• Baskets of novelty candy items always get a chuckle and a smile.candy basket image by Rog999 from Fotolia.com
  
  Novelty candy is sweet, eye-catching and fun to eat, making it a perfect way to brighten up someone's day. With so many flavors and forms, a gift of novelty candy can fit a person's hobbies, mood or even be tailored for a special occasion. When shopping for a candy-related gift, find out whether the recipient has any food issues such as allergies, sugar restrictions or extreme dislikes.
  
  

Retro Basket

• Everyone remembers the candy from childhood: Pop Rocks, candy buttons, PEZ, candy necklaces and Nik-L-Lip wax syrup bottles are just a few items stored on the candy shelf of memory. A gift basket filled with forgotten or hard-to-find novelty candy is perfect for birthdays or when someone needs to remember the sweet taste of youth. Several mail-order and online stores specialize in hard-to-find novelty candy, so a retro basket of fun can be easy to arrange.
  
  

Personalized Treats

• For special occasions such as weddings, graduations, bar and mat mitzvahs, sweet 16 parties or family reunions, personalized novelty candy makes a special day even better. Wrappers on mints, lollipops and candy bars can be personalized with names, dates and even photos. These personalized candy gifts are often given to attendees of the event rather than to the host or hostess.
  
  

Collectible Goodies

• The sky is the limit for novelty candy aimed at hobbyists or collectors. From Star Wars to Disney, candy in special packaging or molded into the likeness of a character is a thrilling surprise. Recognized brands are only part of the collectible candy world: a gift of spicy jalapeno candy is appropriate for the hot sauce enthusiast and a basket of wax fangs and other paranormal-themed treats is perfect for the vampire fan. Novelty chocolates or lollipops come in an astounding array of shapes, from flowers and bees for the gardener to bone and animal-shaped treats for someone who loves cats, dogs or horses. For collectors, the best novelty candy leaves behind a souvenir after the treat is gone, such as a collectible tin, refillable PEZ dispenser or action figure lollipop holder.