Archive-name: food/pez-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly (11th)
Version: 4.0
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PEZ Frequently Asked Questions
Version 4.0
Last modified: July 23, 1997
Compiled by
Chris Sharpe
(sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com)
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This FAQ is an attempt to provide general information and answer some of
the more frequently asked questions about PEZ Candy and PEZ Candy Dispensers.
The information contained in this FAQ came from PEZ CANDY, INC., and
fellow PEZ enthusiasts around the world. The facts are true to the best
of my knowledge.
Sections marked with an asterisk (*) contain changes since the last revision.
Questions, comments, suggestions, and corrections should be mailed to
sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com. Please try to include the source of your information.
See question [8-8] for ways to obtain the latest version of this FAQ.
Thanks and enjoy!
Chris Sharpe
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DISCLAIMER
===========================================================================
This list is not supported, distributed, or sanctioned by PEZ Candy, Inc.
Even though some of this information came from PEZ Candy, Inc., they are
in no way responsible for the truth or falsehood of any of this information.
In fact, some of the information obtained from PEZ Candy was found to be
false.
I make no claims or guarantees that the information contained in this
document is the definitive truth. The information has been obtained from
various sources and is true to the best of my knowledge.
PEZ is a registered trademark of PEZ Candy, Inc.
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THE QUESTIONS
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=========================================================================== THE ANSWERS ===========================================================================
[1-1] What does PEZ stand for?
PEZ comes from the first, middle, and last letters of the German word for
peppermint, pfefferminz.
P E Z
[1-2] Who invented PEZ?
PEZ was invented by Eduard Haas III.
[1-3] How long has PEZ been around?
PEZ candy was created in 1927 in Vienna, Austria. The PEZ dispenser was
invented in 1948. PEZ candies and dispensers have been marketed in America
since 1952.
[1-4] Tell me more about the history of PEZ.
PEZ was first marketed as a compressed peppermint breath mint in Austria. It
was initially targeted for adult smokers, and the first dispenser was
designed to look like a cigarette lighter (no character heads). After
being introduced in America in 1952, market research with children led to the
introduction of fruit flavors and character heads featuring top licensed
characters. Today PEZ is available around the world in more than 60 countries.
[1-5] What is a "Pezhead"?
A "Pezhead" is someone who collects PEZ dispensers.
[1-6] What do MIB, MOC, MOMC, and NF mean?
These are standard abbreviations used to refer to the condition of a
collectible: MIB = Mint in Bag
MOC = Mint on Card
MOMC = Mint on Mint Card
NF = No Feet (see question [4-18])
Note that MOC does not mean that the card isn't bent, torn, and discolored,
but just that the dispenser is still on the card (unopened).
*[1-7]* In what countries are PEZ available?
PEZ Candy, Inc. states that PEZ are available in over 60 countries. Here's a
partial - but growing - list of confirmed countries:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand,
USA.
*[2-1]* Can I buy products directly from the PEZ factory? Late in 1996, PEZ Candy began selling dispensers direct to the consumer or collector. Mail-order inserts are beginning to appear packaged with the current dispensers. If you wish, you can request an order form from PEZ Candy by sending a message to:PEZ Candy, Inc. 35 Prindle Hill Rd. Orange, CT 06477
You can then mail the completed order form to:
PEZ Candy, Inc. P.O. Box 3009 Wallingford, CT 06494
They will not take orders by phone. The dispensers are sold in groups of 8 and they are packaged "in bulk"; there is no special packaging. Prices are $11.95 per group of 8 dispensers plus $3.95 shipping and handling. PEZ candy is also available through this mail-in offer.
If you wish to find out the name of the PEZ distributor in your area, call PEZ Candy, Inc. at (203)-795-0531. You may be able to purchase PEZ in bulk from your local distributor. This may require a resale tax number or other qualifications, depending on local laws.
[2-2] Can I have a tour of the PEZ Candy factory? The company's response is that since they are an FDA regulated food plant, they are not permitted to give tours. However, it has been pointed out that wineries are also regulated by the FDA, but they often give tours. Regardless of the reason, PEZ Candy does not give tours.
[2-3] Who owns PEZ Candy, Inc.? Scott McWhinnie is the president and chief executive officer of PEZ Candy, Inc.
[2-4] Can I buy stock in PEZ? PEZ Candy is a privately held company. No stock is sold.
[2-5] Where is the company located? The first U.S. PEZ factory was located in New York and imported the candy from Europe. The United States division of PEZ Candy moved to Orange, Connecticut in 1972.
[2-6] Tell more about the history of the company. PEZ Candy, Inc. was originally Haas Food Mfg. Corp. This didn't change until the 1970's. Their motto used to be "A Treat to Eat in a Puppet That's Neat!"
[2-7] Is PEZ Candy, Inc. on the Internet? Currently, no. However, PEZ Candy, Inc. has reserved the rights to several PEZ-related domain names and say they do plan to have a presence on the Internet in the future. You can get information about the domain names from the InterNIC Registration Services Center (telnet://whois.internic.net) by using the WHOIS service.
[3-1] Where can I buy Cherry flavor PEZ? Cherry flavor PEZ was discontinued in the US several years ago and was replaced by Grape flavor PEZ. However, Cherry PEZ is readily available in Canada and Europe. It was discontinued in the US because PEZ Candy thought that children would not want a candy that tasted much like cough medicine.*[3-2]* What new flavors are coming out next? It is not the policy of PEZ Candy to discuss current or future marketing plans. The newest flavor is actually the oldest flavor. The company is reissuing the Peppermint flavor packaged with the new Regulars. I'm not sure if this is the exact same Peppermint that was originally used or if it's a different recipe.
[3-3] What's in PEZ Candy? As listed on the wrapper the ingredients are: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Adipic Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel & Palm Oils And Soybean Oil Mono & Diglycerides, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Artificial Colors (including FD&C Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2 - depending on which flavor).
The sugar-free candy has the following ingredients: Sorbitol, Coated Citric Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Ascorbic Acid, Artificial Colors (including FD&C Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake - depending on which flavor).
[3-4] Is PEZ Candy good for you? The nutritional info is: Serving size: 1 roll (9 g) Calories: 35 % Daily Values per Serving (based on a 2,000 calorie diet): Total Fat (0 g): 0% Sodium (0 mg): 0% Total Carbohydrates (9 g): 3% Sugars 9 g Protein: 0 g
The sugar-free candy has the following nutritional info: Serving size: 1 roll (8 g) Calories: 30 % Daily Values per Serving (based on a 2,000 calorie diet): Total Fat (0 g): 0% Sodium (0 mg): 0% Total Carbohydrates (9 g): 3% Sugars 0 g Sorbitol 8 g Protein (0 g): 0% Vitamin C: 35%
*[3-5]* What flavors are available? Assorted Fruit, Grape, Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, and Peppermint. Cherry and Coco/Chocolate have been discontinued in the US, but are still available in other countries.
[3-6] Are there any sugar-free flavors? Yes, PEZ Candy makes sugarfree Orange, Lemon, and Strawberry flavors.
[3-7] Where is PEZ Candy made? Both sugarfree and regular candy are made in Orange, Connecticut where the candy is also packaged with the dispensers.
*[3-8]* What flavors have been discontinued? There have been many flavors over the years. Many of these were never available in the United States: Anise (tastes like black licorice) Chlorophyll Coffee Eucalyptus Flower Flavor Hot Cinnamon IZO (vitamins) Licorice Lime Menthol Wild Cherry
[3-9] What are Kosher PEZ? Some common dispensers have cards marked "Kosher". It signifies that the candy inside the package was prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws. They are always the assorted flavor packs. The Kosher carded PEZ are made by PEZ Candy, Inc. especially for Paskesz Candy Company and are difficult to find.
