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Back in the 1980s, a trip to the store often meant one important decision: which weird, wonderful gum to spend your change on. These weren't just ordinary sticks wrapped in foil — they came in squeeze tubes, tiny boxes, and colorful packs tied to cartoons, baseball, and Saturday morning commercials. Looking back, it's amazing how much joy a little piece of gum could carry.
A Tube of Slimer
One of the most unforgettable finds was the Ghostbusters Slimer bubble gum, packed in a tube that looked like it belonged in a ghost trap. You held it in your hand, squeezed out a soft green glob, and suddenly you were part of the movie. It was silly, messy, and exactly the kind of thing kids begged for at the checkout. The label showed Slimer grinning, and the whole package felt like a toy as much as a treat. Even now, one glance takes you right back to the days when movie tie-ins ruled the candy aisle.
Razzles and Bub Tape
Then there were Razzles, the candy gum that started as candy and turned into gum. The wrapper promised 'Candy & Gum,' and that little two-in-one trick made it feel like a magic snack. Nearby, Bub Tape came in a bright pink container with the words '6 Feet' on top, and it looked more like a roll of tape than something you'd chew. You'd pull out a strip, share with a friend, and feel like you had discovered a secret. Those were simpler days, when packaging alone could make a kid happy.
- Ghostbusters Slimer gum in a squeeze tube
- Razzles candy gum
- Bub Tape in its pink roll
- Bart Bubble Gum with the 'Right on dude!' attitude
Bubble Gum Heroes
Baseball and cartoons gave us some of the best novelty gums. There was a tiny Major League Baseball bubble gum pack marked 5c, small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. Then came Playball bubble gum in a clear tube, with white gumballs lined up like a team roster. Bart Bubble Gum showed Bart Simpson on a bright pink wrapper, shouting 'Right on dude!' — a phrase that felt rebellious and funny all at once. And Smurf Rock bubble gum brought the little blue characters into your candy stash. Each one was a tiny collector's item, even if you chewed it up in five minutes.
The Little Boxes We Saved
One of the strangest and most delightful was Topps Orange Juice Bubble Gum, a little orange box that looked like a juice carton. The copyright line on the back says 1981, and that alone brings back so many memories. You didn't just buy gum; you bought a conversation piece. Behind these treats sat the everyday staples of the kitchen — Kraft Apple Strawberry jelly, Reese's Pieces, Fruity Pebbles — and together they made a shelf that looks like a time capsule today. Today's kids will never know the thrill of discovering a gum that looked like juice, tape, or a movie ghost.
The Flavor of a Decade
Novelty gum in the 80s was more than candy. It was a cheap ticket to a few minutes of fun, a way to trade with friends, and a small piece of pop culture you could hold in your hand. The wrappers were loud, the ideas were wild, and nobody worried about whether a gum looked like a cassette tape or a baseball card. Those little packages remind us that childhood joy didn't need to be expensive. It just needed a little imagination and a quarter in your pocket. The colors were bold, the logos were everywhere, and the whole shelf felt like a playground.
Some of the tiny print and dates on these wrappers are hard to read now, so a detail or two may need a second look.
What do you miss most about the novelty gum you used to buy — the flavor, the packaging, or the trading with friends?
This story was edited from a publicly posted video; some details may not be independently verified.
