When I was a kid, I had a little cotton candy machine which, after a half hour of coaxing and wishful thinking, made a tiny bit of delicious, pink fluff about the size of an actual cottonball. I once bought my own daughter a hand-held, battery-operated machine from a toy store, which made alot of noise and gave out after three uses. We were both underwhelmed. And those bags of stiff, compacted cotton candy sold at the video store alongside microwave popcorn just doesn't cut it. Real cotton candy should melt in your mouth the instant you put it in - the whole experience should be dreamy and ephemeral.
A real cotton candy machine like those used at carnivals can run you over $1,500. I found that even entry-level professional machines are around $500 or $600. I just want one that I can keep on my kitchen counter. I came across this "Nostalgia Cotton Candy Maker and Fun Kit" at overstock.com for a mere $47.99.