*[4-1]* Where can I find PEZ dispensers and Candy refills? PEZ Candy products (both dispensers and refills) are sold nationally by K-Mart, Walmart, Walgreens, Target Stores, Eckerd Drug, Family Dollar Stores, and Dollar General Stores. Also try your local supermarket, drugstore, and gift and novelty stores. Popular places to find PEZ in Canada include The Bay, Sears, Eatons, Zellers, Walmart, K-Mart, Toys R Us, major drug stores and supermarkets.[4-2] I saw an Elvis Presley PEZ dispenser in the movie "The Client". Where can I buy one? How about Pee Wee Herman, Spock, Michael Jackson, Hitler, Barbie, and the Sta-Puff marshmallow man? The Elvis dispenser was a model used for the movie, not an actual dispenser. PEZ Candy does not manufacture an Elvis dispenser, nor do they have any plans to do so in the future. The other dispensers mentioned above are all fakes as well. Many people have created their own PEZ by using the heads from small dolls and mounting them on an ordinary dispenser base. These are all commonly referred to as "Fantasy PEZ". Chris Orlando made many famous "Fantasy PEZ" complete with professional-looking packaging. If you'd like a PEZ likeness of your favorite character, see question [4-35].
*[4-3]* Where can I buy a "Bride" and "Groom" dispenser? These dispensers have been discontinued and there are no plans in the near future to reintroduce them. The Bride and Groom dispensers may be rented for special occassions from Jack "PEZ Diego" (email him for info at fpc@mwwd.sannet.gov). See question [4-6] for a list of which dispensers have been discontinued and which are currently available. Also see question [4-10] for sources of discontinued dispensers.
*[4-4]* What new dispensers are coming out next? It is not the policy of PEZ Candy to discuss their current or future marketing plans. However, several rumors of things to come are circulating. There have been so many developments in the past year that the FAQ just can't keep up with them. The best way to find out about things to come is to subscribe to the newsletters (question [8-10]) and/or the Internet mailing list (question [8-7]).
[4-5] How many PEZ dispensers are currently available? The number varies at different times of the year. Holiday collections are only available at certain times, and different dispensers are available in the US and Canada and in Europe. See question [4-6] for a list of dispensers currently being offered.
*[4-6]* Is there a canonical list of PEZ dispensers? Yes, there is - or at least an attempt at it:
The Canonical PEZ Dispenser List --------------------------------
An asterisk '*' indicates dispenser is currently available in the USA. Double asterisks '**' indicate dispensers that are not available in the US, but are available in Canada or in Europe. Of course, holiday collections are only available at certain times. Dispensers without asterisks are out of production but may be available until the current supply is depleted.
There are many variations that are not listed. Dispensers vary in many ways: color, with or without feet, soft heads, slight facial differences, etc. Get one or more of the books listed in section [8-3] for more dispenser variations.
[ If you know of any I've left off, please email me at sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com ] [ If you spot mistakes, have more to add, or want to know more, mail me. ] [ Thanks, ] [ Chris Sharpe (sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com) ]
Bi-Centennial Betsy Ross Captain Daniel Boone Indian Brave Indian Chief Indian Maiden/Squaw Pilgrim Pilot Stewardess Uncle Sam Wounded Soldier
Christmas Angel Rudolph Santa (full-body) Santa (no hat) Santa (with hat, no eyes) *Santa (with hat and eyes) *Snowman
Circus Clown with Collar Big Top Elephant (flat hat) Big Top Elephant (pointed hat) Big Top Elephant (with hair) Horse Lil Lion Long Face Clown Pony-Go-Round
Crazy Fruits Orange Pear Pineapple
D.C. Comics Bat Girl (with rubber head) Batman (blue mask) Batman (black mask) *Batman (revised - dark blue mask, larger head) Batman (blue with attached cape) Batman (black with attached cape) Batman (with rubber head) Joker (with rubber head) Penguin (with rubber head) *Wonder Woman Wonder Woman (with rubber head)
Easter *Bunny (white) *Chick with Hat (in hard shell green or red egg) Chick with Hat (in soft shell egg; various colors) Chick without Hat Duck with Flower Easter Bunny (die-cut) Fat Ear Easter Bunny *Lamb Rooster
Eerie Specters Air Spirit (with rubber head) Diabolic (with rubber head) Scarewolf (with rubber head) Spook (with rubber head) Vamp (with rubber head) Zombie (with rubber head)
The Flintstones *Barney Rubble *Dino *Fred Flintstone *Pebbles
Garfield *Arlene (pink cat) *Garfield (with lazy look, half closed eyes) *Garfield (with visor) *Garfield (with teeth) **Garfield (with aviator hat) **Garfield (with chef's hat) **Garfield (with sleeping cap) **Garfield (with smile, no teeth) *Nermal (gray cat) **Odie
Guns 50's Space Gun Candy Shooter 80's Space Gun
Halloween *Dr. Skull Mr. Ugly One-Piece Witch *Pumpkin *Three-Piece Witch
Kooky Zoo **Alligator Cat with Derby Cockatoo Cow Crocodile Duckie **Elephant Giraffe Gorilla **Hippo **Koala **Lion Mimic the Monkey Monkey Sailor Octopus Panda (red face) Panda (yellow face) Panda (white face) *Panda (white face - revised) Panther Raven Roar the Lion Yappy Dog
Marvel Comics Captain America *Incredible Hulk (light green body) Incredible Hulk (dark green body) *Spiderman Thor
Merry Music Makers Camel Whistle Clown Whistle Dog Whistle Donkey Whistle Duck Whistle Frog Whistle Indian Whistle Koala Whistle Lamb Whistle Monkey Whistle Owl Whistle Panda Whistle Parrot Whistle Penguin Whistle Pig Whistle Rhino Whistle Rooster Whistle Tiger Whistle
MGM Barney Bear **Droopy Dog **Icee Bear **Jerry **Spike **Tom **Tuffy Tyke
Miscellaneous Annie Astronaut Asterix Baseball Glove Baseball Glove (with home plate base and bat) Bozo Brutus *BubbleMan (only avail. direct from PEZ Candy, Inc.) Bullwinkle Casper *Coach Whistle Cocoa Marsh Cowboy Donkey Kong Jr. ("J" on monkey's hat) Football Player Green Hornet Heart (Valentine's Day dispenser; pink) Heart (Valentine's Day dispenser; red) Lion's Club Lion Make-A-Face Muselix Obelix Olive Oyl *Peter PEZ Clown PIF Popeye Psychedelic Eye Psychedelic Flower Spaceman Space Trooper (full-body) Sparefroh Stand By Me (PEZ Boy in bag with movie poster)
Monsters Creature from the Black Lagoon Fishman Frankenstein One-Eye Monster Wolfman
Muppets *Fozzie Bear *Gonzo *Kermit the Frog *Miss Piggy
Olympics Alpine Man (1972 Olympics) Olympic Snowman (1976 Olympics) Vucko Wolf (with hat) (1984 Olympics) Vucko Wolf (with helmet) (1984 Olympics) Vucko Wolf (without hat) (1984 Olympics)
Pez-a-Saurs (see question [4-8] for Canadian names and descriptions) *Fly-Saur *He-Saur *I-Saur *She-Saur
PEZ Pals **Alpine Boy *Boy (primarily marketed at Valentine's Day) Boy (with cap) Bride Doctor Engineer (as in "train engineer") Fireman *Girl (primarily marketed at Valentine's Day) (blond braided hair) Groom Knight Maharajah Mexican Boy Nurse **Pilot Boy Pirate Policeman Ringmaster Sailor Sheik **Shell Boy Sheriff Regulars (these did not have character heads, but looked like cigarette lighters) Advertising Regulars (several) Arithmetic Regular Golden Glow Personalized Regulars PEZ BOX Regulars (various colors) *Regulars (reissue - 6 colors) Silver Glow US Zone Witch Regular
Smurfs Papa Smurf Smurf (white hat) Smurf (red hat) Smurfette
Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang **Charlie Brown (smile with slanted eyes) **Charlie Brown (smiling with tongue) **Charlie Brown (slight frown) *Charlie Brown (slight smile) *Lucy *Snoopy **Woodstock (with feathers) *Woodstock (without feathers)
Star Wars *C3PO *Chewbacca *Darth Vader *Storm Trooper *Yoda
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles *Donatello (happy) *Donatello (angry) *Leonardo (happy) *Leonardo (angry) *Michaelangelo (happy) *Michaelangelo (angry) *Raphael (happy) *Raphael (angry)
Trucks (numbers are found on the side) Truck Series A (cab #1) Truck Series A (cab #4) Truck Series A (cab #16) Truck Series B (cab #8) Truck Series B (cab #9) Truck Series B (cab #13) Truck Series C (cab #1) Truck Series C (cab #2) Truck Series C (cab #3) Truck Series C (cab #4) Truck Series C (cab #5) Truck Series C (cab #16) Truck Series C (cab #R1) Truck Series C (cab #R2) Truck Series C (cab #R3) Truck Series C (cab #R4) *Truck Series D (cab #R1) *Truck Series D (cab #R2) *Truck Series D (cab #R3) *Truck Series D (cab #R4)
Walt Disney Cartoons Baloo Bambi **Bouncer Beagle Captain Hook Chip **Daisy Duck Dalmatian Pup **Dewey (blue cap) Donald Duck *Donald Duck (revised) Dopey Dumbo Goofy *Goofy (revised) **Gyro Gearloose **Huey (red cap) Jiminy Cricket King Louie Li'l Bad Wolf **Louie (green cap) (big eyes) Louie (green cap) (small eyes) Mary Poppins Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse (die-cut) *Mickey Mouse (revised) **Minnie Mouse Mowgli Peter Pan Pinocchio Pluto *Pluto (revised) Practical Pig **Scrooge McDuck Snow White Thumper Tinkerbell **Webby Winnie the Pooh Zorro
Warner Bros. Cartoons (Looney Tunes) Bugs Bunny *Bugs Bunny (revised - inside of ears painted pink) Cool Cat Daffy Duck *Daffy Duck (revised - orange beak with painted tongue) Foghorn Leghorn Henry Hawk Merlin Mouse Petunia Pig **Road Runner Speedy Gonzales *Speedy Gonzales (revised - with bandana) **Sylvester (with whiskers) *Sylvester (without whiskers) *Sylvester (without whiskers and no hair between ears) *Tazmanian Devil *Tweety Bird Wile E. Coyote **Yosemite Sam (short whiskers - Canadian/European version) *Yosemite Sam (long whiskers - US version)
*[4-7]* Where are PEZ Candy dispensers made? The dispensers are manufactured and imported from Austria, Czech Republic, China, and Hungary. For US distribution, the dispensers are packaged with the candy in Orange, Connecticut. The Slovenia packaging plant closed in the fall of 1996.
