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Candy is in Roxanne Klein's blood. And we're not talking about the sugar high from her sweetly sour concoction, dubbed Sandy Candy. Klein comes from a candy-minded family, and she's known sweet innovation from birth. After all, Roxanne's father, David, invented the Jelly Belly candy. He and her mother, Rebecca, helped Roxanne get Sandy Candy off the ground when the now 22-year-old dreamed up the idea in high school, agreeing to develop the candy in their Covina, California, factory. That certainly made it easier to get the sweet stuff made-freeing Roxanne of the typical start-up and equipment costs. Says Roxanne, "I come up with ideas every day, and we don't have the equipment to make them all....so this was a good one."
Does Roxanne feel any added pressure, being the daughter of a successful inventor? "No," she says, "we're all individuals. I just go with my own flow. My Roxy flow."

Los Angeles Times

From left, David Klein, daughter Roxanne and wife Rebecca in their bathroom, where great ideas, like Sandy Candy are born

Sweet Inspiration
By Duane Noriyuki Times Staff Writer

The creative mind whirls beyond boundaries of what is, seeking undefined regions where possibilities abound. from world in darkness, visible only in flashes of lightning, new ideas emerge.
For the Klein family of Glendora, lightning usually strikes in the bathroom which they refer to as the "think tank."
One day about four years ago, Roxanne Klein, was, well, just sitting there when lightning struck, and she saw it: edible sand art.
She was well-versed in what to do next. She rushed to the kitchen, tugging up her pants, and grabbed a paper plate.
One should never entrust a scrap of paper with a brilliant idea, says her father, David Klein, 50, inventor of Jelly Belly candies. Scraps are too easily lost or left in pockets, emerging from washing machines as faded wads.
Paper plates are harder to lose, harder to stuff in pockets. "plus," he notes, "you can fling em."
In her vision, Roxy, then a senior at Glendora High School, saw brightly colored candy in the form of sand, something artistic and tangy. Six months later production began on Sandy Candy. The Kleins tested flavors with a panel of experts, neighborhood kids who frequent their manufacturing plant in Covina.
"If they approved of a flavor, we went with it," says Roxy's mother, Rebecca Klein, 46. "If they said, "Puh-Too-wee," we scrapped it."
Sandy Candy was further tested at street fairs, and children seemed to love it.
The Kleins, under the name Can You Imagine That! Inc. have made Sandy Candy available on the Internet and through distributors.
"We wanted to make it more of a specialty item and also something groups could use for fund-raising," Roxy says.
The Kleins are constantly testing new products. Not all of them pan out. Still, says David, "there is no such thing as a bad idea."
"A bad idea leads to a good idea," he explains. "It stays in your mind for years and maybe you'll use a part of that idea for some other idea." "or maybe 1% of the idea," says Roxy. "or maybe half a percent," Says David. Or maybe the bad idea has a good name for another project." "Or a good color or a good flavor." "Something good comes out of everything."

Teen Magazine

Cool Career
 

While you might look at sand and see some dingy piles of dirt, 21-year-old Roxanne Klein imagines a tart and tangy treat. "I like sand art. And one day I just looked at it and I said that looks like candy, Why can't it be?"
Eureka! Sandy Candy was born. Roxanne's sugary-sweet idea: To produce powder in different yummy colors and flavors like peach-mango, lemonade and fruit punch that you'd pour into clear plastic straws to create super pretty patterns. After admiring the masterpieces you'd scarf it down for a serious sugar buzz.
"I told my dad and he thought it was a great idea," Roxanne says. And as the creator of the world famous Jelly' Belly's, her father should know what he's talking about. "I've always been around candy," the Glendora California native explains. "I think candy, my dad thinks candy. It's the weirdest thing."
In Roxanne's candy-making clan, whenever someone has an idea for a new product, he or she writes it down on a paper plate and then the family evaluates it. But Roxanne wasn't sure about Sandy Candy at first, so she shoved her plate in a drawer for six week before showing it to her parents. Not long after she proposed the plan, they started churning out the sweet stuff.
"We tested it out with people and saw an overwhelming response!" Roxanne beams. Since then, she's been selling it at street fairs, schools, and birthday parties. "She'll start hocking Sandy Candy full-time after she graduates from the University of La Verne in California with a bachelor's degree in business this spring.
"My dream is to have Sandy Candy Land-sort of like Disneyland, based on the candy. Or I'd like to have a Sandy Candy museum right next to the M&M museum and the Coke museum in Las Vegas. But short term, I just want to have it at as many birthday parties as possible.

