# How much have candy bars shrunk through the years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295 "2013-12-27T17:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/21 "2013-12-28T20:06:31Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > \Yeah, want’s up with that?\ > > Seriously, do you eat these things with a spoon or what? Hey wait… I knew this would come in handy some day.\ You are hereby fined 10 internets for referencing Seinfeld and then failing to specify [a knife and fork](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxB-H6f3crY) for the eating of candy bars. Please pay at the next Information Superhighway toll booth. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/22 "2013-12-28T22:46:16Z")
The York Peppermint Patties I bought this year for trick-or-treaters were definitely smaller in size than the ones I bought last year. No idea how much. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/23 "2013-12-28T23:09:46Z")
An equally interesting question would be how much have the contents changed over the years? If you ate a Hershey’s bar from 1913, would it taste anything like the 2013 version? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/24 "2013-12-28T23:22:48Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > An equally interesting question would be how much have the contents changed over the years? If you ate a Hershey’s bar from 1913, would it taste anything like the 2013 version? Probably dry and dusty. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/25 "2013-12-29T00:54:45Z")
Stephen Jay Gould wrote an essay on the changing sizes of Hershey bars. Let’s see if Google… yup: > [@](#): > > 8.The biologist Stephen Jay Gould wrote an excellent essay documenting the progressive change in size/cost of Hershey bars, I highly recommend it! The title is “Phyletic Size Decrease in Hershey Bars,” it was originally an article in Natural History Magazine, you can find it in the book of his essays title “Hen’s Teeth and Horse’s Toes,” or you might be able to find the full text online somewhere. from here: [Rising Cost of Candy - A Brief Study of Hershey Prices - Candy Blog](http://www.candyblog.net/blog/item/rising_cost_of_candy) The article also has a nice chart showing the price AND size of the basic Hershey bar from 1908 to 2008. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295/26 "2013-12-29T01:25:57Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’d like to leave aside candy bars apparently exposed to gamma radiation for now…like the pair of 1/2 lb. Reese’s Cups I saw at Wally World just last week. 😃 **Dr. David “Reese” Banner** : _Please don’t make me angry, Mr. McGee. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry._ **Jack “Czarcasm” McGee** (tying on a paper bib): _Yeah, no; I kinda think you’re wrong there…_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-have-candy-bars-shrunk-through-the-years/677295.md?page=1)