry and Tropical Punch. Those are going to seem really tasty after the jelly beans. (Trying to think where I can unload those.)
Next is a charming/disgusting quad of rubbery arachnids called Creepy Gummis. They get points for color and shock value but there's no way one of these is going anywhere near my mouth.
Remember Everlasting Gobstoppers from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? These don't have a Willie Wonka reference on them but that's how I remember them. They are multi-colored and multi-flavored jawbreakers. A little research revealed that these have been available in the U.K. for more than 80 years! I have not seen a Jolly Rancher in this form before; a hard ribbon of candy in Apple Stix flavor.
I'm not the biggest gummi fan in the world so this "pizza" may be more than I can handle. It is quite creative though with five fruit-flavored slices.
There is a Charms Blow Pop in Sour Apple; that's a brand I remember from my childhood. The blue triangle is described as a "Blue Raspberry Wedge Pop".
Here is a package of Pop Rocks Dips which looks like a lollipop that you dip in pop rocks. (In junior high, the joke was that pop rocks or popping candies like Zotz were filled with LSD!) I'm not familiar with the Air Heads Fruit Bites but I think they are somewhat like a gummi and come in Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Orange and Lemon flavors.
For the cast iron stomach, there is another dip 'n lick called Sour Triple Dip Candy which contains three flavors of candy powder and sticks (Green Apple, Strawberry and Blue Raspberry). The yellow barrel on the right (probably accurately named) is Toxic Waste. The challenge is to see how long you can hold one in your mouth. Despite the fun factor, neither of these will be anywhere near the vicinity of my stomach!
I love Smarties but have never seen giant ones. These are about three times the regular size. The Warheads Sour Coolers are described as sour tarts with cooling crystals and they come in five different flavors. I have a feeling they will end up in the same stomach that houses the Toxic Waste.
Oh Henry! bars have been around since about 1920 so this is probably one of the oldest candies in the box. (Well, not this exact one, but you know what I mean!) I remember liking these as a kid but haven't had one in all the years since. The Now & Laters are another blast from the past. These are in Tropical Punch, Wildberry and Watermelon flavors.
Although I'm not a big candy eater, I really loved the nostalgic feel of this box. Some of these candies brought back specific childhood memories that made the years in between melt away for a little while. It's odd how a name that hasn't crossed your mind once in 40 years can have such power!
The value of this box is a problem. There were 18 items in the "Big Box" that I received. A VERY generous average retail price of $1 makes the box value about $18. Even with shipping considered, I'd be quite unhappy if I'd paid the full $40 subscription cost. I realize that there is a premium for the retro nature of many of these candies but paying more than double their actual value isn't likely to be sustainable for most subscribers. (Almost all of these candies are available on Amazon, albeit in larger quantities.)
If you're interested in trying Candy Box, the Groupon deal is still available. For the initial box or boxes, the price is much more palatable than direct subscription. Through Groupon, you can get the Mini box for $9 or the Big box for $19. Equally good three month options are also available. If you do use Groupon, be sure to sign in through eBates and collect a rebate of 6% on your purchase. If you like candy, the combination of the Groupon deal and the eBate make this one a no brainer!
Thanks for reading,
Cheryl
P.S. During the writing of this post, I consumed ONE of the candies. Can you guess which one? (Hint: It sure wasn't those spiders!)
Disclosure: Views and opinions expressed in this blog are
strictly my own. Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone
Star Shopper. Post does not contain referral or affiliate links.
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