In my hometown between Akron and Cleveland, the "Charles Chips Truck" was a regular welcome visitor with home deliveries on our street.
We also had the "Reiter & Harter" milk truck that visited the neighborhood with deliveries, as well as another milk truck that had "Elsie the Cow" on the side.
There was also a bread truck a few times a week. I forget the company, but it was not Lawson's. We didn't get the bread or milk deliveries as my Uncle managed two Lawson's stores in our town that we patronized. (Anyone else remember 5 cents a loaf, and 25 cents for a gallon of milk?)
And of course we had "Mister Softee".
The delivery trucks were welcomed, though they often interrupted our weekday afternoon street baseball games. We played with wooden bats (and tennis balls), and not sticks as we were not in New York.
I had not seen "Charles Chips" in stores in years, so was surprised to see bags in our "Fresh Market" here in Southwest Florida a few weeks ago. I was coming back from the gym and didn't pull the trigger on a purchase because I reminded myself I am trying to lose some inches from the waist line. As I looked at the bags deciding, about a half dozen people around me were saying things like, "wow, I haven't seen these since I was a kid!"
I thought about it the next day and went back to get a bag just to tell my California born and bred wife the story. The bags were all gone. The Charles Chips flew out the door.
I've gotten to know the staff at this market fairly well as I usually am in several times a week getting produce, poultry and seafood for dinner after the gym. I asked the manager when they were getting another delivery of Charles Chips, and he told me he thought it was a one time item.
I told him the story of all the customers I had heard talking about the chips and buying them with memories of their childhood (of course there are lots of people from Ohio, and Pennsylvania and other places here that might have also had Charles Chips in the 1960's and early 1970's). I told him he needed to get some more as I knew they would continue to sell well.
I saw them back in a promotion bin yesterday, and snagged one. I was in the store today and noted the same bin was now empty.
Turns out the original owners of "Charles Chips" sold out years ago, and two subsequent companies with the naming rights drove it into bankruptcy....twice.
The Scardino Family of New Jersey bought the brand name last year, and relaunched "Charles Chips" last December.
I think these Charles Chips taste like the chips of my youth, but at any rate they are very good.
Though 17 chips equate to about 11g of fat, and 160 calories for those who care.
The chips are available online for shipping, with pricing set for purchase only for the purpose of nostalgia. Not cheap. At least for chips.
http://www.charleschips.com/shop-chips.php
I paid $3.00 for a 9 oz bag at our Fresh Market.
I had two servings while watching The Tribe tonight, so hitting the gym in the AM before the Ohio State game.