When I was a kid, the word on the street was, if you got a Tootsie Pop wrapper with a star on it (there’s a kid dressed up like an Indian, aiming a bow and arrow at the star), you could bring it into the store for a free lollipop. I later dismissed this as Urban Legend. But, now, talking with others, I learned it actually does get you a free lolly! (You could either send the wrapper to the company, or take it to your corner store).
So – is this still done? Do most stores accept the “star wrappers” or only a few? Why is this only word-of-mouth, and not advertised?
Dammit! I just talked with my girlfriend who said she used to do it, and another co-worker who told me they could be sent in to the company. What the hell?
I heard the same story when I was younger, and grew to find it was false as well. Just on a whim, I wrote to the Tootsie Company, claiming I had boxes of these in my attic, and asking if I could get any freebies. No dice. They said that while they’re aware of the rumor, there’s never been such a promotion. They also sent me a pretty neat “legend” explaining the Indian … if I can find it tonight, I’ll try to post it.