Necco wafers are suddenly a hot item

Word that the country’s oldest continuously operating candy company might shut down has people suddenly hoarding Necco Wafers, despite the candy’s unpopularity among, well, almost everyone.

The chalky candy’s flavors (chocolate, licorice, wintergreen) have been described as “tropical drywall” and “plaster surprise,” according to the Wall Street Journal. But last month’s announcement that the 170-year-old New England Confectionery Co. might shut down its Revere, Massachusetts, plant seemed to strike a nostalgic chord with consumers, leading to a surge in wafer sales.

Candy stores and consumers are trying to get their hands on whichever Necco products they can get, the Journal reported, including Mary Janes, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Clark Bars and Sweethearts. What they’re chasing after most, however, are the wafers. They are both storied and divisive, known for their unusually long shelf life and a recipe that’s been unchanged since the days when the indestructible candies fueled Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Jon Prince, president of wholesaler CandyFavorites.com, told the Journal he received hundreds of frantic calls over a recent weekend, some from people who wanted to buy his entire inventory of Necco Wafers.

CandyStore.com, a bulk candy retailer, reported that people began “panic-buying” the wafers on March 12, the day The Boston Globe reported Necco chief executive Michael McGee’s announcement that the candy company could shut down if it did not find a buyer.