Conversation Hearts Won't Be On Shelves This Year — Here's What To Buy Instead

After exchanging candy with our classmates every Valentine's Day growing up, we'd sift through our hauls and organize it all from "can't wait to dig in," favorite candy to "only in a serious sugar emergency," least favorite candy. For many of us, Necco's SweetHeart’s Conversation Hearts were always in the latter pile. Despite this though, we're somehow saddened by the recent news that for the first time since the 1860s, the candy will not be available this Valentine's Day. We suppose you always want what you can't have, even if what you can't have is a basically just a piece of chalk that's been lightly flavored, formed into the shape of a heart, and given a cheeky message.

According to TODAY.com, SpanglerCandy, which purchased NECCO last year after the business went under, released a statement yesterday announcing that Sweethearts would be relaunched in time for 2020's Valentine's Day season. That means, no new SweetHeart's Conversation Hearts will be produced in time for February 14, 2019, leaving many Valentine's Day candy-swappers without them. The news feels like a big deal in large part because the sweet is so iconic, but it doesn't mean that we won't be able to enjoy loving messages delivered via candy this V-Day.

In addition to SweetHeart's Conversation Hearts produced before the NECCO factory closed in July 2018, candy-lovers can find plenty of conversational treats from other brands. Ahead, you'll find candy, chocolate, and cookies that all bear sentimental statements either on their wrappers or stamped directly on the sweet.