 |
|
| Collectible Pez Dispensers You can have your collectible, and eat it, too! Want to be a "pezhead?" Not a problem. Get out to your favorite flea market and start collecting colorful Pez plastic candy dispensers. They’re plentiful, highly collectible and don’t take up much shelf space. But I bet you can’t find them all: Pez candy and dispensers have been sold in the United States since 1952, and individual designs are good ‘n plenty. You may even find some of the older Pez models selling for hundreds — even thousands — of dollars. Created over 60 years ago in Vienna, Austria by Eduard Haas III, Pez was first marketed as a breath mint for adults. Pez used to be carried around in pocket tins and was initially targeted for adult smokers. In 1948 an "easy, hygienic dispenser" was designed to look like a cigarette lighter (without the familiar character heads). The name Pez was derived from the German word for peppermint "pfefferminz." The candy’s creators took the first, middle and last letter and came up with the word "Pez." When Pez Candy and dispensers were introduced in America, market research with children led to development of fruit flavors and the popular and collectible character heads. New characters are introduced regularly to reflect current trends. However, two classics, Santa and Mickey Mouse are the biggest sellers of all time. A full body robot and full body Santa were the first two first Pez characters sold. Today, Pez candy is manufactured in Orange, Connecticut by Pez Candy, Inc. and marketed along with other confectionery products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers, variety stores and toy chains. If you find a dispenser you like on the secondhand market, you can get a general idea of its age by looking at the patent number: Patent 2.620.061, 1st series, issued in 1952 Only the first two digits commonly refer to patent numbers, so a 3.9 dispenser is one from the 4th series. Most post-1987 dispensers have "feet" on the bottom of the stem to help the dispensers stand up. Dispensers without feet are generally older than the versions with feet. Several dealers sell plastic feet that attach to the bottom of non-footed dispensers to help them stand up better. Some of these look like shoes and some look like actual feet. Pez collectors use standard abbreviations to describe the dispensers’ condition: MIB, Mint in Bag; MOC, Mint on Card (MOC does not mean that the card isn't bent, torn, and discolored, but just that the dispenser is still unopened); MOMC = Mint on Mint Card; NF = No Feet. If you want to retain the highest resale value for your Pez dispenser, don’t open the package. Go ahead and tear it open if you’re collecting Pez characters just for fun. You may even want to chew on a piece candy or two. Only 35 calories to a pack, the label says. |
|