[4-8] Can anybody explain Titus, Brutus, and the Pez-a-Saurs? Pez-a-Saurs were marketed as dinosaurs in Canada. They are often referred to by different names than their American counterparts.
American Names Description Canadian Names -------------------------------------------------------------- Fly-Saur purple and red face Brutus (son) He-Saur purple with yellow mouth Chaos (baby) I-Saur red and yellow face Titus (dad) She-Saur light blue face Venezia (mom)
[4-9] What are the different trucks? Twenty different trucks have been made. There are four series - A, B, C, and D. The A and B series have three trucks each, the C series has ten trucks, and the D series has four trucks. The A series trucks have four wheels. The B series trucks have 6 wheels, the rear fenders dip between the wheels, and the wheels turn. The C series trucks have six wheels, the rear fenders are straight, and the wheels turn. The D series trucks are currently in production. They have six wheels, the rear fenders are straight, and the wheels do not turn. There are also different truck cab styles. The D series trucks are marked with either R1, R2, R3, or R4 on the cab. They can also be differentiated by the length of the cab roof. In order of shortest cab roof to longest cab roof, they are R1, R2, R3, and R4. For the D series, there are 36 different trucks if you are collecting color combinations. Four cabs, three stem colors (red, green, blue), and four cab colors (red, green, blue, and yellow). They never put the same color cab and stem together on the D series trucks.
*[4-10]* Where can I buy old PEZ dispensers? There are several collectors and antique/collectible dealers who sell PEZ dispensers that are out of production. Some of the older models sell for hundreds - even thousands - of dollars. Call or write for price lists.
David Welch PO Box 714 Murphysboro, IL 62966 Phone: (618) 687-2282 FAX: (618) 684-2243 pezdude1@aol.com
Steve Glew 5611 Lehman Road DeWitt, MI 48820 (517) 669-5931
John Laspina PO Box 435 Middletown, NJ 07748 (908) 671-8575
Linda Kochenburger 265 Beverly Hills Road Fort Lee, NJ 07024 (201) 947-6613 Lindapez@aol.com
Michele Lorenz 5367 E. Hidden Lake Drive East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (517) 332-3534 Fax: (517) 347-1522 http://web2.airmail.net/pezmgl/
Johann Patek Hutteldorferstr 197/42, A-1140 Viena, Austria http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/friedrich_patek/
Small Town Coins & Collectibles 7498 E. Davison Rd. Davison, MI. 48423 (810) 658-1992 http://small-town.cnchost.com/pez/pez.html
Cookie Jars, Etc. 110 West 25th St. New York, NY 10001 (212) 633-1923 http://peterandmark.com
Ron Jones 10778 Cleveland Rd. Garner, NC 27529 (919) 553-1386 rdjones@mindspring.com
Several dispensers are sold on the Internet at Computer Spectrum's Burlingame On-Line PEZ Exhibit. Point your WWW browser to the URL in question [8-6] and look for the PEZ Store.
Many fellow Pezheads also have extras to sell or trade. Browse through the WWW pages mentioned in question [8-6].
If you are looking for a particular dispenser, you can also subscribe to the mailing list on the Internet (see section [8-7]) and ask if anyone has one they are willing to sell or trade.
[4-11] Should I open the packages or leave them in the bag and on the card? This answer is the same as from any collector. Whether you open them or not is completely up to you. If you want to retain the highest resale value, then don't open them (but also keep them locked away in a humidity controlled environment away from UV radiation...). If you collect them just for fun then it's up to you. I like the cards, so I keep them unopened. It's difficult to display them in the bag, so I open them. Only keep them in the bag if you're going to resale them. There are a few exceptions (older dispensers like the Stand By Me special that *must* be in the bag). The cards are favored over the bags, but I'm not sure they're really worth more (except that you get one more pack of candy).
[4-12] How can I compare my PEZ collection to others? Kelley Philipovich (kp202029@wcupa.edu) maintains a "Pezhead Profile List" which includes a bit of information about members of the Pezheads mailing list (see question [8-7]). To get a copy of this list or to have your information added to the list, email her at the address given above. This great service was started by PEZ Boy (st5l4@jetson.ud.edu).
If you have access to the World-Wide Web, see question [8-6].
There is also a PEZ exhibit sponsored by Computer Spectrum. It is viewable on the World-Wide-Web (see question [8-6]), but you can also visit in person. Burlingame is in the San Francisco Bay area, and admission is free.
PEZ Exhibit 214 California Drive Burlingame, California 94010 USA
[4-13] Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is which? The turtles can be distinguished by the color of their bandana. There are two versions of each of the four turtles. One has an angry face and the other has a happy face.
TMNT bandana color ---------------------------------- Donatello purple Leonardo teal Michaelangelo orange Raphael red
*[4-14]* What is the highest price ever paid for a single PEZ dispenser? David Welch sold a one-of-a-kind Advertising Regular from Portugal for $4375 in March of 1997. Many other dispensers have been sold for over $1000.
*[4-15]* What is a Power PEZ Dispenser? The Power PEZ Dispenser is made by Cap Toys. It is a circular dispenser that is 4 inches in diameter and motorized. The candies are loaded singularly and then dispensed by pressing a button which causes the PEZ to rotate toward a gate where they are ejected. There are three different colors available: orange, green, and purple. If you want your local Toys 'R Us to order them, the TRU part number is #380377. A variation was later released which has a belt clip on the back of the dispenser. These were released in 1996.
[4-16] How will I ever collect all these variations? How many PEZ to collect is completely up to the individual. Trying to collect all the variations of every dispenser is quite a task. For example there are 56 US release TMNT!! (4 Turtles x 2 faces each {smile or grimace} x 7 body colors {yellow, orange, black, purple, green, red, and teal blue}). For this reason, many collectors only collect dispensers that vary from the neck up. A different color base is not generally considered a "variation", but a Smurf with a different color hat or a Charlie Brown with a different mouth is a variation. Again, it's up to you how many to collect, but the "from the neck up" rule is generally accepted.
