I heard a piece on NPR about all the collectors flocking to the PEZ-a-mania Collector Convention in Cleveland this week. Who knew such a big deal would be made over these little candy dispensers? The name Pez was derived from the letters at the start, the middle and the end of the German word for peppermint, Pfefferminz, the first Pez flavor. Apparently, it was first sold in Vienna, Austria in 1927 as an adult breath mint, marketed as an alternative to smoking. The first Pez dispensers were similar in shape to a cigarette lighter.
Many of these plastic vintage dispensers go for hundreds and thousands of dollars, the most valuable being pre-1985. The highest verifiable sale of Pez dispenser was a private sale of a Mickey Mouse softhead at $7000 between an Austrian dealer and a California collector. The high prices which some Pez items fetch has led to the manufacturing of fake Pez items. A clear 50s space gun sold for $11,000 on eBay in 2006, but according to noted Pez author, David Welch, the dispenser was later proven by chemical testing to be a well-made fake.
Our kids had lots of Pez dispensers before '85, but I never considered them of any worth. I wonder if any are packed away in their old toy boxes? If you don't hear from me for a few days, I'll be in the cellar digging for Pez.
I had no idea where they came from, but I remember I loved them as a kid. I had many varieties. One of my friends (later on in life) created a "Pez on Earth" Christmas scene. I believe Tweety Bird was the baby Jesus. It was very sweet.
ReplyDeleteReya - I would LOVE to have seen that - reminds me of the Peep displays in Washington around Easter.
ReplyDeleteI have a penguin Pez dispenser - sadly, only a few years old.
I worked with a counselor who collected these. I think all the high school kids helped her! Great excuse to see the counsleor!
ReplyDeleteDear Willow, Fascinating. To the best of my knowledge and belief 'Pez' has never been marketed in the UK. And although it probably originates in Austria, as you say, it clearly never infiltrated the Iron Curtain into Hungary as there is no evidence of it there either. I do hope that the attic proves to be a treasure trove of collectable, if not vintage, Pez dispensers. Happy hunting!
ReplyDeleteYou are kidding me. I really had no idea. To think about how many of these I've thrown away over the years. I see them at sales now and then, will pay much more attention! Can't wait to see what you pull out of the attic.
ReplyDeleteI only had a PEZ pellet ONCE when I was a kid in the 50's, but I loved it. So exotic - all the way from the U.S.A.! America had tastes we could only dream of in my childhood, but we always had the 57 Varieties!
ReplyDeleteI have a few Pez dispensers in my collection of treasure/junk, although none are pre-1985. I have them lined up in my art area for inspiration and amusement. Nice to know the history. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI remember PEZ came in many different flavours. My favourite refill was grape. It was a definitely unique novelty and almost everyone had one. Ironically, the dispensers were filled very much like gun magazines are, but better it be candy than bullets!
ReplyDeleteAaargh! I don't believe it! I used to collect them in the late 60's, as my youngest brother and me were crazy for the sweets and the dispensers - we even dared the walk through the semi-permanent gypsy camp to buy them (they had one shop on site).
ReplyDeleteI must tell my mother that, sometimes, decluttering is not the best way to go.
Ooh, and this was in Romford, Essex, England, so I must disagree with Edith. Pez did make it across the Atlantic!
ReplyDeleteha. nice history...we had quite a few and my boys have several now...you better tell them if you find them.,..when my mom sold all my starwars toys it broke my heart...smiles.
ReplyDeleteBrian, my boys' tackle box of Star Wars figures is in safe keeping. But the Pez are up for grabs!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of PEZ before your post and I raised four kids. Difficult for me to understand why anyone would pay such large sums of money for such little ole things? -- barbara
ReplyDeletewow, the many we have tossed in the landfill dump...Now if only beanie babies could make a come back....
ReplyDeleteCan't say PEZ rings any bells with me, Willow, but it does go to show that one should never throw anything away. If only we had limitless space!!
