I wonder why the same treats had different names in different places. Was it a trademark issue? I know there were local/regional bakeries but presumably they were producing them under the same licensing agreement with whatever entity owned the recipe/trade secrets - so the different names don’t really make sense to me.
Any IP lawyers who specialize in snack food naming on this thread and want to explain?
According to Wikipedia:
The company marketed the snacks [meaning Ding Dongs] on the East Coast as Big Wheels, to avoid confusion with the Ring Ding, a similar and pre-existing treat by Drake’s Cakes. The names were consolidated in 1987, when a short-lived merger of Drake’s with Hostess’ parent company (then Continental Baking Company) briefly resolved the Ring Ding/Ding Dong conflict. When the merged company broke up, however, Hostess was once again forced to cease using the Ding Dongs name in areas where Ring Dings were available. The compromise sound-alike name King Dons lasted until Interstate Bakeries Corporation, which had recently merged with Hostess’ parent company, bought Drake’s in 1998. The Hostess product was then sold under the name Ding Dongs throughout the United States, although it was still sold as King Don in Canada.
Don’t ask me to explain this, I’ve read it twice and still not sure!
@GnocchiB Hostess ding dongs!! Yumm!!! http://www.hostesscakes.com/products
Am personally not a fan at all of marshmallow in any form.
Just bought marshmallows. …and graham crackers and Hershey chocolate bars for July 4th S’Mores!
As a kid I always thought the Hostess version was a much tastier, less dry treat. On the whole, Drake’s and Little Debbie pastries just could not lure me away from Hostess.
Going with the family to an afternoon Major League baseball game. Tickets were less than $10 each, and everyone bought a program and kept score using the scorecard inside it. Ballplayers didn’t earn much more than college graduates and most of them had off season jobs in the winter. Your favorite players seldom switched teams like they do nowadays.
The only stats we cared about were runs, hits, runs batted in, and batting averages.
@Madison85 Try those s’mores with the little Reese’s peanut butter cups. 
@jym626, there is nothing tacky about Snowballs – I love them! I have noticed that I don’t see the pink ones in stores any more, only white – although I see I can buy a six pack of pink ones on Amazon. 
Ding Dongs were so much better wrapped in foil. I still buy them but I swear they are smaller and not as good
@intparent: The pink snoballs were cut in half and served on a tray with toothpicks at the tacky parties. We would wear really tacky polyester clothes (DH had an orange polyester jacket with large polka dot lining). And we would arrive early. Tacky!!
One person’s tacky is another person’s ideal, I guess. Just like on the wedding thread! Hmm… wonder if intkids would consider serving Snowballs at their weddings? 
@TonyK - I still listen to the Carpenters, I loved their music… So sad about Katen but it did bring a medical issue to the forefront.
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman, Dreams of the Everyday Housewife, Gentle on My Mind
Three Dog Night
Chicago
Steppenwolf (I had a Magic Carpet Ride ring tone)
CCR
The Smothers Brothers
Rowan & Martins Laugh-in
Martin& Lewis
Dean Marti Roasts
Dr. Demento!
Gong to watch Major League Baseball and being so close to the field when you screamed at the players they turned around and screamed back!
Dressing up to go downtown to the Dallas Summer Musicals (we had season tickets) to see South Pacific, Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - These are only found in high school plays now, if that. And no one dresses anymore - jeans is pretty much the attire at the Fox or Cobb PAT even at their evening shows.
@intparent - snowballs will melt… These are hostess sno balls
Hostess had an orange glazed squarish donut they sold like cupcakes and snoballs. They were my favorite…and Ho Ho’s…
They were not cupcakes.
Ah… the Amazon search found them with the W – but I see the official spelling has none. Good to know so I can explain it correctly to the wedding caterer.
@intparent According to Wiki, they are made in seasonal colors so you can get some in a rainbow of colors to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. Heck, you could even have one of those rainbow color themed weddings.
"Other colors (sometimes with their own names) besides pink were sold at particular times of the year, including:[2]
Green (Lucky Puffs) – St. Patrick’s Day
Lavender (Hoppers) – Spring
Neon green (Glo Balls) – Halloween
Orange (Glo Balls) – Halloween
Orange (Scary Cakes) – Halloween
White – Winter"
I preferred Suzi Q’s over Ding Dongs or Ho-Hos, but then I discovered Bismarck donuts.
Tin lunch boxes for school with a thermos.
Hunts snackpack pudding in the round metal containers (now they come in plastic cups)
Life before having a microwave.
Life before internet. (We lost power last night at 6:30pm - morning and dd was completely lost without it. We ended up playing card games)
Bazooka gum
Smaller homes and bigger families meant sharing a room with a sibling.
Drinking a soda in those single serve glass bottles with the caps.
Listening to albums.
Blue carpeting in the living room.