December 2011 - Amusement Today

Wildwood’s Hankins Fudge remembers shore
heritage through ‘giant postcard’ series
WILDWOOD, N.J. —
Hankins Fudge, located on the
Boardwalk in Wildwood, N.J.
has for many years offered
vacationers one of the most
enticing selections of candy,
fudge, salt water taffy and
other delectable confections
one could ever imagine. The
yearly pilgrimage to the Jersey
shore is a flashback to the
innocence of simpler times
and the chance, once again, to
be ‘a kid in a candy store.’
This year, in addition
to the sweet treats they sell,
Hankins has added some eye
candy as well. Ken and Tony
Gorbatow, the identical twins
who have owned the shop
since 1977, are creating a trip
back through time by helping
to reinvent an iconic (albeit discontinued)
Wildwood brand.
They have acquired the first of
a limited edition series of vintage
three three-foot-by-twofoot
Giant Postcards prints
made from ‘Designer Series
Postcards’ distributed on the
island in the 1980s. The image
is now prominently on display
as décor within the store.
This, along with their antique
candy display cases and ambiance
of yesteryear, provides a
truly nostalgic experience for
guests to the store.
“We set out to replicate an
old fashioned candy store buying
experience within a specific
era,” said Tony Gorbatow.
“This image represents the
Wildwood brand from the
1980s. A large percentage of
our clientele are baby boomers
and their children. The postcards
feature the scenes they
saw here during their first visits
to the resort as children
or teenagers. Some may have
sent the very same image to a
friend when it was on a postcard.”
“Giant Postcards are fun
and educational for all ages,”
added Ken Gorbatow. “The
older generation feels like
they’ve stepped back in time
and the young ones have a
chance to understand something
of their parent’s history.”
The featured postcard
is titled “Hunt’s Pier with
Tramcar circa 1984.” It is,
without question, the quintessential
photograph of the
amusement complex.
This image is actually of
the second incarnation of an
amusement pier construct-
ed on this site. The original
venue, the Ocean Pier (also
known locally as the Funchase
Pier), was constructed in 1905.
Tragedy struck the popular
attraction, during World War
II, on Christmas Eve 1943.
A new amusement complex
was not built for quite
some time, due to wartime
4See POSTCARDS, page 32
Model-spokesperson
Kalyn Magee for the Giant
Postcard Exhibition, presents
Tony Gorbatow of
Hankins Fudge with a Giant
Postcard entitled
Hunt’s Pier with Tramcar
circa 1984.
COURTESY HANKINS FUDGE
December 2011 AMUSEMENT TODAY 31