During the Halloween 1989 season, the Mars candy company sold (I believe) 2 plastic characters full of fun size chocolate bars. In 1990 there were 3 sold.*

*I am completely guessing here. In my travels, I’ve only found the goblin stamped 1990.  The 1989 ghost and pumpkin are different from each other.

I had all three, and I remember hanging them up every year, because they were good sized and had nifty faces. I got them from Twin Valu grocery store in Euclid, Ohio, long before I actually lived in Euclid.  They came filled with candy bars.

Like I said, there were 3 different containers.  The Snickers ghost, who was a white ghost with a typical ghosty expression.  You know, he looks like he’s moaning and being otherwise scary.

Then comes the Milky Way pumpkin (Jack o Lantern), who in contrast is quite happy looking.  And he was filled with Milky Way, so he automatically wins.

Anyway, the third was a green guy who I assumed was some sort of goblin, as what else is green really?  He had 3 Musketeers bars.

To make a very long story incredibly short, I moved and had to leave them all behind with a lot of other things.  So in my eBay stalkings, I’m very slowing starting to get things back, and last year (2009) Guy and I were able to track down the 1989 Snickers ghost and the 1989 Milky way pumpkin.  This year I was able to get the 1990 versions of the Snickers ghost and my 3 Musketeers goblin!

I’m not posting this so much as a happily ever after type thing, but because I googled last year extensively and this year as well, and I actually found even LESS about these premiums this year, so I wanted to put it all together in one spot, along with all the information I know (Mars Inc., 1989, lids are removable and have a thin rope in place so they may be hung or used as trick or treat pails, I would assume) and some pictures.  These were really neat little Halloween critters and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one out there who remembers them.

Here’s a shot of my two guys:

My Snickers ghost, being quite ghostly.

My Milky Way pumpkin. Very jolly dude.

And if you have a goblin to sell me at a reasonable price, feel free to drop me a line at jen at euclidboo dot com. I bought mine on eBay on September 12, 2010, 2 for $5.50!

ETA: I contacted Mars about these, hoping to get some information, anything really, but I didn’t get too far:

In response to your email regarding SNICKERS BRAND, MILKY WAY BRAND, and 3 MUSKETEERS BRAND.

Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, the information you requested is not available.

Have a great day!
Your Friends at Mars Chocolate North America

2019 update: I did some historic newspaper browsing and what I found really backs up my theory that only the pumpkin and ghost were sold in 1989, while the goblin was added to make the trio in 1990.

Herkimer Evening Telegram October 26, 1990

 Huntingdon Daily News October 23, 1989

 Janesville Gazette October 7, 1989

New Bern Sun Journal October 14, 1990