The Frango Mint Price Tracker: Macy's State Street Store

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Frango Mint prices are like the gasoline of candy, wildly jumping and dropping during the holiday season.

On the evening of Thanksgiving, early bird holiday shoppers could score a one-pound box of the famous chocolate mint meltaway cubes for $11.99.

Late last week, the price jumped to $14.99, although that was still well below the "retail price" of $24.

Then on Wednesday morning the price plummeted again to $11.99. It was billed as a one-day sale, although it is quite possible that price could be available again before Christmas. It even comes nicely wrapped, although it's pretty obvious what it is.

Eight days before Christmas last year, the prices were so volatile that they sold for $11.99 on one side of the store and $14.99 on the other side.

Based on sporadic visual evidence over the past 10 days, the $11.99 price appears to be the lowest so far this season.

However, the coveted candy has been seen for sale for as low as $9.99 in recent years--especially after Christmas.

Frango Mints were first created in 1927 for Frederick & Nelson department store of Seattle. In 1929, Marshall Field's bought out Frederick & Nelson, ordering the chocolatiers to come to Chicago and introduce the Frango to the Marshall Field's stores in an effort to improve slumping sales during the Great Depression, according to the Got Chocolate blog.

From 1929 to 1999, Frangos were handmade on the 13th floor of the main Marshall Field's on State Street before manufacturing was outsourced to a Pennsylvania candy maker.

In July 2009, Macy's announced that Chicago's Cupid Candies would begin production of Frangos.