ReplyDeleteNow in addition to saying Hasenpfeffer all of the time (thanks to Bugs Bunny), I am now going to have to add Pfefferminz!
ReplyDeleteI just watched the Pez Dispenser episode of Seinfeld the other day. Elaine's laugh, I love it!
willow i remember pez as a kid but don't remember ever owning one of the dispensers - i didn't get allowance so if i wanted candy from the store it had to be ummmm taken! i laughed out loud at reya's comment. oh my!!! steven
ReplyDeleteAwesome. This is so cool. Hi, Willow. I didn't know the history of Pez before I read your post. I also had no idea they'd be worth so much. I love Pez. They make me think of holidays, because we always got them in our stockings and Easter baskets. Happy hunting!
ReplyDeleteJulie, they were a staple in my kids' Easter baskets and Christmas stockings, as well. Fun days.
ReplyDeleteoh..how i used to love those too...
ReplyDeleteyour package is in the mail
:-)
kary and teddy
xxx
Thanks for the waltz down memory lane and the little history lesson. I remember having them as a kid.
ReplyDeleteYou see, this is what a time machine is good for. If we had only known!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if my daughter still has her Pez collection. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI had to come tell you that your comment at sync reminded me that I had a gypsy wagon dream two summers ago, with two good friends, and we were tumbling down a hillside in two gypsy wagons. Maybe we were spilling into your dream . . .
Gosh, Willow, I'm surprised you didn't find any Pezes (is that the correct plural of Pez?)when you were digging around in boxes of old stuff from the 1960's when you were looking for a different photo of yourself to use for your profile. (tee hee). I think I have room to kid on this because you snf I hsve already confirmed our mutual commonality of age. Is it you? Stunning girl in your day. I wasn't bad myself. Did you think you were pretty? Me neither. What was up with that? Perhaps it was "cool" to have low self-esteem? Byeeeee~
ReplyDeleteHoly Cats! I just threw away Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus Pez dispensers a couple of days ago and here I am in Cleveland where I could have cashed in on them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteWow...what a cool post...you are full of such wonderful and fun information! I think all the ones I ever had are long gone now...good luck finding yours in the cellar! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDelete:-)
Pez rocks.
ReplyDeletethanks for the walk down memory lane.
nice place you have here.
I never quite understood the appeal of Pez-- nor, as far as I can remember, were my boys particularly fond of them. But Reya's Pez on Earth idea may change my mind...
ReplyDeleteHey, Donna, I'll take that as a huge compliment, since this profile picture was taken last summer! (it's all about the lighting, daaling)
ReplyDeleteAnd to think we got them only for the candy. Quite a history--thank you.
ReplyDeleteThere is a collector for everything!...I knew these were collectibles but I never liked the candy inside! The kids love them though and I just bougt a Hello Kitty one for my granddaughter:)
ReplyDeleteNow I know what is a PEZ. And I did not, only 5 minutes ago--never heard the word. Of course, I've had my head in sand (still sand in my ears, I think!) for many of those years bygone. Thanks for the English lesson! I'll be BACH!
ReplyDeleteYes sir, yes sir, three boxes full...
ReplyDeleteI remember buying them in the UK as a child, but that was pre-fancy-top days. I never liked the sweets; it was all plastic and no flavour.
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ReplyDeleteMy kids grew up in Hong Kong and collected these dispensers but they were all thrown out many moves ago! Should have hung on to these rather than the Waterford crystal it seems!
ReplyDeleteI saw the pez and the advertisement, but when I noticed the ladies with the cigars...I thought OMG...that is an amazing shot...especially with the hats...glad I never took up smoking....that sure is an eye catcher....bkm
ReplyDeleteI don't think we had them here but I can see their appeal in a kitsch sort of way.
