![[Imagemap]](/US/fringe/images/fringe_nav.gif){kind=small}
Collecting candies makes colorful PEZ-time
March 30, 1996
Web posted at: 8:30 p.m. ESTSUNNYVALE, California (CNN) -- Back in 1952, who would have thought that a candy dispenser would become an icon of American culture, or a goldmine?
PEZ, the tiny candies with pop culture packaging, have accrued thousands of devoted fans, several Web sites, and now a convention.
PEZ didn't get off to such a great start. The first PEZ ever made in 1952 had no head, and a name nobody could pronounce.
"PEZ is actually the first middle and last letters of the German word for peppermint, which is 'pfefferminz,'" says PEZ aficionado Michael Berta. He is attending the West Coast PEZ convention, which began Saturday.
PEZ, for the handful of people who aren't baby boomers or never watch television or movies, looks something like a skinny cigarette lighter. It's usually topped by the head of a cartoon character or other popular figure. Flip the head up and a piece of candy slides out.
PEZ really took off when they started making the candy in fruit flavors and gave the dispensers some personalities. Over the years there have been Spiderman PEZ and Fozzy Bear PEZ, Santa Claus PEZ and Bullwinkle PEZ. The most popular PEZ character is Mickey Mouse, who has been featured in five different variations.
The "Saturday Night Special" PEZ was recalled for looking too much like the real thing. The "make-a-face" PEZ, not unlike Mr. Potato Head, allowed people to add on facial features. It, too, was pulled form the market over concerns that children might swallow the tiny pieces.
"I have personally witnessed a refused offer of cash for $3,000 for one," says Gary Doss, owner of the Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia, who is putting the PEZ convention on-line on his PEZ Web site.
Larry Silveira, organizer of the PEZ convention, has been collecting the candies for 26 years. He owns 400 of the candy holders (111K AIFF sound or 111K WAV sound). One of the jewels of his collection is a PEZ dispenser from the 1960s worth $350.
Its "head" is a hand holding a plastic eyeball with "Luv PEZ" written on the side.
"What kind of person would come up with this?" asks Silveira. "I mean, what were they on?"
They must have been on to something. By some estimates there are 350 different PEZ containers, 700 if you count color variations.
CNN affiliate report Sandy Stricker and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related sites:
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