Ym Magazine

A DELICIOUS IDEA:
 

When 9 year old Roxanne was at a carnival she filled a jar with layers of brightly colored sand. She kept the creation in her bedroom for years. Then, when Roxanne was a high school senior in Glendora, CA, she looked at the jar one day and an idea pooped into her head-why not turn sand art into a cool new kind of candy? Roxanne's family brainstorms about candy at the dinner table (her father invented Jelly Belly jelly beans) and she says she's been training for the candy business her whole life. "Every day my father would ask me to come up with ideas for new candy products."

Roxanne's Concoction:

At age 17, she started her own company, Sandy Candy, with advice from her dad and access to his candy-making machinery. First, Roxanne decided on 20 flavors of powdered candy or "sand," including Peach and Fruit Punch. Then, she made plan to put them into straws, tubes, and even baby bottles. Her advice: "Be determined and ambitious. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do what your heart desires."

Customer Comments


Hello Roxy!

I just wanted to thank you for all your help with my Sandy Candy order! I just got the 2nd batch and I can't wait to wear the tshirt! I love the new flavors with the cookie dough and real strawberries! I also loved the Candy in the Kitchen and will be getting those next time I order, which might be sooner than I thought, because I might have booked another fair:) Special thanks to your dad as well, who was super sweet, when I spoke to him the other day!

Thanks again for everything and talk to you soon!
Kimberly
Wee Can Shop/ Hawthorne , NJ

You folks are absolutely the nicest people I have ever dealt with in my 42 years. I have worked in retail, wholesale, service, customer service, and healthcare, both as provider and consumer, and have seen it all. Dealing with you and your father was and continues to be a wonderful experience, and I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do.

Thanks,
David Thomas
Pontotoc, Mo

Hi Roxy- I just wanted to write to thank you so much for your prompt service. It is always
a pleasure talking to you. Thanks so much for inventing one of the most popular
and tasty ways to entertain children. Sandy Candy is always a hit at my events and this last one topped them all. We sold over 1,000 dollars of candy and made lots of money for our charity event and the local dentist Ha Ha.

Keep up the great work, I look forward to ordering with you in the future! Have a wonderful week!

Nicole Risener
Houma, Louisiana

The kids loved it. It was so popular at our event. We can't wait to use it at another activity. The pricipal of the jr high said the only bad part was that we did not order more.

Sharon Downs, Fullerton, CA

Just wanted to give you a quick update about our first Sandy Candy Vending experience.  It was amazing!  In over 30 years of doing parties, fairs and festivals I have only seen this type of results three times!  Here are three other bits of great news.

  • The concern about the entire process being messy or hard to control - did not happen!
  • Pricing was a consideration going into the project because we are in a smaller area.  This did not happen!  
  • YES!  It was just not a little kid activity ; we had a lot of early to mid-teens, and even a few parents got into the act. 
  • Finally,  Roxy and David of  "Can You Imagine That! Inc"  are amazing to work with.  From start to finish getting this new and exciting Profit Center up and running has been an amazing positive experience. Did I mention that is was one of the most cost effective and profitable transactions we have ever completed? 
  • Well, we are off to the show.   Best wishes to you!  Maxine and Joe Baird –

Maxine & Crew / Balloons-n-Funtimes.

Just wanted to let you know that we used our Sandy Candy last night at our carnival and it was a big hit. The kids loved it and it was easy to use. Thanks so much for the great product!! Lorrie Meyer Fairfield North Carnival Fairfield Township, OH

HI Roxy- It's Kendra in Texas .   Just wanted you to know the SANDY CANDY BOOTH WAS PHENOMINAL!!!!!!!!   The children absolutely flipped and the line never stopped.   Out of the 750 12” & 375 test tubes we ordered, we had a few tubes (10 or so) left over, but only because the carnival ended.   I think we could have sold it well into the evening!  All of the children that were there until 30 minutes after the carnival were on their 3rd & 4th tube and we finally just had to say SORRY WE NEED TO CLOSE.   It was AMAZING!!!!   We made a very nice profit and everyone was thrilled.  The teacher's staffed the booth which made it even more exciting for the children. 

