Economy Candy ****

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I am sure that even those of you who haven’t been to New York, have at least heard of Dylan’s Candy Bar. It is famous for it’s extravagant candy displays, it’s excessive selection of all things sugary, and it’s outrageous, wallet-depleting prices. Dylan’s marks up a candy bar the same way that a nightclub marks up alcohol—200% being the minimum. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I haven’t gone to check it out. In fact, I couldn’t wait to go on my very first trip to New York because of all the hype surrounding it. But once I walked in, I felt the same overwhelming/dizzying/nauseating feeling that I got the very first time I walked into Forever 21. I mean it is 3 floors of candy that climb from ground to ceiling…the only thing that this place is missing is Augustus Gloop! But once I overcame the initial shock of it all, I began to notice many problems with the store (other than the obscene prices and massive crowds). You see, all of the candies are self-serve and conveniently located within the arm’s reach of a 4 year old. 4 years olds pick their nose, therefore, they should not also be allowed to pick their candies from a communal bucket with their hands. Of course there were metal tongs supplied at each candy station, but this did not stop countless adults and small children from using their grubby little fingers…can you say bacteria haven?!? Yuck!

I also quickly became frustrated by the obnoxious selection of candies and chocolates. I don’t need cocoa scented bath salts, or edible panties, or a chocolate spa (whatever that is), I just want to get my favorite sweets and get the heck out! Thus, I was very relieved to discover the Economy Candy Store on this most recent trip to NY. Almost everything at Economy Candy is in some sort of packaging and there are employees (wearing plastic loves, might I add) to help you get the items that are not wrapped. Therefore, you can eat your food without wondering about all the millions of hands that have touched it before your lips!

Economy Candy is significantly smaller than Dylan’s Candy Store, but it appears far less crowded because it is not a tourist destination and there aren’t as many screaming children running around (big plus!). But just because they have less square-footage, doesn’t mean that they have less brands/kinds of candy available (there just aren’t Hershey’s pillows or monogrammed chocolate bars). They carry all of the old-school names in candy though such as, Bazooka, Pop-Rocks, Sugar-Daddy Caramel Lollipops, Razzles, Fizzies, and even hard to find candies such as, Bubble-Gum Cigarettes, English Chocolates, Lemon-Heads, and White-Chocolate Kit-Katz (didn’t know that those they existed? Well, they do in Europe, and Economy candy is nice enough to import them and bring them to you!). The best part about Economy Candy though, comes when you arrive at the register. Unlike Dylan’s Candy Bar, you won’t go into cardiac arrest when you are told your total…you can survive the purchase and take your chances with diabetes after eating all of your affordable goodies!

I purchased a ½ pound bag composed of mixed Dark Chocolate Cherry Cordials, Dark Cherry Coated Orange Peels, Chocolate Coated Espresso Beans, and Cocoa Dusted Almonds. I loved all of the candies with the exception of the cherry cordials, which I expected to be chocolate covered cherries, but turned out to be something entirely different that I still cannot figure out. I also purchased a box of Bazooka Gum, Dried Apple Rings (yes, they even have healthy snacks!), Chocolate Coated Marzipan, and an assortment of flavored Gummy Bears. All of this was under $15 dollars. I actually found myself buying extra just to meet the credit card minimum!!

Dylan’s is a place to see at least once, but this is the place to actually buy your favorite candies, whether they are child-hood favorites or modern day delicacies. Take a stroll off the beaten path and find you’re way to the Economy Candy Store!