Last weekend, my boyfriend and I went to his parents’ lovely home in Maryland to have dinner. While watching TV and chatting, I realized it would be a perfect time to document his mother’s Pez collection now that we have this candy blog up and running. She has more than 200 Pez dispensers!
Her collection began when my boyfriend was a kid and used to receive Pez as gifts in goodie bags from birthday parties. On a trip to Disney World they met an artist who had such a large Pez collection that it inspired her to continue collecting from the few she already owned. And many, many years later, her collection is still going strong!
As you can see in these photos, she has everything from classic Disney and Looney Tunes characters to college football and major league baseball teams to Sunday cartoon stars and even Giant Pez dispensers. They’re all perfectly shelved and begging to have children admire their intricate details and bright, vivid colors.
If any of you are thinking about starting a Pez dispenser collection, I recommend checking out this site that is anything and everything Pez. You could also read Collectors Guide to Pez, which will tell you the value of each dispenser.
So what started as a small representation of moments in her son’s life turned out to be an ever-expanding collection, as her friends and family continue to give her new dispensers on occasion. Who knew a plastic toy created more than 50 years ago would remain such a phenomenon?
What do you have in your candy collection?
9:27 am on November 10th, 2008
WOW! I would love to start a collection like this… my kids would get a kick out of it!
10:57 am on November 16th, 2008
I actually just photographed all my PEZ collections (individual head shots) and am in the process of cataloging them on Flickr. And I finally got my display cabinets hung yesterday after like 5 years of talking about it and 2 years of moving the cabinets on different moves.
http://craftnclutter.blogspot.com/2008/11/dream-realized.html
I’d estimate that I have 400 dispensers, we’ll find out eventually…cataloging is taking a lot of time.
I’m curious which website you are suggesting people visit, I could find the link within your post. Please share!
4:52 pm on November 18th, 2008
Sarah, your display cabinets look great! I forgot to post the link, so I’ve now added it in the original post above. You should definitely check out the Collector’s Guide… who knows, maybe your collection is worth some money!?
5:46 pm on November 18th, 2008
Sarah, Tori’s right. Those displays are great. Try Craig’s List to find some additional cabinets – people are always selling Ikea stuff on there. If you don’t see any, put a post in the Wanted section and see if you get any bites.
6:04 am on January 5th, 2009
[...] people were crazy about these but had no idea there was a whole podcast dedicated to them! I know Tori’s boyfriend’s mom will get a kick out of this, as will fellow PEZ fan and loyal reader Sarah G. What’s cool [...]
6:47 am on January 15th, 2009
muy buena idea
me encanto
7:47 am on February 12th, 2009
dispenser de todo tipos
saludos!!
12:51 pm on February 13th, 2009
[...] weekend, I took my boyfriend and his mother (the Pez collector) to the Chocolate Lover’s Festival in Fairfax, Vrginia. Since 1992, the two-day festival held [...]
11:44 pm on March 24th, 2009
Hey I was wondering if you were interested in buy pez. I have 167 pez of looney tunes, snoopy, muppets, flinstones, star trek, and more, also some keychain pez. I also have 2 marvin the martian candy hander, 1 wile e coyote candy hander, tweety bird pen pez, 1 power candy dispenser (collectible, first motorized pez candy dispenser), and 3 bubble gum pez dispenser. Please contact me if you interested. (ikegirl15@hotmail.com)
8:50 am on March 25th, 2009
Sophie, while this is not an online sales site, we are always happy to have people connect here. I will email Sarah G. (see the first comment), who thinks her kids would love such a collection, and see if she is interested. If she is, I will connect you two.
7:46 am on April 27th, 2009
yes, there is even a newsletter for PEZ Collectors, http://www.PezCollectorsNews.com and PEZ Conventions all over the US http://www.PezGathering.com