Iconic Candy: Unwrapping Some History About Ring Pops
Sometimes they’re used for memorable engagement rings
Invented in 1979, and hitting the market in 1980, the Ring Pop candy rings are still popular today. It’s a fruit-flavored lollipop that forms the big gem on a large wearable plastic ring. They’re manufactured by Bazooka Candy Brands, a division of Topps, Inc. (It’s also a kosher candy.) Some say the taste isn’t as important as the experience. More often than not, I might find one just laying around that wasn’t finished, but after all, it’s a big piece of candy.
Inventor
As the most popular version of the candy invention goes, it was Frank Richards, a product engineer for Topps Company who had the idea. He was trying to figure out a way to get his daughter to break the habit of sucking her thumb. That’s when he came up with the idea of the Ring Pop. Because the candy gem is so large, it nearly resembles a pacifier. If it could help his daughter, imagine what it could do for others.
The Enlightened Mind website attributes the concept of the Ring Pop to a former Topps executive named Bruce Reichstein, indicating the idea came from his daughter because she “wanted candy she could wear on her finger.” However, most information points to Frank Richards being the creator.
