Zoom Image
Thomas and Volker Martins: The comedian duo owns what they say is the largest chewing gum collection in the world
Photo: Private
If you are looking for chewing gum strips at the supermarket checkout, you have often been left empty-handed in recent times. At many cash registers, the classic stripes can no longer be found. You can still get them on the Internet, but prices have exploded in recent months. Wrigley's Spearmint, for example, are now sometimes sold for 60 cents per strip. A pack of 120 strips is offered on Kaufland's sales platform for just under 70 euros. By comparison, just a year ago, a strip cost about seven cents in regular stores.
How can that be?
Wrigley's parent company Mars distances itself from the recent high prices: Pricing in the store is up to the discretion of the dealers. Production costs have risen as a result of Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine, Mars says. As a result, recipes have been changed, among other things.
But the real reason for the huge price jumps is another: Wrigley stopped producing strip chewing gum at the end of last year. The packs that are still being sold now are therefore leftover stocks.
The high prices are a sign that a dwindling supply is offset by high demand. This makes strip chewing gum a valuable commodity. Many buy the last packs as a stock. For some, strip chewing gum is a reminder of childhood days.
But hardly anyone is likely to be as attached to the strip as Thomas Martins and his brother Volker. The two Freiburgers describe themselves as chewing gum nostalgics. They own what they say is the largest collection of strip chewing gum in the world. Chewing gum from 51 countries, in 81 flavors, from 78 different manufacturers. The brothers, who usually perform as a comedian duo, store a total of over 20,000 strips in their parents' basement – all still in their original packaging.
Assuming that online retailers and private sellers currently charge between 30 and 70 cents per strip, the Martins brothers' collection is worth around 10,000 euros – at least in theory. "We were often ridiculed because of our passion for collecting," says Thomas Martins. "Now we have to install burglar-proof doors."
In terms of taste, however, burglars would not have much of their loot, because most packages are no longer too fresh. After five to seven years, chewing gum is no longer edible, says Thomas Martins. Then they become crumbly, and the taste diminishes. He suspects that the oldest package in their collection is almost 60 years old. But the brothers don't collect to chew the gum.
The two started in their youth during an Interrail trip through Europe. Because of their chewing gum, their train compartment smelled of mint, lemon and cinnamon, they say. Back then, in the eighties, the chewing gum world was different. There was a wide range of manufacturers to choose from: Perfetti in Italy, Hollywood in France or Maple Leaf in the Netherlands. In Germany, in addition to Wrigley, the brands Hitschler (now Hitschies) and OK dominated the market.
But those days are over. Mars later conquered the shelves of German supermarkets with Wrigley, Extra and Big Red – and was so successful that the range of other brands shrank and eventually almost disappeared.
In addition to Wrigley, there was no other manufacturer of strip chewing gum in Germany. Dragees now dominate the market. This brings the collection of Thomas and Volker Martins to an end. Because they rely exclusively on stripes. Only occasionally do they receive new packages from Spain or Italy, where strips are still being produced. Or supporters send the brothers their collection from the USA, Japan and Israel. "This is a deep sadness and a great pride," says Thomas Martins. The collection is part of her life's work.
"Chewing gum now has to be able to do more and more," says Thomas Martins. In addition to sugar-free alternatives, there are now also chewing gums that protect against tooth discoloration, contain caffeine and/or vitamins. Environmentally friendly alternatives without plastic are also particularly popular. Martins, however, doesn't think much of them. The taste evaporated too quickly and the chewing mass crumbled.