I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I chewed my first piece of bubblegum. I’m guessing around five years old. Whenever it was, that first chew launched decades of sugary chewing pleasure. I’m old enough to remember when a piece of gum sold for a penny.  

As a child, I spent many a penny on gum. 

For many years, I collected baseball cards, primarily from Topps. Each pack of cards came with a delicious rectangular piece of gum as a bonus. Each card absorbed the wonderful aroma of the gum. As a result, I’ve always associated baseball with bubblegum.  

Of course, Bazooka Joe, with its miniature comic strip wrapped around each piece, was a long-time favorite. Bazooka Joe still exists, but has become much harder to find over the years. 

Another favorite was the fruity gum balls produced by Leaf. Grape and cherry were my favorites.  

These disappeared long ago, but the good news is that Leaf Brands reformed several years ago, saying it is “working on bringing more nostalgic brands back to the candy market.” At least there is room for optimism.  

Perhaps my favorite bubble gum through the decades was Super Bubble, wrapped in its familiar, red, blue and yellow wrapper. Sadly, a few years ago, I noticed that Super Bubble was becoming increasingly hard to find. It was a mystery, so I began googling, but found little information.  

I eventually discovered the current owner of the brand is the Ferarra Candy Co. I contacted them, and their response was something I didn’t want to see. 

“Thank you for contacting us regarding Super Bubble,” the company responded. “Your feedback plays an integral role in our ongoing efforts to further improve our products and services. While we are happy to hear you enjoy our products, we are sorry to share that this product has been retired.  

“Please understand that when a product is retired, it is not done impulsively, as we take into account many factors. Decisions to discontinue or introduce a flavor or size are made in response to consumer preferences and purchasing patterns throughout the country. 

“We will share your comments with both our marketing and research & development departments. This information will be helpful in our efforts to improve our current product offerings and in the development of new items.” 

At least I received a response. I didn’t realize bubble gum could retire, but Ferrara wasn’t through retiring my favorite brands.  

In January, the company announced it was also discontinuing Fruit Stripe gum. Fruit Stripe, both in chewing gum and bubble gum form, was a longtime favorite. Another major disappointment. 

Hopefully, the company will reconsider its decisions, or at least sell the brands to a company willing to revive these longtime products.