[4-17] How old is a particular dispenser? You can get a vague idea of the age of a dispenser by looking at the patent number: Patent 2.620.061 1st series issued in 1952 Patent 3.410.455 2nd series issued in 1968 Patent 3.845.882 3rd series issued in 1974 Patent 3.942.683 4th series issued in 1976 Patent 4.966.305 5th series issued in 1990 Patent numbers are commonly referred to by only the first two digits, so a 4.9 dispenser is one from the 5th series.
Dispensers changed from "footless" to "footed" in 1987, but the recent re-release of the "Regulars" are without feet. In general, if you have a 3.9 dispenser with feet, it was made after 1987. If a 3.9 dispenser is without feet, it was made before 1987. (Of course some of these were made *during* 1987, but that's difficult to determine.)
[4-18] What does it mean for a dispenser to be "with feet" or "without feet"? Most post-1987 dispensers have "feet" on the bottom of the stem. There is a small plastic lip around the bottom of the stem that has two "feet" in the front. These were added to aid the dispensers in standing up. Dispensers without feet are generally older than the versions with feet. A word of caution: Some recent releases (most notably the reissued Regulars) do not have feet, so do not use this to judge the age of a dispenser. Switching stems on a dispenser is quite easy to do.
[4-19] Is my black Batman worth $75-125 as listed in Geary's book? At the time of Geary's first book, the black Batman was not in production and were thus highly prized. The blue Batman has remained in production. Then in 1995, PEZ began making the black Batman dispenser again. Older black Batman dispensers are still worth more than the 1995 issues. To determine if your black Batman is an older version, check the patent numbers. The older version has a 3.9 patent number (see question [4-17]) and came on yellow, black, or blue stems. The new one has a 4.9 patent number and was issued on a black stem only. Both the blue and black issues have recently been discontinued and replaced by a revised dark blue batman with a larger head.
[4-20] What is the most popular dispenser? Santa and Mickey Mouse are the two biggest sellers of all time.
[4-21] What does the "DBP" mark mean on some dispensers? DBP stands for Deutsche Bundes Patent (German Council Patent, in English), which is the German equivalent of the American Patent number. This mark is found on some of the German/Austrian dispensers and usually comes with the patent number 818.829.
[4-22] My dispenser says "Made in Jugoslavia". Is that a misprint? No. Jugoslavia is just an alternate spelling for Yugoslavia.
[4-23] Which one's Tom and which one's Tuffy? Jerry has a brown face (the mouse from Tom & Jerry). Tuffy has a grey face. Both Jerry and Tuffy come in a painted face version and a multiple-piece version. The painted face version has a solid head with the features painted on, while the multiple-piece face has the facial features as separate pieces.
*[4-24]* I have a defective dispenser (from the factory). Is it worth anything? Maybe. It depends on the defect and who you're trying to sell it to. Many people have found packaging defects (missing face pieces, missing candy, dispensers without the painted faces, even two dispensers in one cellophane bag) but they are not really "worth" more because they are most likely unique and NOT the result of a production run flaw. Dispensers turned around backwards on are not defects. This sometimes happens during shipping. Some people are interested in collecting defects and might pay more, others might not even want it in their collection. Factory defects that are inherent to a run of PEZ are a different matter. So if you like it, keep it.
[4-25] What is the best way to clean my PEZ dispensers? [ WARNING: Try these methods at your own risk. They have been recommended by fellow Pezheads, but be careful with those collection treasures! -CS ] A toothbrush and warm water with a mild dish washing detergent works well. Others have also used toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, and WD-40 on unpainted areas. To get rid of sticky residue, try vegetable oil and a paper towel then use soap and water to get rid of the oil residue. Cotton q-tips are good for scrubbing small areas. If you plan to take the dispenser apart, be sure to practice on a common dispenser until you can disassemble and reassemble a dispenser without breakage. Also be sure to dry the dispenser completely after cleaning to prevent the spring and pin from rusting.
*[4-26]* How should I display my dispensers? Be creative. Some people make nice display racks from hardwood or acrylic, others make bleachers that fit in a cardboard PEZ counter display box. People have also acquired toothbrush and watch displays from drugstores that work nicely. You can use pegboard and hooks for carded dispensers or just use push pins on a wall. Many like the idea of nailing straight pins into the wall and placing opened dispensers on them so the pin goes through the back of the neck. The pin is nearly invisible and the dispenser appears to be floating in air.
Collector's Display Case Co. of Omaha 2706 N. 55th St. Omaha, NE 68104-4208 (402) 556-0516 http://pages.prodigy.com/display
John Thompson's Acrylic Display Racks 4122 Irving Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55412 (612) 588-0406 tthompso@biosci.cbs.umn.edu
Sulu Graphics/DISPLAYZ 18211 Carmel Dr. Castro Valley, CA 94546 displayz1@aol.com
Gene Schenberg's PEZ & Silly Putty et al. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pez_stuff
*[4-27]* How many different Coach Whistles are there? There are currently eight varieties of the Coach Whistle:
Stem Color Whistle Colors (loop half/non-loop half) -------------------------------------------------------- Blue Red Loop/White Blue White Loop/Red Green Yellow Loop/Red Green Red Loop/Yellow Lavender Yellow Loop/Orange Lavender Orange Loop/Yellow Red Yellow Loop/Green Red Green Loop/Yellow
When discussing the various color combinations of the whistles, "loop color" refers to the color of the loop at the top of the whistle. The other color is for the non-loop half. This is much easier than trying to use "red/white" and describe which is the "right" and "left" color.
For other color combination questions, refer to question [4-38].
*[4-28]* Where can I buy feet to help my older dispensers stand up better? 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. Various colors are available.
Plastic Things (the feet are called "GEEZ feet") 409 Pacific Coast Hwy. #403 Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 543-3097
Some of the PEZ dealers mentioned in [4-10] also sell feet.
[4-29] How can I get a BubbleMan dispenser? The BubbleMan dispenser is only available via direct mail-order from PEZ Candy, Inc. See section [2-1] for more information on ordering from PEZ Candy.
*[4-30]* What is the tallest dispenser? widest? Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Uncle Sam, Knight (with plume) and the latest Goofy are probably the tallest ones at about 4 7/8 to 5 inches. They're very close and individual dispensers vary slightly. Thor is the widest at about 2 3/8 inches. [ Some have surmised that Make-A-Face may be the tallest dispenser, but I'll make a _special_ display rack when I get mine. ;-) -CS ]
[4-31] What does "Club Med Face" mean? This term is used often when describing variations of a particular dispenser. It means that the face is darker or "tanner" than the original. This is quite noticable when looking at them side by side.
[4-32] What does it mean to say "with plastic/metal spring"? The spring that is being referred to is the spring in the head not the one in the stem. This spring returns the head to the upright position after it has been tilted to remove a PEZ candy. Older dispensers used metal springs, but the newer ones have plastic head springs.
[4-33] What does it mean to say "with plastic/metal hinge pin"? This refers to the pin that attaches the head to the stem. Older dispensers used a metal hinge pin, but newer ones use platic hinge pins or two plastic nubs to keep the head attached.
[4-34] What does it mean to say "without pin"? This refers to the pin that attaches the head to the stem. Sometimes "with pin" is used to indicate that the hinge pin is visible from the outside. Similarly, "without pin" indicates that the hinge pin is not visible from the outside (but it's still there).
[4-35] I'd like a PEZ dispenser of xxxxx. Where can I get one made? Kelley Philipovich makes "Custom Creations". These are not PEZ dispensers (they don't dispense candy), but it's a great way to have your favorite character to display with PEZ. You pick the character and the base color and she sculpts the head out of clay using a different color for each feature (no painting or glazing). The clay is then fired and a base is attached. Cartoon characters usually work better than people and prices typically range from $20-$40. For more information email her at kelleyp@juno.com.
