Visit California: "Relive a bygone era in a different way with retro toys, games, ..."

Really excited to get a mention in this spotlight article about our Historic Sonoma Plaza. We certainly have our share of tasting rooms here in Sonoma, but we also have lots of other fun flavors! Come stop by and visit our local artisans, handmade cheese shops, and fine restaurants.

Read the original story here:
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/uk/attraction/sonoma-plaza-sonoma

We’re pleased as punch…Tiddle E. Winks is making news again! Julia wrote all about us for the Living Sonoma County website describing the myriad of charming treasures you can buy at our store that won’t break the bank.

What really razzed our berries was how Julia personally described the gifts she purchased from our store, “The recipients were touched by the thoughtful items and I was met with a chorus of ‘Where were you able to find this?’ to ‘I haven’t seen one of these in years!’” We’re especially grateful for her reminders about the value of shopping locally, supporting small businesses, and helping Support Sonoma County businesses after the devastating fires.

A huge high-five to Julia and Living Sonoma County, we think they’re the living end!

Read the full story and all the comments here.

Digital Journal: Vintage Shop in Sonoma Aims to Happier Times

Holy cow, can you believe it? More swell press about Tiddle E. Winks! In an article in the Digital Journal, writer Jonathan Farrell takes a peek at the many treasures in our little shop, pointing out how we offer old time candy, games, toys and gifts that bring back happy childhood memories and put a smile on people’s faces.

We think this quote about our contribution to Sonoma’s historic plaza is the cat’s meow! “Tiddle E Winks is truly like stepping back in time. And for many long-time residents and natives of Sonoma it restores some of what Sonoma, as an old Mission town, has lost to high-tech modern lifestyles.”

Thank you Jonathan, you’re the Bee's Knees!

Read the full story here:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/business/small+business/op-ed-vintage-shop-in-sonoma-aims-to-happier-times/article/463136#ixzz4BhxdIExx

This news in the Sonoma Valley Sun has us positively giddy with excitement!

We're pleased as punch to share the fun of our Vintage 5 & Dime, and our love of timeless confections; in fact, it's the whole reason we do what we do! And we thought the Sonoma Valley Sun did a nifty job summing up our story in one tasty and delicious article. When describing Tiddle E. Winks, they say: "It is a perfectly engaging experience, with a multiplicity of unique, funny, eclectic, and often Sonoma-centric items. And candy, of course, vintage candies that take you back to your childhood." Isn't that just the bee's knees?

Click here to read the complete and fun-filled article…
http://sonomasun.com/2016/04/13/a-career-in-fun-and-candy/

What a great surprise! Tiddle E. Winks was listed in the Best of Sonoma Valley for 2015! The readers of the Sonoma Valley Sun recently voted Tiddle E. Winks the funnest retail store in the Sonoma Valley, thanks a bunch! Winners were selected based on the results from the 11th Annual Readers Poll by the Sonoma Valley Sun. We are delighted and quite honored to be given such a title. Thank you Sonoma Valley! The full list includes Tiddle E. Winks and some other great local businesses. Read More at SonomaSun.com

We're tickled pink to be in Frommer's

Napa & Sonoma day by day guide...

check us out!

Read more here...
Buy it on Amazon!

My last piece of Bazooka gum
Posted on August 4, 2014 by Sun News
(By Larry Barnett). I chewed a lot of bubble gum in my youth. I liked the taste and liked to blow bubbles. Of course, gum was not allowed in school, so my chewing was done at home or after class with my friends.
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In the 1950s gum was cheap; a penny a piece for Bazooka. The pharmacy sold it as did the toy store; it seemed like bubble gum was everywhere. Packages of baseball cards came with gum, though it was often stale and hard and was usually cracked into little pieces by the time the pack was opened. It had a thin, chemical flavor I didn’t like much, and was covered with a mysterious powder to keep it from sticking to the baseball cards.
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It seemed a matter of pride to me as to how many pieces of gum I could chew at once. Bazooka was sold by the piece, but also came in one package as a roll one-half inch thick and six inches long. Five indented lines circled the roll to designate portions, but to me it was just a matter of time before the whole package ended up in my mouth. The bigger the wad, the bigger the bubbles, and more than once I had gum stuck in my hair. Our family dentist, Dr. Loring, made some good money filling my cavities, I expect in large part due to all that gum.
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I went a long time not chewing gum as I aged. I can’t say why, exactly; perhaps it was not a counter-culture artifact, or inappropriate for a guy in business. Whatever the reason, for most of my adult life I forgot about bubble gum, then one day six months ago I wandered into Tiddle E. Winks Vintage 5 and Dime near the Plaza, and filling a bin were at least one hundred pieces of Bazooka. My long lost youth came rushing back, and I bought a handful. The price had gone up to ten cents each, but it didn’t matter. I popped one in my mouth and – Poof! – I was eleven again. The taste was exactly the same, though the piece was smaller. The bubbles blew good.
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Next time I went back, I was given bad news: no more individual pieces of original flavor Bazooka were being made. I’d bought some of the very last batch. Therein ensued the great bubble gum taste test, comparing original Bazooka to its replacement along with Double Bubble, Bubblicious, Hubba Bubba, some off-brands and one shaped like pink cigars. I won’t call the taste test traumatic, but disappointment came with every new wad. Some were too fruity, others too grainy; some too soft, others too chewy. One made my throat itch, another had a metallic aftertaste. Here I had just rediscovered the bubble gum of my youth and its thrill was promptly snatched away by the evil demons of marketing!
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Heidi, the proprietor was sympathetic; she could lose a devoted Bazooka customer who might spend five bucks a visit! More than that, she could feel the crush of my disappointment. Next time I came in, she gave me a deal on my next choice, and a free sample of a new offering from Double Bubble; its package said it was the original formula from 1928. The ingredients include high fructose corn syrup, which did not exist in 1928, but what the hell, it’s bubble gum.

We got somewhat carried away with downtown Sonoma. Not only did we enjoy wandering all the stores, boutiques, candy stores. The Sonoma Cheese Factory and Tiddle E. Winks were our favorite. We wish the tri-tip sandwich at Sonoma Cheese Factory was not sold out, because it would have been a great addition to our picnic in the late afternoon.

Walk off some of that delicious cheese and head to the other side of the plaza, where you’ll find Tiddle E. Winks, Sonoma’s Vintage 5 & Dime. Colorful candy and sweets practically spill out the front door, and inside you can find every vintage item you could ever hope for- trinkets, gifts, notebooks, glasses, 50′s records, etc. You’ll love the sweet smell of this tiny shop, and make sure to get a good look at the checkout station- it’s actually an old diner bar complete with bar stools.