Candy Update: No Sweethearts This Valentine's Day, But Sky Bar Is Coming Back

It's been six months since the historic but bankrupt New England Confectionery Co. — better known as Necco — abruptly shut down its candy-producing plant in Revere.

And now: Here are two updates — one sweet, one not-so-sweet — to two of Necco's former candy staples.

Sweethearts, the famous hearts that say phrases like "Be Mine," won't be available in time for Valentine's Day in a few weeks, according to the company that now owns the treats, Spangler Candy Co.

“We wish we could have Sweethearts out for the 2019 Valentine season, but it’s just not possible,” Kirk Vashaw, Spangler chairman and CEO, said in a statement Thursday. “We are committed to making sure these brands meet consumer expectations when they re-enter the market. Doing it right takes time.”

As USA Today reports:

You can still find the beloved candy now – but it will cost a pretty penny.

Amazon is selling boxes [from previous years] starting at $9, and on eBay, an eight-pack box of candies is going for $12.

Vox reports that Sweethearts debuted way back in 1901. And they were a big deal for Necco. According to CandyStore.com, Necco produced about 8 billion conversation hearts each year.

OK, now the sweet update: The iconic Sky Bar is coming back.

Louise Mawhinney, owner of Duck Soup, a gourmet food store in Sudbury, Massachusetts, said Thursday she had won an online auction for the rights to the Sky Bar.

The Sky Bar, introduced in 1938, is divided into four sections, each filled with a different flavor — caramel, vanilla, peanut and fudge.

Mawhinney says she was dismayed at the demise of Sky Bar and "stunned" to learn she had won the auction. The winning bid was not disclosed.

She is working with Jeff Green, a 33-year Necco veteran and the former vice president of research and development, to start small-batch production of the Sky Bar.

Necco was the country's oldest continuously operating candy company.

With reporting by WBUR's Benjamin Swasey and The Associated Press