[4-36] I've noticed some of my dispensers have this tab protruding from the back of the neck. What is it? These tabs are often called "thumb tabs" on the Pezheads mailing list because they were first thought to be a place for the thumb to assist in opening tall or oddly shaped heads. Actually, the factory added this tab to newer molds so the dispenser will lie down on its "back" without rolling over on its side when travelling on conveyor belts. The feet at the bottom and this new tab on the head keep the dispenser from rolling over on its side.
*[4-37]* What does it mean to say a dispenser is "die-cut"? Die-cut dispensers have a design cut in the side(s) of the stem instead of the usual raised PEZ logo. The cut-out section reveals the inner sleeve which is typically a different color than the stem. Dispensers are also referred to as having a die-cut face if the die-cutting process was used to create the holes in the dispenser head (ex. for the eyes or the mouth of a Snow White or Mickey Mouse).
*[4-38]* What are all the color combinations of xxxxx? There is an excellent "Pez Color Combination MiniFAQ" available. This is authored by Tom Walsh (avs@netport.com) and is available at http://avimall.com/candy/colorcombo.faq
*[4-39]* What does the digit on the side of the dispenser mean? What are IMC's? These are IMC's (injection mold codes). The numbers correspond to a particular country. Multiple contries per code are listed in chronological order.
1 Austria/Hungary 2 Austria/Hong Kong 3 Austria/Hungary 4 Austria 5 Yugoslavia/Slovenia 6 Hong Kong/China 7 Hong Kong/Austria 8 Austria 9 Vermont, Connecticut USA V Yugoslavia
NOTE: There have been so many PEZ references in the media that I've had a difficult time keeping this section up to date. This section used to be several pages in length. I've now made it a separate document. I'm looking for volunteers to maintain and update this document. Email me if you're interested. -CS
[6-1] Are there any other PEZ items that I can buy?
Yes indeed. Some of these are still available:
FAO Schwartz limited edition "PEZ To Go" Briefcase ($29.99)
includes PEZ watch, clip-on, necklace, key ring, and bracelet
PEZ Balloons
PEZ Bracelet ($2.99)
PEZ Change Dish (depicts Peter PEZ holding a Speedy Gonzales)
PEZ Candy Shooter Target
PEZ Clickers
PEZ Clip-on ($2.99)
PEZ Clock (by Heartland Apparel, available at Simen Sez)
PEZ Coin Holder
PEZ Costumes (fit over the dispenser)
PEZ Delivery Truck (steel Die-Cast scale model; a bank)
PEZ Glasses
PEZ Greeting Cards (Ambassador brand, Nostalgia Line, #175L0S950L)
PEZ Hat
PEZ Holiday Dish
PEZ Key Chain ($2.99)
PEZ Masks
PEZ Mousepad (shows part of PEZ patent 2.620.061)
PEZ Mugs (only available at the PEZ kiosk in the Mall of America?)
PEZ Necklace ($2.99)
PEZ Pentagon Stand (displays 6 dispensers)
PEZ Pirate T-shirt
PEZ Puzzle (by Hallmark)
PEZ Santa Ornament (from Hallmark, 1995)
PEZ Secret Code Flasher
PEZ Shopping Bag (picture of PEZ Stewardess on sides)
PEZ Snowman Ornament (from Hallmark, 1996)
PEZ Space Poster
PEZ Stickers
PEZ Sweatshirt
PEZ T-shirts (many varieties)
PEZ Tattoos
PEZ Visor
PEZ Watch ($4.99)
PEZ Yo-Yo
[6-2] Where can I find the PEZ collectibles mentioned in question [6-1]?
For T-shirts and sweatshirts:
Amy Forsyth
aforsyth@voicenet.com
Viewers Edge Magazine
T-shirt: Item #86239 $14.95 plus S&H
Phone: 1-800-947-3928
Heartland Apparel
520 Washington Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: 1-800-333-4669 ask for Trish Jette
Newbury Comics
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.newbury.com/browtsh.htm
(look under "P" for PEZ)
Spencers and JC Pennys stores.
For watch, key chain, and jewelry:
Malibu Fun Stuffed
21700 Oxnard Street, Suite 1610
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Phone: (818) 593-6777
For model delivery truck (Model# FIR 29-1714) (It's $40.75 plus $4.75 shipping
and handling and was released in early 1996. This is bank #2. It is a yellow
and blue truck about 8 inches long and 5-6 inches tall with the candy wrapper
design on the side and the PEZ logo on the back. Limited edition of about 1260
were made.):
Asheville DieCast
1412 Brevard Road
Asheville, NC 28806-9560
WWW: http://www.asheville-diecast.com/
Email: asheville-diecast@worldnet.att.net
Phone: (800) 343-4685; (704) 667-9690
Fax: (704) 667-1110
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5:30; Sat 9-5
PEZ Truck Bank #1's may still be available (priced ~$100) from:
Linda Kockenburger
Phone: (217) 947-6613
For puzzle and ornaments:
Hallmark, Osco Drug, Walgreens, and J.C. Penny.
For greeting cards:
Hallmark, Osco Drug, Walgreens, J.C. Penny, Walmart, K-Mart, Shopko,
Caldor, Venture, Bradlees, A & P, Kroger, Ralph's, Vons, Publix,
Randalls, Grand, Safeway, Smiths, and others.
For PEZ Briefcase:
FAO Schwartz
(You can possibly find these at some FAO Schwartz stores, but you
may also try ordering one via phone from the Stanford, Connecticut
store below.)
Stanford, Connecticut
Phone: (203) 324-1643
The PEZ bracelet, watch, and clip-on have also been spotted at Toys-R-Us, but
are certainly in short supply and may be discontinued.
For PEZ watches:
The Gift Box
19379 Willamette Drive
West Linn, OR 97068
(503) 635-4991
For PEZ Mousepad:
Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia
214 California Drive
Burlingame, CA 94010
(415) 347-2301
http://www.spectrumnet.com/pez/
*[6-3]* I've heard of a Teddy Bear that dispenses PEZ. Does it exist?
This product is pictured on the back of some blister packs. The picture shows
a stuffed teddy bear from Dream Castle that actually dispenses PEZ.
Here's the story: Dream Castle changed their name and were then
acquired by another company. During the transition, production of the PEZ
jewelry was stopped, but may resume. The teddy bear was never formally
produced due to a technical problem. There is still a chance the bears will
be produced, but they don't exist today. Once the merger is complete, we'll
just have to wait and see how things are sorted out. They may make the
jewelry and the bear, either one, or neither.
Malibu Fun Stuffed, a division of Janex Corporation, is in the process of
making 3 "Candy Pals" for Christman 1996. The PEZ bear has been scrapped, but
the Candy Pals will be stuffed 12" versions of a snowman, santa and panda.
The toys will be holding a dispenser identical to itself.
UPDATE: These "Candy Pals" didn't make it out for Christmas and the latest
is that the idea has been scrapped entirely.
*[6-4]* What are the PEZ Body Parts?
Right from the package, "Body Parts are amusing attachable parts, with which
you can dress up your PEZ dispensers." These plastic pieces snap around the
base of the dispenser. The arms move up and down and the hands are made to
hold certain items. PEZ Body Parts are currently available in Canada and
Europe. It is not known if they well be sold in the United States. There are
several different sets of Body Parts: the "old" set, the "new" set, plus
Easter and Christmas sets. There are also plans for Back to School, Airport,
and Gas Station Body Part Playsets for European release. In addition,
there are "two-pack" or "side-by-side" body parts. These have a dispenser
and a separate body part on one (larger) card.
The "old" set was released in 1995 and consists of eight different costumes
(All packs include 2 packs of candy):
Tarzan - light flesh-colored with painted hairy chest; orange
and black spotted loin cloth; knife; human feet
Robin Hood - bow and arrow; light green shoes; light green tunic
with dark green stitching
Woman - red dress; blue purse; blue shoes; red necklace
Maid - purple outfit with painted white lace; blue pitcher;
purple shoes
Nurse - white outfit; white shoes; blue first aid bag; Red Cross
badge painted on outfit
Hockey Player - red outfit with white and blue trim; red shoes;
brown hockey stick
Knight - silver armor; large sword
Grim Reaper - skeleton with sickle
The "new" set was released in 1996 in Europe only and consists of six costumes
(All packs on European-style cards with 2 packs of candy):
Robot/Spaceman - silver body; box wrench hands; 3-color space gun
Convict - gray body with black stripes; ball and chain
Caveman - flesh-colored body; painted on loin cloth; club
Roman Gladiator - green body with plate armor; shield and spear
Cavalry Officer - blue body with uniform markings; boots; bugle
Cowgirl - red body with western markings; rope
The Christmas set includes the current Santa dispenser, Santa body, boots,
six packs of candy, and a fold-out Christmas display.