I just can't thank you enough!   I am going to use the party pack you sent me for the preschool Halloween party and I know they are going to flip, too.   I need to give you a call about the 'sweet sushi' - I have a few ideas for the elementary school and preschool for that.  Again, thank you so much!  Your product is AWESOME and I am spreading the word to all of the other elementary school PTO/PTA's for their carnivals.  

I look forward to talking to you soon! 

Kind Regards,

Kendra Thomas, Maplebrook Elementary PTO

At lunch, we sold the regular test tubes at $2.00 each. No one complained about the price and we ran out. It was very exciting. We are ordering another 1,000 of them.

Kisler Whitworth, Rocksprings Elementary

We have been selling Sour Spanks as a fundraiser since 2004. It's nice to have extra money that we get to spend by selling these. Just this year, we have been able to buy 2 lcd projectors, and tons of dvd's and videos for the teachers.

Pat Schell / Newport News, VA

Everyone regardless of age loved it. At the end of our event, there was nothing left. It was absolutely the best.

Janet Francis-Cisneros

Trinity Foster Care/ Moreno Valley

We have been a customer for at least 7-8 years. Students love it. We use it for incentives plus fundrasising.

Joyce Scheidt
Rockfield Family Resource

It was Great!. We went through all 500 medium straws. The kids' loved it!

Foothill Federal Credit Union

Stacy Arena

Arcadia , CA

Your product was the biggest money maker at our carnival!

Bethel Elementary
Clover, SC

Great Service! Great Price! Kids really enjoy making their own Roxy Candy Pebbles creation. We have used it for the last 2 years. We are ordering double of what we did last year.

Lincoln Alternative
Corona CA

We love this stuff. I can't believe how well it sells. Even the adults like it. Almost everyone who comes to my store buys a tube. Barbara / Wicked Fun Art /North Hampton, NH

Hi Roxy! :}

We had our festival friday and it was a blast...The kids LOVED all the sushi/sandy candy.. It was wonderful.. You are awesome! Again thank you for sending me the candy as soon as possible. You will hear from me again soon! Warm regards,

Ada Pham / North Park Elementary

Junction Ave sold oodles of these at our last dance. It went over better then our DJ
Shelly Fields
Junction Ave Middle School


Thanks for getting out the Sandy Candy so quickly for our school carnival. What a popular booth!! Thanks again for always being so helpful and easy to work with!!

Tracee Cook
Carnival Co-Chair
Valencia Valley Elementary School

This was a hit beyond our wildest hopes! Thanks for building our budget. Vicki Guronsett

Last year we used Sandy Candy for our back to school night, and this year the PTA is begging me to get more. We just had our meeting and everyone said that we have to do the Sandy Candy table again.
Morning Creek Elementary
Kirsten Sandstrom
San Diego, CA


Thanks! I just received my order of 500 12” tubes Sandy Candy and Roxy Candy. I just tasted it and have to say it is really good. I have tasted other similar products and your products are really tastier. Sandy Candy & Roxy Candy are top quality and have lots of flavor. The candy tastes exactly like the flavor on the label.

Kathy Cohen
Elmhurst, IL

Awesome Product!
Our students love Sandy Candy. We can't keep enough in stock.
Leslie O Leary
Quail Valley Middle School

Great idea for prizes each trimester. Patty Dunn

Sandy Candy is wonderful. It can be used for day on the green, carnivals, etc.
All ages of kids love it.
CA Moore
Lee Jr High
Weatland, CA


The kids love the Sandy Candy. It's art you can eat!
JJ Barlow
Twin Peaks Middle School


We have used your product for reading incentives for the past 4 years. Every month we use it, more kids’ do their reading. I have not met one kid who did not think it was the greatest thing

Maeser Elementary PTA
Vernal, Utah

We used Sandy Candy and Roxy Candy Pebbles at 6 or 7 events last year and everyone loves them.

