It's fair to say that PEZ has become one of the most recognizable candies in the world.
With their many flavors and popular cartoon character dispensers, PEZ has become one of
the biggest collectibles out there and can sell for thousands of dollars. While that
may be exciting to some people, many of us still enjoy eating the little bricks of candy.
So, sit back, pump that flavored dispenser and enjoy 10 Things You Didn't Know About
PEZ Candy - Part 2.
$4 Million Dollars In PEZ Smuggling
We all know that PEZ dispenser collections have become a truly big business in the world.
Some people like to collect them for fun while others see a money-making object. While there
are some PEZ dispensers that do go for quite a few thousand dollars, not everyone can see
the business potential for dealing in the famous candy dispensers. Unless of course,
you are a farmer from Michigan. During the 1990's Steve Glew became one of the biggest
PEZ dispenser smugglers the world has ever seen. Known as the 'PEZ outlaw' Glew claims
to have made over 4 million dollars from his PEZ adventures. How did he do this? We hear
you ask; well, according to his own words Mr. Glew took over 70 trips to Europe, and
in particular, Eastern Europe, and each time he visited he managed to bribe factory bosses
into letting some of their stock go as 'rejects.' He then continued to smuggle them from Europe
and into the U.S, fooling customs agents in around 13 different countries. Once back on
U.S soil Mr. Glew sold his cargo for $500 each. Who knew that such a profit was to be
made for black market PEZ dispensers? Apart from Steve Glew that is.
PEZ Can Thank Seinfeld, Sort Of
We all know that PEZ is a popular and tasty candy but it is also one of the most popular
collectibles in the world. eBay often reports that PEZ dispensers are among the top-selling
items they have. While this may not come as much of a shock to many people, the reason
for this sudden interest in collecting PEZ dispensers might. Starting out as a mint to
help people give up smoking, the PEZ company soon realized that their unique dispensers
could have characters on top and could be advertised to children. Thus the PEZ as we
know and love was born. While PEZ was popular with the baby boomers right up until the 1980's,
PEZ was only really popular as a candy. While some people did collect the quirky dispenser
characters, it was nothing compared to today's collectors. The 'PEZheads' as we know them,
didn't really start until the 1990's with the first PEZ convention held in 1991. There
are many people out there that believe that this sudden surge in all things PEZ related
was due to an episode of Seinfeld. In 'The PEZ Dispenser,' Jerry ruins a piano recital
by placing a Tweety Bird PEZ dispenser on Elaine's knee. While PEZ was already popular
and somewhat of a collectible item, after this episode aired, PEZ exploded. Coincidence?
We don't think so.
Nearly 8 Foot PEZ Dispenser
Throughout history, humans have pushed themselves to be the best they can possibly be and to
conquer all that surrounds them. To aid us in our quest to discover all, we as a species
are excellent at developing the tools and technology we need. With every new piece of
technology comes the inevitable firsts and world records; who is the first? Who can do
it the fastest? The biggest, the smallest, etc. Over the years there have been many records
set involving the famous brick candy. First up is the biggest PEZ dispenser in the world;
that stands at a whopping 94 inches, which is 7 feet 8 inches tall. To put that into
perspective that's taller than NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Kareem Abdul Jabbar,
as well as Andre The Giant and he had giant in his name. The huge PEZ dispenser is in
the shape of a snowman and can be found in the Burlingame Museum of PEZ memorabilia in
California. It weighs 85Ibs and can hold up to 6480 PEZ candies. As a bit of fun, the
museum dispenses mini versions of this world-beating candy dispenser as souvenirs at their gift
shop.
Other PEZ World Records
Continuing on with our world record theme and humanity's quest to break through the
walls of what is possible, we next turn our attention to the art world. While we've mentioned
the biggest and tallest PEZ dispenser in the world, the other PEZ item to be in the 'tallest'
category is a sculpture made entirely out of PEZ bricks. The sculpture is actually a
series of PEZ sculptures in B.C Canada, and they depict the London skyline. Known as 'London
Calling' the artwork consists of the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and Big Ben all of which
were part of a collection to celebrate all things British. The Big Ben clock tower sculpture
is the one that landed itself in the record books as it stands at an impressive 5ft x
5ft x 7ft. It took over 10,000 dispensers to create the piece and is the biggest collection
of candy art in the world. Other World records involving PEZ include the fastest person to
eat a packet of the brick candy which is a speedy 45 seconds. The longest domino chain
of PEZ dispensers is also on the list; 55 colorful dispensers were lined up and successfully
toppled in a continues line. We've all wanted to try that one, we just need to buy more
dispensers.