The Easter set includes the revised Bugs Bunny on a red base, white feet, a
gray body with a white painter's smock with blue and yellow splotches, white
arms, a painter's palette, brush, six packs of candy, and a fold-out Easter
scene.
*[6-5]* Aren't there some other PEZ trucks? A bank?
There are two PEZ trucks that are NOT dispensers. The first one was produced
by Scale Models, a division of ERTL. The truck is white and has decals on the
side depicting a "fountain" of PEZ. This truck also functions as a bank. The
second one is made by First Gear. It is yellow with lithographed PEZ wrappers
on the sides. This was a limited edition run of 1260. The second truck does
have what appears to be a coin slot in the bottom, but its arguable whether
or not it is a bank.
[6-6] What are "Sea World PEZ" or "Shamu PEZ" items?
Sea World PEZ were specially packaged for distribution at Sea World. The card
is printed with the Sea World logo and a photo of the item. They are made by
Malibu Fun Stuffed. Many of them have Shamu's picture on them. There is a
watch, keychain, bracelet, and clip-on. Not all Sea Worlds carry these items.
*[6-7]* What are the different inserts available?
There have been several inserts available over the years. The ones listed
below are the "Here's something for you to do" type that were white on one
side and yellow on the other. [ This list may not be complete yet. -CS ]
3 different mazes
2 different space creatures
1 princess
1 drummer boy
1 girl pulling a cart
*[7-1]* How do I make a PEZ gun? Matt Shook initially described this PEZ gun. The description has been greatly enhanced with the help of several Pezheads.The materials you need to make a PEZ gun are: A PEZ dispenser A spring from a ball-point pen Double sided tape A pair of needle-nosed pliers (or wire cutters) A package of PEZ (ammo)
Choose a dispenser that doesn't have a low neck (eg. a collar, Gonzo's bowtie, etc.) that might interfere with the projectile. Optionally, the double-sided tape can be wrapped around the small plastic piece that normally pushes the PEZ out of the dispenser. The tape serves to keep the spring around this plastic "pusher" piece, but may not be necessary depending on how well the spring fits.
The trick is to cut the spring to the correct length. The idea is that the spring is long enough to fit over the pusher piece and extend past the bottom of it so that when the head is tilted back it catches on the plastic of the inner sleave. As the head is tilted back more, the spring bunches up and finally slips off the plastic of the inner sleave, striking the end of the PEZ. Instead of the PEZ being pushed out by the plastic pusher, it is ejected by the spring on the pusher. The spring mush be short enough so the mechanism will reset itself when the head is returned to the normal position.
*[7-2]* Personalized Heart Dispensers You can modify the Valentine's Day Heart dispensers to make them personalized. First you need to remove the "Happy Valentine's Day" message. The two best ways to do this are to scrape them off with a razor blade or Exacto knife or sand them off with very fine steel wool (or a synthetic substitute). Be careful to minimize discoloration on the dispenser. This does take time if you're doing many dispensers. Others have had good results using a cleaner called "Barkeeper's Friend." Then create your own message on a clear adhesive label and apply it to the dispenser. Of course, if you choose to print your message on a white or colored label then there's no need to remove the existing message. These make great wedding gifts or favors!
*[7-3]* PEZ Wallpaper for your computer You can find contributed PEZ Wallpaper for Windows and Macs at http://members.aol.com/PeffErminZ/index.html
*[7-4]* Shipping Overseas With widespread use of the Internet to communicate with fellow Pezheads around the world, you may begin trading with those overseas. There are several ways to ship PEZ overseas. Go to your local post office and request publication 51, "International Postal Rates and Fees." This publication should answer many of your questions. Of course, shipping rates vary with the destination and the desired speed of delivery. Also compare rates from other shipping services such as UPS and Federal Express.
*[7-5]* How can I remove PEZ from the card without damaging the card? Use a razor blade or Exacto knife to remove the plastic bubble from the card. Cut away as much as possible without damaging the card. Remove the candy and dispenser. Place the card with the remaining glued plastic in the microwave. Turn the microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes (you'll have to experiment with your microwave to determine what time works best). Make sure the plastic is very loose before you attempt to remove it. It won't fall off by itself, but shouldn't require pulling. Be sure to remove the plastic before the glue cools and begins to set.
*[7-6]* PEZ Collectors Database Griff Akins has created a Microsoft Access based database you can use to keep track of your collection. It's freeware and is available at http://www.mtsu.edu/~cosc0032/pezdb/
*[7-7]* PEZ Icons Mike Smochko has made several PEZ Icons for Microsoft Windows available at http://pezpage.home.ml.org
[8-1] Can I write to the company? What will they send me? Yes, you can write to the company at:PEZ Candy, Inc. 35 Prindle Hill Road Orange, CT 06477 Phone: (203) 795-0531
They do not personally respond to your questions. However, within a couple of weeks you should receive a packet including their FAQ (which is incorporated into this document), a PEZ dispenser list (which erroneously lists a Robin Super Friends dispenser with rubber head that was never made), a color brochure which shows displays of PEZ dispensers and candy, and a mail order form.
*[8-2]* How can I contact other collectors? Are there any PEZ conventions? There are several PEZ conventions held annually. The contacts are listed below:
West Coast PEZ Convention Usually in March Sunnyvale, California
National PEZ Convention Usually in June St. Louis, Missouri For registration form and more info contact: John Devlin 5541 Oakville Center Suite 119 St. Louis, MO 63129-3554 (314) 487-0544
PEZ-A-MANIA Collector's Convention Usually in July Cleveland, Ohio For information send a LARGE SASE to: Jill Cohen PO Box 18139 Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 pezamania@msn.com
Minnesota PEZ Convention Usually in October Minneapolis, Minnesota For information send mail to: Karen Cooper kecooper@maroon.tc.umn.edu
Andrew Thomas 2042 Dayton Ave. St. Paul, MN 55104 andrew.pez@juno.com
East Coast PEZFEST Usually in August Raleigh, North Carolina For information send mail to: Ron Jones rdjones@mindspring.com
Try the Internet. There are lots of PEZ collectors out there. Refer to questions [8-6] and [8-7] for mailing lists, newsgroups and WWW sites.
*[8-3]* Are there any books on PEZ? There are several: "More PEZ for Collectors" by Richard Geary ($14.95, Schiffer Publishing Limited, 1995, ISBN 0-88740-849-4) "A Pictorial Guide to Plastic Candy Dispensers, Featuring PEZ" by David Welch ($19.95, Bubba Scrubba Publications, 1991) "Collecting PEZ" by David Welch ($39.95, Bubba Scrubba Publications, 1995) "PEZ Collectibles" by Richard Geary ($19.95, Schiffer, 1994; also a 1997 updated edition) "The Collector's Price Guide to Plastic Candy Dispensers" by Mike Edelman and John Laspina ($10, self-published) "PEZ Handbook" by Steve Glew (see [4-10] for ordering info)
Also see question [8-9] for a list of newspaper and magazine articles about PEZ.
*[8-4]* Where can I find these books? If you can't find them in bookstores... The books by David Welch are available direct from him:
David Welch PO Box 714 Murphysboro, IL 62966 Phone: (618) 687-2282 FAX: (618) 684-2243
And the Geary books can be obtained from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 77 Lower Valley Road Atglen, PA 19310 They'll send you a catalog if you include $2.95 for postage.
The Edelman/Laspina price guide is available for $12 (incl. ship) from
Mike Edelman P.O. Box 5494 Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-5494 (708) 431-6955
Also look for other Web sources. Amazon Books at www.amazon.com has been recommended by many.
