These days it seems Candy Buffet's are at all the events, from birthdays to weddings. But where to start and how much will this cost? I can't give a straight answer but I give you my opinion on how tto go about getting started on this project.
Obviously your event is going to have some sort of theme whether it be by color or something like 50's theme. Once you have that established you can decide on the types of candy you want to serve. There are a few sites that do nostalgic candy for those year themes, as well as finding candy by color. http://www.candywarehouse.com/ is one of those.
Depending on # of guests they say a good rule is to allow 3oz per guest but that amount wont usually fill up the jars/
Start shopping around for candy prices early, candy does have an expiration date but you can usually a few months out of them. Places like Target, Wal-Mart and drugstores are going to have the better prices on brands like Hershey and M&M and they are usually on sale.
For your jars , you don't have to have them all match. I always start out at the dollar stores and goodwill because you never know what you will find. Cost Plus also has been tall glass jars with lids that have a chalkboard label on the front for about $5. Not too bad, but remember, what are you going to do with all this glassware when the party is over. Look for things you know you could use again , or even better think disposable. There are alot of great looking boxes, like the chinese take out boxes that would work great and be very cost effective.
Don't forget if you plan on putting on of these together during a warmer month, probably not a good idea to have any chocolate!