Kansas State University
Ben Hopper/ Student Union
Manhattatn, Kansas

Hello, this is Echo Boland and I spoke with you on the phone and ordered some candy Last week. All I have to say to you is... I AM IN LOVE!!!!!!!!! I am so excited to do the fall festival in my town in two weeks. I can't believe how excited my daughter is to help! (she is 12) On her name tag I am putting "little sandy flavor finder". She will be the one that helps the kids as I sell my cookies! That is what I am doing the festival for is to promote my cookie bouquets. I thought getting the kids to the table and having them do the Sandy candy would give the parents time to look at my creations! I will keep you posted on how it goes, but I just wanted to let you know that we are so excited and thank you so much for the Candy! You are the best... Echo Boland

Good Morning Fun Lady, I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I did and I sold my Sandy Candy for the very first time and I NEED more, hahahah, I am addicted.  I love seeing the faces on the kids when they are making it!  I had the cutest little girl with blonde pigtails (about three years old) say "dad, I am having the best time, this is so much fun".  My heart melted!!!!  How cute!  Echo Boland

I have been doing crafts at birthday parties for about 7 years and this is by far the best craft we have ever done. It was enjoyed by both girls and boys and all ages. It was simple to do yet it was time consuming and kept everyone quiet. My kids can’t wait to do it at our next party.

Heather Kile
Scottsdale, AZ


Roxy,
I met you a few weeks ago at the LERN Conference in Las Vegas. Though I was there for business (City of Paso Robles Recreation Department), I purchased Sandy Candy for my daughter's school. Last night the PTA put on it's annual Winter Wonderland. The Sandy Candy was the hit of the night. In fact, it didn't last the whole event because we ran out of 250 12" tubes in just 45 minutes! The kids loved it and just "ate it up!" Next year we will be contacting you to double our order

Thanks for inspiring me to purchase your unique product.

Rose O'Sullivan
Vineyard Elementary School PTA
Templeton, CA

The Victoria Parks and Recreation Department ordered 500 tubes of Sandy Candy for our Christmas in the Park event. The event is four hours long with hundreds of children and their family members strolling around the park. The Sandy Candy was sooooo popular it lasted only 90 minutes and people were coming back for more! Thank you for such a wonderful product!

Thank you for all you do in your community.

Edgar Vander Stucken
Victoria, Texas

I don't even advertise on the days we are going to sell Sandy Candy because the
line would be way too long. These are a huge hit.
Kathy Stewart
Lone Hill Middle School
San Dimas, Ca

Great for gifts at a dance. The kids love it.
Pete-Diamond Bar High

Greatest thing at our spring carnival.
Sarah Gersper
Fort Irwin Middle

I ordered sandy candy from you about a month ago and I am glad to say it has been a hit! I have been selling them at football games and high school plays and they are "so cool" as the students say. I am excited to have something no one else has on hand!! Thanks for a great idea! Our drama department will be going to New York by selling Sandy Candy!!! Thanks again

Janice Linkous
Pulaski, VA


Roxy, I wanted to let you know that you were RIGHT! The Sandy Candy and Mini Candy Pebbles were a HUGE hit at both my son's birthday party in July and at our annual Halloween party this weekend. The kids and
parents loved it, as did the teenagers who were helping at the Halloween party. I'm also recommending this product as a fundraiser to our band boosters club at our local high school. Thanks for your help in helping me decide what and how much to buy. This is a GREAT product!

Sincerely,

Pam Deming
Duvall, WA


Super Product. Kids loved the math project I did with it. Great Vendor! Don't miss
this one.
Sandy Duncan
A..E Wright

The kids love it and they will buy it. John Hartmann

Kids really enjoy Sandy Candy. They ask for it every year at the spring Fair.
DG
Kerr Middle

Sandy Candy helped increase our membership in our PTA. I became know as the Sandy Candy lady at my kids’ school. The children would follow me around like the Pied Piper. The kids were allowed to make their own tube if their parents joined the PTA. This encouraged the kids to encourage their parents to join the PTA.
Chester Taylor Elementary
Cheryl Hemphill
Zephyrhills, Florida

The kids had more fun with the Sandy Candy than any other activity at the birthday party. I decided to have it all my parties now.
Julie Allen
Columbus, Indiana

We have used this fun product at our school carnival for the last two years. It was a huge success. We sold out.
Fredric Watson Elementary
Tracy Hallaway
North Las Vegas, Nevada


Just Wanted To Thank You For Kindness, and Your Great Suggestions Regarding Our Order On Tuesday!! I Have Spread The Word On How Great My Experience Was In Dealing With You And This Website. I Am Sure That We Will Visit It Again As My Husband And I Are The "Kindness Outreach Coordinators" For Our Church.
Again, Many Thanks To You!!