ReplyDeleteWow, your picture is from last year? Girlfren', have you had some work done? You look mah-val-ous, dahling. Can I have the name of your image adjuster? Sign me up! Solarize and posterize me, resize and rotate my ass! Fix my pixels, reduce my noise with a tight crop. Do NOT sharpen or emboss my edges, please, and NEVER, under any circumstances, should you enlarge anything. I want the Double Duotone Deal on premium print, glossy; with extra full-color adjustment, optional back-lighting, and a side of fill-in flash set at slight angle distortion, BUT only if I can have full access to instant review and delete. OK? Ok, then! Charge your batteries, baby! I'm ready for my close-up!
ReplyDeleteA couple dealer friends of mine have been collecting these for years ( so of course, I got th' history from them, wot? ) I've a couple meself. Never cared for the candy tho'...
ReplyDeleteNow if you can point me in th' direction of an "Eeyore" from the Winnie the Pooh series...
Omg, Pez dispensers. They used to be kicking around all of my friends' basements and back porches and bedrooms. It seems to me that the Donald Duck ones were ubiquitous when I was little.
ReplyDeleteMy alter ego, Babs, the voice of my satire blog Objets D'art, loves Pez dispensers. She has a Brian Williams one and a Mother Teresa one.
In my large collection I have some footless Pez from pre-1985 which managed to avoid the trash bin. My current favorites are the boxed Star Trek and Wizard of Oz collections.
ReplyDeletePEZ is indeed an Austrian confectionary!
ReplyDeleteYou can read all about it in Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pez
How interesting - I must admit I had never heard of them. You learn something every day over at Willow Manor.
ReplyDeleteYour pez post certainly brought a smile to my face. The wasband loved pezes and collected them as a child. He had a Santa Claus and a few others he'd kept in a box, all probably from the 60s. I wonder if he still he has them?
ReplyDeleteCompletely unfamiliar over here in Australia Willow, but you've given me a new three-letter word for Scrabble when I play it with MIL. Unfortunately she's of the school "if it's not in the dictionary it doesn't exist!".
ReplyDeleteWT is a Scrabble stickler, too. If it isn't in the Official Scrabble Player's Dictionary, you can't play it. Sheesh.
ReplyDeletethe Pez girl is quite a babe. Va-va-va-voom!
ReplyDeleteI used to LOVE Pez dispensers. I thought the candies were awful, but I loved the way they dispensed them, just the same. This past year, I had a friend turn 60, and I used that "Candies from your Childhood" website and ordered a 4 lb box of those candies you had as a kid--it was filled with dots on papers, candy necklaces, Pez, wax lips, bubblegum cigars, Jujubes, Sugar Daddys, Good n' Plenty, etc, etc... I'd forgotten about a lot of them!
ReplyDeleteI also went to the NY Times store and ordered a T-shirt with the headlines from the day he was born--it was fun reminiscing and looking at all those old things we had as kids.
I so loved my Pez dispenser and candies...such a novelty...everyone had one! Actually the candies were not all that tasty but again just dispensing was the fun part!
ReplyDeleteI've never counted how many PEZ we have ... maybe over several hundred, collected over the past 15 yrs or so.
ReplyDeleteWhat a yummy bit of info...who knew...wasn't into PEZ...it was Tootsie Rolls for me...mmmmm...
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of all the useless things I've saved over the years and the valuable things I've tossed, I become ill! I did have quite a few Pez containers at one tiime but they are now landfill unless some astute person grabbed them up and made a profit from my mistake!
ReplyDeleteMy kids love pez. We picked some up @ Target around Easter time and whenever we find the refill packs, we snap them up.
ReplyDeleteThey are a fun way to eat sweets.
cute...
ReplyDeletehttp://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/awards-from-the-blogging-universe/one-lovely-blog-award/
two awards for you to share with your blogging friends.
thanks!
;)
Happy Saturday!
yeah PEZ!!!
ReplyDeleteI can still remember the thrill of receiving my first Pez dispenser. I should have known they were worth keeping!
ReplyDelete