Back in the 1950’s, my Grandmother ran the register at my Dad’s small IGA grocery in downtown Indianapolis. She replaced the jars of gumballs on the counter with a jar of cookies. She preferred to sell individual cookies to the kids, or their parents, rather than chocolate bars and gumballs. Her choice was about giving the kids a healthy snack. Yes, it was a predominantly black neighborhood.
Back in the 1950’s in San Francisco we had a candy store two blocks from our house. Jars of candy on the counters, in display cases, and on shelves on the walls. All for pennies. Candy dots on paper rolls, and licorice, buy it by the foot. An alternative healthy choice was a pickle barrel by the door with large dill pickles for a nickel each.