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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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time
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081489
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08148900.005
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1990-09-17
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BUSINESS, Page 55Business NotesCONFECTIONSOnly a Kid Can Love It
If you thought Garbage Can Kids were disgusting, get ready to
gag again. One of the hottest new novelty candies is Boogers, a
gummy-type, fruit-flavored candy shaped like -- you guessed it --
the blobs that obstruct nasal passages. Since its introduction last
year, the gross-out confection has grossed $2 million in sales
(cost: 40 cents a pack). "It's the most successful introduction
we've ever had," says John Sullivan of Confex, in Shrewsbury, N.J.,
which distributes Boogers. "It's quite a good candy," he
unapologetically insists.
The sick idea came to inventor Tom Berquist three years ago
during a discussion of why kids enjoy revolting things. Says he:
"I think they get more control over their environment. The more the
parents scream, the more the kids want the candy." Parents are not
too keen on the promotional campaign either. Appearing at radio
stations around the country to hand out free samples to fans is the
Boogerman: an actor costumed as a 6-ft.-tall, green, slimy . . .
Oh, yech!