*[8-5]* What's in these books anyway? "More PEZ for Collectors" by Richard Geary ($14.95, Schiffer, 1995) This book is much like Geary's earlier book "PEZ Collectibles". There are lots of pictures and very little text other than short captions for the pictures. This book focuses more on the packaging of PEZ than on the dispensers themselves. It also includes pictures of PEZ paraphenelia created for the PEZ Conventions.
"A Pictorial Guide to Plastic Candy Dispensers, Featuring PEZ" by David Welch ($19.95, Bubba Scrubba Publications, 1991) This is a 50 page pictorial which covers PEZ dispensers up to 1991. All photos are full color. A rarity guide is also included. The book can be ordered from David Welch for $22.95 (including shipping).
"Collecting PEZ" by David Welch ($39.95, Bubba Scrubba Publications, 1995) This book is 350 pages, with about 275 photos. There are no duplicate photos from his previous book. The book also includes, history, about 30 interviews, a price guide, common collector questions and answers, and a checklist. The book can be ordered from David Welch for $43.95 (including shipping). This book just came out in March of 1995.
"PEZ Collectibles" by Richard Geary ($19.95, Schiffer, 1994; revised 1997) The book is 112 pages and contains full color photos of dispensers, displays, and other PEZ collectibles. The introduction contains a short history of PEZ, but this book is mostly a pictorial guide. The captions give the name of the dispenser and it's estimated value. The revised 1997 edition contains updated prices and a few additional pictures.
"The Collector's Price Guide to Plastic PEZ Dispensers" by Mike Edelman and John Laspina ($10, self-published) Good identification guide, but no pictures. It includes a price estimate for each dispenser listed. This one may not be as complete as Welch's book, but it is the most current and accurate price guide available.
"PEZ Handbook" by Steve Glew This is a guide put out by a dealer (Steve Glew) that has industry information for PEZ and Flix. It also contains his price list.
*[8-6]* Are there any WWW sites for PEZ? In January of 1995, I think there was one mention of PEZ on the Internet: Alan Braverman's "How to load a PEZ Dispenser". Today there are dozens! Many provide listings or pictures of their own collections, many exhibit PEZ dispensers and collectibles for sale, and others provide useful information of their own. Make sure you check out Paul Telford's "The Original PEZ Page" (URL given below).
Paul Telford's Original PEZ Page http://pobox.com/~pez/ PEZ.ORG http://www.pez.org/ Flip Me Some PEZ http://www.pezheads.org/
Anonymous PEZ Collection http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5461/listapez.html The Art of the PEZ Car http://rampages.onramp.net/~speacock/pezcar.html Bob the Blob's PEZ Page and Collection http://pages.prodigy.com/pezpage/blobob.htm Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia http://www.spectrumnet.com/pez/ Chris Gorski's PEZ Page http://www.gti.net/iksrog/chris/pez.htm Collector's Display Case Co. of Omaha http://pages.prodigy.com/display Cookie Jars, Etc. http://PeterandMark.com Criff & Sherri's PEZ Collection http://rampages.onramp.net/~criff/criffpez.html Dale Pike's World O' PEZ http://pages.prodigy.com/AR/pezman/collect.html David Mocko's PEZ Page http://taurus.cira.colostate.edu/mocko/pez.html Davie-Online PEZ Page http://hurl.eng.wayne.edu/~david/pez.html Diane Leigh Davison's Indispensible PEZ http://mail.bcpl.lib.md.us/~ddavison/mypezlst.html Dino - Honolulu's PEZ Dispenser http://eddie.hiof.no/dino/index.html Drew's Rumpus Room http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rumpusroom/HOMEPAGE.HTM Fast Food Fi[e]nds: PEZ http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/fastfind/pez.html Frank's PEZ Page http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/spatzi/frankspe.htm Gene Schenberg's PEZ & Silly Putty et al. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pez_stuff Goad's PEZ Page http://www.xnet.com/~goad/pez Hector's PEZ Page http://users.vnet.net/hec/ How To Fill A PEZ Dispenser http://turtle.ncsa.uiuc.edu/pez.html Joe Da-PEZ-Hunter's PEZ Page http://members.aol.com/JoePEZ1/index.html Johann Patek's PEZ Page http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/friedrich_patek/ Jordo's Page O'PEZ http://www.tjhsst.edu/~jfeil/ Karen's PEZ Art http://members.aol.com/PeffErminZ/index.html Kurt Boutin's PEZ Page http://www.tiac.net/users/kurtb/ Landers Toys http://www.voicenet.com/~landers/ Larry's World of PEZ http://members.aol.com/ljashton/pez/homepg.html Less Than Jake PEZ Page http://www.afn.org/~ltj/ Michael S. Jackson's PEZ Land http://members.aol.com/landofpez/ Michele Lorenz's PEZ Store http://web2.airmail.net/pezmgl/ MoonRat's House of PEZ http://student-www.uchicago.edu/users/uri2/pez.html Newbury Comics Interactive: PEZ T-shirts http://www.newbury.com/browtsh.htm PEZ Breakout Page http://pezpage.home.ml.org PEZ by Chris http://members.tripod.com/~Dieterly/ PEZ Collector's News http://pages.prodigy.net/pezzing/pez.htm PEZ COOP http://www.binary.net/pezcoop PEZ Haiku http://cs.oberlin.edu/students/djacobs/kyo/kyo3/haiku.html PEZ Web-Ring http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9196/pezring.html PEZamania from Japan http://village.infoweb.or.jp/~fwgj7087/index.htm Pezdude's PEZ Page http://pezdude.home.ml.org PEZimaniac's Strand of the Web http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/9196/ PEZJester's World http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/3600 Pip's PEZ Page http://bones.wcupa.edu/~kphilipo/pez.html Planet PEZ II http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/2831/ Prozac-PEZ Museum http://www.sfo.com/~costanos/ProzacPez/prozac.htm Seinfeld Episode "The PEZ Dispenser" http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~dave/guides/Seinfeld/3.14.html Simen Sez http://www.simensez.com/ S.J. Glew PEZ Dispensers http://www.ewtech.com/pez-sj-glew/ This + That: PEZ http://www.vivanet.com/~stevemd/pez.html Treasures of the PezQueen http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/1868 *[8-7]* Is there a newsgroup or mailing list for PEZ? Yes, both a newsgroup and a mailing list exist for Pezheads. The mailing list is very active, and the newsgroup is slowly propagating across the Internet.
The newsgroup is alt.food.pez and was started by Paul Telford. If your ISP (Internet Service Provider) does not carry this newsgroup, send them mail asking that it be added. It may not have propagated to your site yet. Groups in the alt.* heirarchy take some time to become widespread. Others have also reported an alt.collecting.pez newsgroup.
The Pezhead Email List is now a private list. If you are interested in joining the list send email to cliff.lee@cbs-engineering.com and include a name and telephone number for verification. Cliff Lee will verify your information and you'll be added to the mailing list. A digested form of this mailing list is also available.
For history buffs, three other mailing lists used to exist. The first one was created by Alisa McClain and Jason Specland on August 8, 1995 and owned and maintained by Chris Sharpe. It was pezheads@sirs.com but is now dead (actually it moved to cybercom.net). The second one was created and maintained by Cliff Lee at Pez-List@clcbbs.houston.tx.us. This list is also dormant. The third list was pezheads@cybercom.net and was created by Eric Conrad on November 19, 1995. That list was replaced by the current list (pezheads@cbs-engineering.com) on May 29, 1996.
*[8-8]* How can I get the latest copy of this FAQ?
