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Mum shows off limited edition snack collection, including 37-year-old Marathon bar

The 43-year-old mum has spent the last 20 years amassing an enormous collection of 250 ultra-rare limited edition snacks. [Photo: SWNS]
The 43-year-old mum has spent the last 20 years amassing an enormous collection of 250 ultra-rare limited edition snacks. [Photo: SWNS]

A mum has shared pictures of her limited edition snack collection, which boasts ultra-rare and discontinued varieties of popular confectionary – including a 37-year-old original Marathon bar.

Ali Smith, 43, first began amassing limited edition treats 20 years ago, and her collection is now 250 pieces strong.

Her first addition to the collection was a limited edition box of Celebrations containing only Malteser chocolate.

"I bought the Celebrations because Maltesers are my favourite but when I saw 'limited edition' written on the box I couldn't bring myself to open it,” says Smith. “After that I got a bit obsessed and every time I saw limited edition chocolate or crisps I had to buy them.”

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The mum-of-one is now the proud owner of a multitude of weird and wonderful treatment including packets of vanilla ice cream flavour Monster Munch and a bottle of green-coloured Heinz ketchup.

Smith purchased the rarest item in her collection, her 37-year-old Marathon bar, on eBay for £25 20 years ago.

Marathon is the original name for Snickers bars. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Snickers was sold under the brand name Marathon until July 19, 1990.

Smith's most prized possession is a Marathon bar dating back to 1982 which she bought on eBay two decades ago for £25. [Photo: SWNS]
Smith's most prized possession is a Marathon bar dating back to 1982 which she bought on eBay two decades ago for £25. [Photo: SWNS]

However, limited edition retro Marathon bars recently went on sale in Morrisons supermarkets last month, where they will be available until December.

"Marathon bars are my all time favourite, I was so annoyed when they changed the name,” says Smith. "It's great that they've released these retro ones but they're half the size they used to be."

READ MORE: Snickers chocolate bar to become Marathon again after 29 years

Her collection also boasts 17 varieties of Kit Kat, ten types of Snickers, five different flavours of Twix and four Mars bars.

She keeps the treats in suitcases under the bed she shares with her husband Andrew – and says she is reluctant to part with it.

Ali Smith of Sheffield with her collection of limited edition confectionery.  [Photo: SWNS]
Ali Smith of Sheffield with her collection of limited edition confectionery. [Photo: SWNS]

"The collection is getting really hard to store because I can't put it in the attic otherwise all the chocolate will melt,” she says. "But I can't bring myself to throw or give it away.”

"I think I'm going to do the opposite and keep adding to it instead."

The collection is kept a secret from Smith’s four-year-old son, Oliver.

“If he gets a sniff of it that will be it, the whole lot will be gone,” she adds.