For many bidders at an estate auction in Hampton, New Brunswick, the items took them on a sweet stroll down memory lane.

More than 700 items belonging to the Candy Man, the late Whidden Ganong, were being sold to the highest bidder.

The auction is also a window into a man known around the world for satisfying any sweet tooth as the head of the 130 year-old company, Ganong Brothers Chocolate, based in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.

Whidden Ganong was the companyâs president for 20 years, from 1957 to 1977. He died last year at age 93.

Ganong was an avid collector and his estate includes everything from jewelry and photographs to crystal and fine china, much of it dating back to the 19th century.

The auctions attracted bidders from across the Maritimes.

But not everything in the Ganong home is being auctioned off. The family made sure that any items of historical significance were donated to the provincial archives.