Automated Listserver: Send mail to maiser@cbs-engineering.com with the following message body:
send pez.faq exit
If you need to receive the FAQ in small parts (ex. AOL or Juno users), use the following message body:
send pez-1.faq send pez-2.faq send pez-3.faq exit
HTML: http://pobox.com/~pez/ (The Original PEZ Page) http://www.faqs.org/faqs (FAQ Archive)
FTP: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/faqs/food/pez-faq
Newsgroups: Monthly posting to news.answers, alt.answers, rec.answers, rec.collecting, rec.toys.misc, and alt.food.pez Email: sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com (use as last resort)
[8-9] Has there been any newspaper or magazine articles about PEZ? Sure there has. Look up the following (also see question [5-1]): "PEZ de Resistance", People, 1991. "PEZ lives on", Lisa J. Adams (AP), "LA Daily News", October 20, 1993, Business Section, p. 1. "Remember" Magazine, June/July, 1995, Vol. 2, No. 3, P.M. Publications, 6 Prowitt Street, Norwalk, CT 06855-1220. "Eat Me - Notes Towards a Pezology", Denmark, on the Internet at http://www.homeless.com/homepages/dgrabill@igc.apc.org.html Something announcing the reissue of the Regulars, Brandweek, September 25, 1995, p. 10. "What's the Buzz about PEZ", Richard Geary, Baby Boomer Collectibles, Vol. 3, No. 2, November 1995. "PEZ, Candy Dispenser Turned Collectible", Sue Sternfield, Baby Boomer Collectibles, Vol. 1, No. 4, January 1994. "PEZ Connection", S.J. Glew, Collectible Toys & Values, Volume 1 #39, October 1995, p. 80. This column was an irregular feature. "Collecting PEZ", Sharon Korbeck, Toy Collector and Price Guide, Vol. 7, No. 1, February 1996. "Fun with the Hot Collectibles Now", Terry and Ralph Kovel, Bottom Line Personal, September 15, 1995. p. 7-9. "Candy dispensers tops at PEZ Museum", Diana Marszalek, Antelope Valley Press, February 15, 1996, Section C, p. 1. "Unlikely Treasures, Edward C. Baig, US News and World Report, November 2, 1992, p. 85. "neat stuff!", The Learning Channel, when, 1995. "PEZ hope: Make mint off adults", Joseph Menn of Bloomberg Business News, Columbus Dispatch, April 22, 1996. "Big Bidness", Allison Moir, Forbes, May 10, 1993, p. S174. "The PEZ Predicament", http://www.suck.com E-zine, May 21, 1996. "The Candy That Rots Your Soul", Wired, August 1996, p. 174. "?", Entertainment Weekly, July 26, 1996, #337, p. 10. "A whole new spin on PEZ", USA Today, August 15, 1996, Life Section, p. 1. "?", Chicago Tribune, September 5, 1996. "?", Dallas Morning News, September 9, 1996, Today Section, p. 1. [ What are the others? -CS ]
[8-10] Where can I find these newsletters I've heard about? There is a newsletter called "PEZ Collectors News" which began in September 1995. For a one year subscription, send a check or money-order for $19 US ($20 for Canadian subscription and $26 for air-mail to Europe) to:
Richard Belyski P.O. Box 124 Sea Cliff, NY 11579-0124 Fax: (516) 676-1183 peznews@juno.com
There is also a PEZ club, "The Fliptop PEZervation Society." Members get an official certificate of membership, an official membership card, and 6 issues (1 year subscription) of the Official Club Newsletter. The first issue was in September 1995. Membership is $18 US ($20 for Canada and $25 for Europe) per year. For more information, or to join contact:
Dennis Martin 2328 Farley Place Birmingham, AL 35226 (205) 822-8745 fliptoppez@aol.com
There used to be a newsletter "The Optimistic Pezzimist" published by Mike Robertson of Dripping Springs, Texas. There was also another newsletter published by Larry Lafoe.
Many antique price guides and collectible toy price guide include listings of discontinued PEZ dispensers and their current market values.
Thanks to Laura Thompson in Public Relations at PEZ Candy, Inc. for the information packet.Special thanks to David Welch for his input.
Thanks also to the following Pezheads for their valued input: Paul Telford (pdtelford@ucdavis.edu) Marissa Bernstein (jtfc@ix.netcom.com) Jim Wartski (jwartski@orl1.orlando.loral.com) Amy Forsyth (aforsyth@voicenet.com) Sylvia Marienthal (slmarien@uci.edu) Chris Bray (csb1@engr.uark.edu) Philip Michaels (philip1@bu.edu) Randall Bultman (fdev16a@prodigy.com) Donald Reed (donald.e.reed@dartmouth.edu) MagicPEZ (MagicPEZ@aol.com) Matt Shook Hector (hec@vnet.net) Michael Janssen Melissa Sharpe (m_sharpe@juno.com) Tom Walsh (avs@netport.com) Jackie Button (jbutton@medstat.med.miami.edu) Greg (josefhsc@magic.ca) David Rowell (st5l4@jetson.uh.edu) Mary Thronson (mthronso@sunfish.usd.edu) Brian Gochal (pez@willinet.net) Kurt Byfield (Boris@msn.fullfeed.com) David Mackey (dmackey@haven.ios.com) Michael S. Jackson (m239825@ws2768.mdc.com) Dale Pike (ldbz90a@prodigy.com) pixxydust@aol.com M.S.C. McAlpin (mcalpin@wln.com) Scott Gordon (jjevans@husc3.harvard.edu) Scott Luther (scott_luther@visioneer.com) Adam Brown (AdamSmashr@aol.com) Brad Kollus (bkollus@infinet.com) Gene Schenberg (OSIInc@aol.com) Eric Conrad (econrad@cybercom.net) Mary Jo Slusher (slusher@iglou.com) Gary Doss (spectrum@spectrumnet.com) Kim (ir001055@pop3.interramp.com) Tim Priebe (tapriebe@msmacab.remnet.ab.com) TAD (davis@mail.sicd.etn.com) Jamie Kowinsky (Jamie.Kowinsky@f13.n2610.z1.fidonet.org) Sue Toupal (toupal@ohsu.edu) Diane Leigh Davison (ddavison@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us) Becky Hilburn (hnuq86b@prodigy.com) Chris Lanni (vjla13a@prodigy.com) Cheri Goldner (cherigo@bgnet.bgsu.edu) Jim Presnal (dotcom@westworld.com) Karen Cooper (kecooper@maroon.tc.umn.edu) John Thompson (tthompso@biosci.cbs.umn.edu) Matt Hall (JBufft1@aol.com) Charles Ulrich (ulrich@sfu.ca) Byron Boyd (buzzy@smartt.com) Rick Roberts (rroberts@feist.com) Elyse Schwimer Davis (esdavis@ix.netcom.com) DiAnne Adams (dianne.adams@m.k12.ut.us) Charles Primack (primo1@gnn.com) Ben Mohr (LaxRat16@aol.com) David Hendrickson (ehkq74a@prodigy.com) Jill Cohen (JMUE20A@prodigy.com) Mary Ward (mw0059@epfl2.epflbalto.org) Ryan Blum (lowfrqcy@west.net) Kurt Boutin (kurtb@tiac.net) Karen Bennett (kbennett@bright.net) Dan Cordova (dlcordov@uci.edu) Kelley Philipovich (kp202029@wcupa.edu) Cliff Lee (cliff.lee@cbs-engineering.com) Nate Godin (pamelnat@ime.net) Sam Valdez (pezzmistro@usa.pipeline.com) rbuckingham@wesley.it.emerson.edu Louis Apoldo (lou@voicenet.com) Gary Sharp (gsharp@mail.coos.or.us) Ryan Manchee (dmanchee@gte.net) Erich Schreiber (schreibe@dg-rtp.dg.com) Lisa (na4us@epix.net) Larry Ashton (LJAshton@aol.com) Andrew Thomas (andrew.pez@juno.com) Leslie Astell (jastell@ix.netcom.com) Geri Sullivan (gfs@toad-hall.com) David (david@magic.netdtw.com) Jack "Pez Diego" (fpc@mwwd.sannet.gov) Shar (pezzie@aol.com) Jason Oesterly (joesterl@services.state.mo.us) Peter Linski Richard Belyski (peznews@juno.com) Dennis Martin (fliptoppez@aol.com) Anne Base (anneb@bright.net)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This document is Copyright (c) 1997 by Chris Sharpe. It may be freely distributed as long as no fee is charged and provided the author's name and all notices and disclaimers remain intact. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chris Sharpe Author of "The Unofficial PEZ FAQ" | | sharpe@dg-rtp.dg.com "PEZ - A treat to eat in a toy that's neat" | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+