No Sweethearts Candy This Valentine’s Day

The Popular Candy Will Return in 2020

(AP) – For the first time since 1901, the run-up to Valentine’s Day won’t include store shelves stocked with the classic Sweethearts candy.

New England Confectionery Company (Necco), the Massachusetts-based candy manufacturer behind a slew of iconic brands dating to the 19th century, shut down after filing for bankruptcy in July.

The good news for patient fans is that Clark Bars and Mary Janes, as well as the popular Sweethearts, will return over the next two years under different companies.

Necco largely founded the candy industry in the U.S. in 1847 when a pharmacist named Oliver Chase built a little machine that would crank out lozenges.

That gave birth to the thin and multicolored Necco Wafers whose recipe and flavoring remain the same today, for better or worse. Soon came Sweethearts — stamped with messages like “Be Mine,” “Miss You,” and “Love Me.”

You can find the brand’s conversation hearts for sale on sites such as Amazon and Ebay, but those products will not be fresh.

Companies such as Brach’s also makes conversation hearts treats that will be available this Valentine’s season.