Sherrie Breitenbach
Waverly, OH


Our teens used Sandy Candy as a fundraiser at the Denton arts Jazz Festival. They had a lot of fun running the booth and sold out two hours before the event was over.
Kathy Schaeffer
City of Denton
Denton, TX


A great hit at our Cinco De Mayo festival. The kits love it.
Richland High

Great for honor roll gifts. My students love to come to the Sandy Candy station.
Petra Davis
Las Flores Middle

We bought a $200.00 order of Sandy Candy last year. We sold out after an hour and half.
This year we are tripling our order.
Franklin School
Katie I.
Burlingame, CA


The kids thought Sandy Candy was the best thing in our camp store.
Tracey Roberts
Illinois District Assembly of God

The candy taste wonderful. It's a great fundraiser and it looks artistic. We are using it for the second year for our animation club fundraiser.
Aloma Lively
Vista Del lago High School
Moreno Valley, CA


Sandy Candy is awesome. The kids love it.. It is quick & easy.
John Jennings
Coalinga Middle School

I just wanted to let you know that the Sandy Candy was a HUGE hit @ our Sesquicentennial Children's Parade/Celebration this evening!!! EVERYONE was buzzing about it (adults included!). I am so glad that we went ahead & tried it out. Now I'm sure that you will be hearing more from all of us in Indiana!

Thanks again,
Shannon Ottman
Haubstadt, IN

Our PTA used the mini tubes as a reading incentive at our book fair and it was wildly successful.

West Jordon Elementary
Melissa Johnson
West Jordon, Utah

Just wanted to comment that I recently purchased the Sandy Candy at the conference in Reno, used it at our Halloween party on the 23rd.........and it was a great hit! The kids and parents LOVED the activity (which we offered for free) and our staff loved the opportunity to offer such a fun and in-expensive activity. We look forward to repeating our experience again in the future. Thanks for being there with such a "bubbly" sales personality!

Terry McGinnis-Miles
City of Hilliard Ohio

Last year Processing Technologies ordered a Sandy Candy package. We would like to order this again for our company picnic since it was such a great hit.

Cheryl LeDuc
Processing Technologies, inc.
Aurora, IL 60565


Hi Roxy.

Just wanted to let you know what a big hit "Sandy Candy" was last year at our Fun Fair, at Bibich School in Dyer IN. At our first sign up, which is during registration for school, I had all my folders out with positions I needed filled. It's so funny, because my first folder to get filled up with volunteers was the "Sandy Candy" folder. I had ladies rushing to the table to sign up. I had to tell the ones that came later that the positions were filled already for our "Sandy Candy" table. They were disappointed because the kids absolutely loved that table. Our workers bring their kids with them during their shift. Also, last year we ordered a small order of 300 medium straws to try it out. And to our surprise, we ran out of product during our first shift. We had to shut the table down during our second shift. This year we bought 500 medium straws of "Sandy Candy" and hopefully it will last the evening. Or maybe next year we will buy even more!!!

Well, just wanted to drop you a note saying "Thank you" for offering this product. We were very pleased with your service and product. Looking forward to a long relationship with you!

Once again, thank you!

Bibich Elementary School

Mary Ann Jimenez
Dyer, Indiana

I sold Sandy Candy last spring and it paid for our trip to the FCCLA NLM in San Diego, CA.

Thanks

Raelyne Massey

Walnut Ridge High School

Walnut Ridge, Ar

We had our Art Expo with the Sandy Candy. What a hit! It was wonderful! What a great idea! I will be ordering again!
Lenice

I just wanted you to know what a HIT your Sandy Candy was in my grandchildren's Easter Baskets. My granddaughter Denae, was especially thrilled because they had Sandy Candy at her school fair and it was a HIT. My daughter-in-law said the PTA workers at school were concerned about the 8 tickets ($2 fee), but the booth was sold out in 1 1/2 hours time.

Ruth Ann

It was a huge hit. The kids want to do it again. We ran out before the event ended. Many of the kids purchased more then one.

Lisa Edmison

Freemont Elementary

Long Beach, CA

 

 

 

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