The Legacy of Necco's "Conversation Hearts"
via iStock
When we think of Valentine's Day, a few iconic images come to mind. Some immediately imagine the face of that special someone that's left them smitten. Others immediately think of gross, sappy, love letters and oversized bushels of flowers in the embrace of a four-foot-tall teddy bear. Others, like most children, immediately picture sitting at their desk in elementary school. Huge grins on their faces, holding tightly a large paper bag filled with enough pink-packaged candies to guarantee multiple cavities.
Of all the Valentine's specific candies, we can all agree that Necco's chalk-like conversation hearts are amongst the most iconic. Most of us can easily remember their packages filled to the brim with chalky, heart-shaped, brightly-colored candies. Many of us handed these out to our classmates at least once throughout our early years in grade school.
I understand that they weren't for everyone. I was one of the rare people who actually enjoyed them. However, in late July of 2018, Necco (the makers of the Conversation Hearts) announced that they would be shutting down permanently. Sadly for those who enjoyed the candies, and those who can fondly remember their famous packaging, Valentine's Day 2019 will be one without this staple of Valentine's Day festivities. Those cohorts which will hold their own Valentine's celebrations will be disappointed to see that their festivities miss that vitally nostalgic candy.
Necco filed for bankruptcy earlier that year, and for many employees it seemed it was only a matter of time before they would need to search for new jobs. On July 24th, employees were notified that Necco had sold their company and on that day, a large number of employees lost their jobs.
On the bright side, for those who wish to get their hands on some of these chalky hearts, plenty of companies on Amazon are selling whatever leftover stock they have. Although their prices have increased highly, it may be your last chance to snag a box! Or even better, a massive bag to share amongst your friends at DLA. We are definitely a nostalgic bunch, and this may be a tough loss for those of us who care for such things.
Brach’s will continue to manufacture their own version of the Conversation Hearts, and time has yet to show if they will meet the bar set by Necco. For now, we can only hope that they will be an adequate replacement.