How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? The answer? Nobody cares. What we do care about is whether or not our Tootsie Roll Pop wrapper has a picture of a boy in a Native American costume shooting an arrow at a star so we can redeem it for a free sucker. Sound familiar?
The rumor that Tootsie Roll Pop wrappers with a Native American can be redeemed for free candy has apparently plagued the Tootsie Roll company for years. According to Tootsie Roll Industries, which introduced Tootsie Roll Pops in 1931, they never held any kind of promotion involving the collection or redemption of any of their wrappers.
The rumor may have started because of contests connected with the packaging of children’s products during the era when Tootsie Pops were first promoted. The various markings of each Tootsie Roll Pop wrapper may have also prompted tales about certain wrappers being “special.” We do remember Willy Wonka, after all.
Tootsie Roll Industries continues to receive a steady stream of letters from consumers attempting to redeem their Native American wrappers, processing hundreds per week. In the early years, the company replied to each prize-seeking letter writer with regrets. In 1982, they created their “Legend of the Indian Wrapper” to accompany those letters “with the hope that children’s liking for a good story would help to assuage their disappointment.”
So how many of the wrappers actually have a picture of a boy in a Native American costume shooting an arrow at a star? I am personally consuming a bag of Tootsie Roll Pops to be sure, but various sources say the answer is somewhere in the neighborhood of 30%.
I recall eagerly taking these marked wrappers to a little corner market in my hometown as a child, and the owner would gladly give me a free Tootsie Roll Pop in return. According to Tootsie Roll Industries, some individual store managers took it upon themselves to redeem the wrappers, but the exchange was never sanctioned by the Tootsie Roll company itself.
Are you curious how the Tootsie Roll company is replying to requests today? I was, so in 2020, I mailed one in. Follow this link to see what the company’s reply. Bottom line, no free sucker. Maybe they need a few more letters. You can join me by sending your wrapper and request to: Tootsie Roll Industries, 7401 South Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL 60629.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-755-2115