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MEMORIES:
DaydreamBeliever1983 remembers...I loved these. They were fun to play with, and tasted good too. Actually, now that I think about it, ... More »
Posted on 05/12/08
Few things amounted to simple childhood fun like Wax Lips. Just ask Mrs. Shield's 4th grade class from the movie A Christmas Story. Ralphie Parker and his pals yukked it up with wax fangs and wax teeth, only to have the fun end as they passed them to the teacher. Wax mustaches, wax fangs and teeth, wax lips... ahh, few things were as good at breaking the ice as these little beauties. After all, though the girls and boys started looking cute in the 4th grade, they probably still had cooties. The solution: Wax Lips! Don a pair and kiss away, knowing you're shielded from cooties. It's hard to remember a time without wax lips...
The creation of wax lips goes back to the earlier days of using kerosene to light homes and businesses as daylight wore away. Paraffin, a by-product of kerosene, was put to use in candles, Crayola crayons, the making of early records and even... chewing gum. In the early 20th century, in a fit of genius and a sense of humor, John W. Glenn (not to be confused with John H. Glenn of NASA, and thusly Tang, fame) created "penny chewing gum novelties." Soon, new shapes emerged, from elves and reindeer, to horse teeth, fake (yet edible!) fingertips and of course, plump, juicy red lips. Glenn began producing the waxy candies under W&F Manufacturing Co. and business continued to be strong for decades. It took the oil shock of the 1970s and the shortages of the early 1980s to put the pressure on W&F, straining their business. In 1994, as their candle business floundered under higher oil prices, and as wax lips fell out of vogue for kids across the country, W&F went into bankruptcy selling bits and pieces of their company to anyone who would buy it. The equipment was sold off, including the confectionery hardware used in years gone by for everything from candy wax statues to wax lips and wax bottles.
The Challenger Candy Co. grabbed the reigns of the waxy joke candies and began producing the treats we came to know and love. Challenger soon fell prey to financial pressures, as their predecessors did, and American Candy Company came to save the day... though only for a few years. In 2002, the wax lips business was purchased by Concorde which was purchased by Tootsie Roll, which means... wax lips are still available today.
Though wax lips have gone through a tumultuous history, fun times and memories are what kids had from the fun food. Halloween just wasn't Halloween without a pair of wax lips dropped into the pillowcase (only to be ripped open for immediate placement on the mouth). Perhaps the best thing about wax lips is that they lasted as long as they were wanted; chewed only when ready. Today, wax lips are sold under the moderately frightening name of "Wack-O-Wax" and their tagline is as true today as it was over the 20th century - "Play Now, Chew Later."
If only kids could have realized the potential for such luscious lips. Maybe stars of today should take a cue from the kids of years gone by. Save money on collagen - wear wax lips!
