Method of Packaging Candy for Forming Gifts and Keepsakes
A method allows candy to be sold in customized bottles to form gifts and keepsakes. The bottle and candy can be form a “pill” motif. Candy selected by the customer is placed in a bottle. The bottle appears like a pill bottle. The customer selects a label from a plurality of labels to reflect a given event, mood, or message. The message in the label can have a pill or medicine related theme. The overall product becomes a customized gift or keepsake by virtue of adding the customized label.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/358,692, filed Jun. 25, 2010.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTNot Applicable
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISCNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for selling and packaging candy.
2. Description of the Related Art
In prior-art “penny” candy stores, candy is sold. The candy is kept in bins. Each type of candy is kept in a separate bin. A purchaser or shopkeeper scoops candy from the bin and places the scooped candy into a bag. The candy is purchased where the price is set by the weight of the candy. Alternatively, the candy is prepackaged and sold by the package.
Candy has been sold in bottles. The bottles have labels about the contents of the bottle. The candy and the label are placed on the bottle at the factory before delivery to the retailer. The labels on the prepackaged bottle describe the particular candy filled in the bottle by the factory.
Packaging for candy that is made by the candy manufacturer and filled at the factory usually has a label about the candy and it manufacturer. However, the packaging does not have a customized message from the purchaser.
Usually, candy is packaged in expensive and disposable packages. Even when the factory uses packaging that is a keepsake, the keepsake is designed by the manufacturer and is meant to capture sentiments chosen by the manufacturer.
Penny candy is typically scooped into plain paper bags. The lightweight bags are lightweight and make tarring a scale simpler.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for packaging and selling candy that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method by which candy is sold in a customizable bottle. The bottle is customized by the customer to reflect an event, message, or mood. The packaging and candy become more than mere candy, the customized label turns the candy and bottle into a customized gift or keepsake.
The overall concept is to provide a candy store that is based on a pill theme. The candy can be in pill-shaped form. The candy can be placed in bottles that resemble pill or vitamin bottles. Stickers can be added to the bottles that include messages and jokes that are inspired by a pill or medicine theme.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method of packaging candy, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to
Before describing the method, the preferred embodiments of the physical devices and locations are described.
The preferred embodiment of a store for conducting the method is a retail shop. Other embodiments of the store include a department or counter within a store that sells additional goods or services. The method can be performed at a kiosk. The method can be performed through an online store (i.e. a website) and fulfilled at a remote location, then shipped to the recipient.
The store sells empty bottles 30. Bins of candy (which are not shown) are included within the store. Labels 40 and 50 are sold in the store. The labels 40 and 50 are not yet attached to the bottles 30.
By providing a custom message on the label 40, the customer can produce a container 10 that is customized for them. The customized product adds value to the product in the customer's opinion beyond the value of the candy. Plus, the act of selecting and creating the container (visa vie the label 40) is an enjoyable process to most customers.
In an embodiment that is not shown, the label 40 can include an additional page that can peel from the adhesive backing. In this way, the page can be opened like a gift card. Additional messages can be printed or written within the booklet.
The package 100 can be sold as a preconfigured unit within the store or assembly by the customer.
Claims
1. A method of packaging candy for providing a user-customized gift or keepsake, which comprises:
- providing a bottle for holding candy;
- providing a plurality of labels, each of the labels being associated with a different message, mood, or event;
- selecting at least one of the labels based on the message, mood, or event; and
- attaching the label to the bottle.
2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises filling the bottle with candy by a customer.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the label includes a message, said message involving medicine.
4. A system for producing keepsake bottles of candy, comprising:
- a container being configured to hold candy; and
- a plurality of labels, each of said having a different respective sentiment expressed thereon, each of said labels having an adhesive disposed thereon, said adhesive being configured to attach a respective one of said plurality of labels to said container;
5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising candy to be stored in said container.
6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said labels do not describe the candy to be stored.
7. A retail store for selling customer customized keepsakes, comprising:
- candy;
- an empty bottle being configured to store said candy;
- a plurality of labels, said labels not being connected to said empty bottle, each of said labels having a different respective sentiment expressed thereon, each of said labels having an adhesive disposed thereon, said adhesive being configured to attach a respective one of said plurality of labels to said container;
- said candy, said empty bottle, and at least one of said labels being purchasable by a customer to be assembled into a keepsake.
8. A keepsake customized by a customer of a candy store, said keepsake being made according to a method that comprises:
- selecting a bottle while at the candy store, said bottle being configured to hold candy;
- selecting a label from a plurality of pre-printed labels, said label not being initially connected to said bottle, each of said labels having a different respective sentiment expressed thereon, each of said labels having an adhesive disposed thereon, said adhesive being configured to attach a respective one of said plurality of labels to said container;
- adhering said label to said bottle; and
- disposing said candy into said bottle.
9. The keepsake according to claim 8, wherein said label does not describe said candy being disposed in said bottle.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 27, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 9, 2012
Applicant: SMILEY VENTURES, LLC (Surfside, FL)
Inventor: Scott H. Deutsch (Miami Beach, FL)
Application Number: 13/170,178
International Classification: B65B 61/00 (20060101); B65D 85/00 (20060101);