Joining their fine silver PEZ range, PAMP adds another candy homage with Sweethearts

Over the last two years, PAMP/MTB have had some extraordinary success with its homage to the world famous PEZ candy. A tiny 5g silver pill the same size as an actual PEZ candy, meant the silver could fit in, and be spat out by, the myriad selection of original dispensers. Now, they’ve moved on to another classic.

Sweethearts are another hard candy with a long history, one still being written today. Far older than PEZ, these little heart-shaped candy treats rely on a small message stamped into each one, rather than the quirky dispensers that attract fans to PEZ. As a result, PAMP’s silver issue is more traditionally presented.

Three of the hearts are included with this release, each with a different message on it. Rather than the six 5 gram pieces in the PEZ set, Sweethearts contains three 10 gram pieces for the same overall weight, all now upgraded to 0.9999 fineness. The retail price is similar as well, at a launch price of just under $100 USD.

Another unusual product, with neat presentation, we can imagine these looking especially desirable to the PEZ crowd. Whether these have the potential for variety that distinguishes the PEZ range is open to question and we’ll reserve judgement until PAMP release, if planned, a second issue, but we love the quirky stuff, and this certainly fits the bill. Available to orderf from today,

SWEETHEARTS

Sweethearts (also known as conversation hearts) are small heart-shaped sugar candies sold around Valentine’s Day. Each heart is printed with a message such as “Be Mine”, “Kiss Me”, “Call Me”, “Let’s Get Busy”, or “Miss You”. Sweethearts were made by the New England Confectionery Company, or Necco, before being purchased by the Spangler Candy Company in 2018. They were also previously made by the Stark Candy Company. Necco manufactured nearly 8 billion Sweethearts per year. A similar type of candy is sold in the UK under the name Love Hearts.

Oliver R. Chase invented a machine in 1847 to cut lozenges from wafer candy, similar to Necco Wafers, and started a candy factory. Daniel Chase, Oliver’s brother, began printing sayings on the candy in 1866. He designed a machine that was able to press on the candy similar to a stamp. The candy was often used for weddings since the candies had witty saying such as: “Married in pink, he will take a drink”, “Married in White, you have chosen right”, and “Married in Satin, Love will not be lasting”.

In the 1990s, Necco vice-president Walter Marshall wanted to update some of the sayings and retire others, including “Call me”, “Email me”, and “Fax me”. The romantic expressions continue to be revised for young Americans. Necco received hundreds of suggestions a year on new sayings. Necco produced the hearts year-round, but mixing of colors and packaging were ramped up beginning in September to meet the demand for the product at Valentine’s Day. Approximately 45,000 kg of hearts were made per day, which sells out in about six weeks. The company produces 8 billion hearts per year.

In 2018 Necco declared bankruptcy. The original plant closed and their candy brands were sold off. The rights to Sweethearts were acquired by Spangler Candy Company. (Wikipedia)