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In my heart is the Candy Kitchen Beanie Baby memory… what am I talkin’ about? Keep reading…
First, I remember the 90s Beanie Baby craze from the traditional boardwalk candy store chain that’s everywhere along the Delmarva coast. Candy Kitchen stores all over Ocean City, MD and up the coast to Rehoboth and Bethany Beaches in Delaware. The first store opened around the tail end of the Great Depression, so it was a place that brought some joy to the times… and today, brings happiness. Who doesn’t love the smell o’ candy?
While Beanie-mania died down before Y2K, the candy craze has not.🍬 Those early years bring back youthful, carefree day memories…
In the 90s, I was a young adult chasing down the Beanie Babies on my weekends, looking for a Candy Kitchen Beanie Baby. There was one baby I had in mind that was either a soft stuffed cute bear, cat, dog, bird, or other wildlife creature that just came out.
Most living young and old had at least one Beanie Baby. But not everyone got them from a candy store like I did. That was my underground store I discovered.
…I remember driving hours with friends and all the way to Ocean City, MD during the heyday. I had the purple royal Beanie with a white rose and the Jerry Garcia swirly rainbow color Peace Bear. If you spout out the names now, I’d still know them… that’s how the kid at heart stays alive. ❤️
The Beanies usually were “special” because of the tag names, fabrics, and some had an emblem stamped on their chest and poems on the tag. And they’re so darn cute. I had a trash bag full of them. And that’s where there are now!
Once decorating a house and box-size computer tops, these stuffed animals were a fad that had a shelf life. And today’s TY versions look more like Furr-bies… and the kiddos love ’em not knowing the history of their plush toy maker.
…Like these unicorn babies (foals) that just woke up and have their tags on backward 😄 but still intact. They’re brother and sister. 🦄 They never met their Pegasus Beanie Baby ancestor.
…But, they are as cute as buttons, like button candy. And remind me of those Candy Kitchen 90s memories that are so ingrained in me because the sweet smell waff of chocolate fudge hit you in the face as soon as you walked in the store. And would do the same today, if you’ve never been to a CK or want to relive sweet memories.
Candy Kitchen is known for saltwater taffy 🍬, but I went for the cola gummies (not the fun gummy burgers and lips 👄)… being friendlier to my teeth and mouth. I appreciated seeing the colorful round-up pop and swirl lollipop candy 🍭 You can say I got two pops in one (candy and a cute Beanie Baby).
And today too if you visit, they still sell a few special TY tag stuffed toys like the Spiderman TY. Or you can have him and other items shipped with your candy, to brighten your day until you can find time to be a kid again. 😊
Need a place to stay? These are Ocean City hotels to check out (and checkin to!).
