Wax is made from petroleum distillates. In other words, crude oil. But someone once came up with the idea of impregnating flavor and food dye into the foul substance, and molding it into objects like gargantuan lips, containers of sweet liquids, and the ultimate: the Wowee Whistle. And you know what? We kids of the Boomer years just couldn't get enough of them.
I would have loved to have posted a picture of a Wowee Whistle. I must have bought at least a hundred of the familiar plastic-wrapped orange edible (well, let's say chewable) waxen musical instruments. But alas, I couldn't locate a photo anywhere.
UPDATE! I Remember JFK fan Brad Matusiak (matusiak_brad(at)charter.net) has sent me a couple of pics!
Wax candy is one of those things that never completely disappeared, but its popularity has greatly diminished since store candy shelves were packed with them circa 1967. A Canadian candy company called Concord Confections still produces the lips, and supposedly, even the Wowee Whistle.
The lips had a tab that you bit into to hold them in place in your mouth. That tab was handy for notifying you as to when it was time to stop wearing the lips and start chewing them. It did so by being chewed through.
Of course, if you were missing front teeth, as many of us were at around the age of seven, the lips lifespan was greatly enhanced.
The Wowee Whistles were the best, as I mentioned earlier. They were wrapped in cellophane adorned with black cats, bats, and the like. That first whiff of the newly-unwrapped wax was heavenly. Then you proceeded to make a whole bunch of noise blowing into the miniature ocarina (I know, it wasn't REALLY an ocarina, but I can't think of another instrument to compare it to ;-) and try to play a song.
The whistles seemed to be properly tuned so that a musician might play them, but I'm only guessing. All I know is that none of the kids in Miami, Oklahoma could make them do anything but blast out random toots.
Another wax-encased candy was the Nik-L-Nip. I believe it warrants its own article. Look for it.
So never, ever forget, Boomers, when we happily consumed candy creations made from the same substance that produces the fuel for our cars!
Comments (9)
My dad owned a candy store when I was a kid, so I got my fill of wax lips. I've also written about them on my blog. Wax lips rock!
Posted by Rhea | February 20, 2007 9:31 AM
Posted on February 20, 2007 09:31
I remember wax lips, fangs, and of course the Harmonica. Here's a link to a picture of the paper that was on the Harmonica.
http://theimaginaryworld.com/sadbox07.jpg
Posted by Rhonda | April 12, 2007 8:01 PM
Posted on April 12, 2007 20:01
I remember those orange wax harmonicas from my childhood Trick Or Treating days in the mid 80's. Does anyone know if they still sell them? I searched online (that's how I found this blog) and found an article about the Wowee candy co. and they were reintroducing it at a 2004 candy expo, but I can't find anything else about them. I'd love to buy some if they still sell them.
Posted by Jeff | June 22, 2007 8:04 PM
Posted on June 22, 2007 20:04
My mother is wanting wax whistles (the orange one) as well... last we saw them it was early 90's... if anyone can help find them, I'd appreciate it.
Posted by Alyse | August 10, 2007 7:12 PM
Posted on August 10, 2007 19:12
Little worry about what toxins were entering our little bodys when we put those wax products in our mouths! The red lips is a classic! No real taste to them! I had forgotten about those orange harmonicas! Bot my favorites was the little cardboard container with the wax soda bottles with the flavored water! Drank many of those minature delights! Got most of these old items in a little store many years before 7 11 showed up!
Posted by Rivers End | January 1, 2009 11:13 PM
Posted on January 1, 2009 23:13
Loved your story about the wax, uh, "candy." I'm 56 and remember all that stuff with much fondness. The mom and pop stores around our neighborhood (there were two) always had the usual wax things, like lips and the nickel nips with "juice" inside. But during Halloween, the wax market exploded! There were was skulls filled with the same sticky juice, wax lips that would make any starlet jealous nowadays, wax lips with fangs, wax fingernails that actually were part finger (remember those?) and, of course, the wonderful Wowee Whistle. The whistle was by far my favorite, with its lightly colored orange wax and slightly sweet taste. It just wasn't Halloween without it! I think the last time I saw a Wowee Whistle was sometime in the mid 1980's, and they were smaller than I'd remembered. Oh, well...maybe some enterprising candy confectioner who's over the age of 50 will give us Boomers what we want! And while they're at it, how about some Space Sticks?
Posted by Rod Labbe | February 8, 2009 5:49 PM
Posted on February 8, 2009 17:49
Oh, and one more thing. I do believe that kid wearing wax lips in the pic is wearing them upside down. Tsk-tsk. Should've gotten a real Baby Boomer to pose instead of some kid who obviously doesn't have a clue!
Posted by Rod Labbe | July 9, 2009 7:05 PM
Posted on July 9, 2009 19:05
You know I was born in 1960 and grew up on Airforce Bases where we would trick or treat half the night with our friends and siblings. Our parents would stay home to hand out candy, of course it was very secure on the Airforce base, but I remember the juice filled skulls and wax fangs and whistles. We would open them up and drink the juice as soon as we got them, not having to worry about being poisoned ,wow those were the days . Sure do miss that.
Posted by Tony Heard | November 4, 2009 8:33 PM
Posted on November 4, 2009 20:33
In the early 80's I worked for the company that made all of the products mentioned here. wax whistles, wax lips, wax teeth and syrup filled figures.
The company was W&F Manufacturing in Buffalo Ny. There primary business was candles and was a major supplier of Avon.They were bought out in the early 90's I believe. They told the story that the whistle was invented in the 40's. The machine that made the whistle ran 8 hours per day, 5 days a week for over 40 years with 1 operator. Is that a popular product or what?
FYI; The wax that was used was a fully refined parafin which means less than 1/2% oil. It is the same wax used in Dixie cups coating and in wax paper that you wrap your sandwich in. So relax, you were in no danger of poison.
Posted by Fred K | February 7, 2010 6:10 PM
Posted on February 7, 2010 18:10