You Don't Have To Be A Character To get On A Pez But It Helps
Believe it or not PEZ actually started out as a product for adults. Long before the colorful
characters on those infamous dispensers, PEZ's target audience was grown-ups. Starting out
selling their candy's in tins, PEZ quickly moved to the flick dispensers we know today
but they were simple and plain. A few decades later PEZ had realized that children loved
their candies so, they started to tailor them for this market. Starting to add children's
favorite characters of the day, such as Popeye and Santa Clause, PEZ soon struck up a deal
with Disney and the rest, as they say, is history. Even though PEZ is famous for having
fictional character's heads on their dispensers, real people have made the cut too. Well, actually
only three official people have ever been on a PEZ dispenser. To celebrate the U.S's
bicentennial PEZ made a Betsy Ross, Daniel Boone, and Paul Revere dispenser. There was
once an Elvis Presley PEZ dispenser made, but that was only for the movie The Client.
The rock band KISS did have a PEZ dispenser released as a limited edition but that's it.
In fact, PEZ gets inundated with requests for real people to be added to their dispersers
almost on a daily basis and each time they refuse. One of the more recent people to be
given the big thumbs down by PEZ was celebrity Kim Kardashian. Incidentally, the other popular
request that PEZ gets a lot is a replica of individual loved ones, but PEZ has a firm
line with this and the answer is always no. However, with the advancements of 3d printing,
this request may be more attainable in the near future.
What?! Hitler Has A PEZ!
No, you didn't make a mistake we really did say Hitler. Ok, so we did slightly mislead
you as this isn't an official PEZ dispenser but it is possible for you to dispense your
favorite flavor of brick candy from the head of the ex-German dictator. As with any product
that becomes remotely popular or valuable there will be people out there ready to make
a quick buck with knock offs. On pretty much any street corner or market anyone will be
able to buy a knock off of many high-end brands; from perfumes to bags, watches to jewelry,
they are everywhere and PEZ, so it seems, is no different. We don't know who and we
don't know why but someone decided that what PEZ really needed was the head of Adolf Hitler
dispensing its candy. So, they produced this dispenser and unleashed it on the world. Quite
understandably PEZ Candy INC. was furious and tried hard to rid the world of this monstrosity,
and they very nearly succeeded with a big lawsuit. However, some did survive and while
one of which can be seen in the Burlingame Museum of PEZ memorabilia in California, the
rest have become much sought after items by collectors. Many other unauthorized PEZ dispensers
have been made including; Pee-wee Herman, The Beatles, Elvis and even Monica Lewinsky
have all been made into fake PEZ dispensers, but none have quite caught on as much as Adolf
Hitler. What a strange world we live in.
PEZ Visitors Center
If anyone is ever looking to truly see PEZ in its natural habitat then a trip to Orange,
Connecticut is in order. Home to the PEZ making factory, in which they make over 12 million
PEZ bricks a day! It is also home to the PEZ visitors center which boasts an extensive
look at PEZ. Including memorable, trivia and a complete history of the company. The visitors
center also offers interactive games, scavenger hunts and exhibits that will get all PEZ fans
involved and excited. Not only that but you also get the chance to see into the factory
and watch the magic candy being made. Not many candies have such a place that is devoted
to them, but then PEZ isn't like any other candy. They have a special place in a lot
of people's hearts that nothing will ever come close to. For all those people that feel
this way then a trip to the factory and visitors center is a must. To 'PEZheads,' it's up there
with Graceland!
The Most Expensive PEZ Dispensers
Over the many decades that PEZ has been making their infamous candy dispensers, there has
been an array of character heads that have donned the top. Not only has PEZ used popular
cartoons and other fictional characters but they have also produced special and limited
edition PEZ dispensers. Because of this, and the ever-growing interest in collecting said
dispensers, some of these are worth a lot of money. The most expensive PEZ dispenser
ever is the 1982 World's Fair special edition PEZ dispenser. The reason that they are so
valuable is that there are only two of them in existence. One is blue with a blue stem
and the other is white with a green stem. In 2006 one of them sold for a whopping $32,000
which makes them the most valuable by far. Next on the list, but far down from the top
spot, is a 1940's 'Locking Cap lighter' style dispenser, which is what some of the first
dispensers were made to look like. This cream-colored dispenser sold for about 2 and a half thousand
dollars. Other PEZ dispensers to break the thousand dollar mark at auction were a 'political
donkey' dispenser owned by none other than JFK. That piece sold for around $13,000. At
a charity auction, a pair of PEZ dispensers modeled on Prince William and Kate Middleton
fetched an impressive $13,000 dollars as well. Although true 'PEZheads' won't be able to
get their hands on these rare gems, they may be able to get the allusive Mr. Potato Head
dispenser. It was called the 'Make a Face' dispenser and it came with little face pieces,
just like a Mr. Potato Head. However, the company recalled it as these little face parts
were seen as choking hazards. Although the 'Make a Face' dispenser is by no way the most
expensive, it is one of the rarest out there and any genuine collector would love to add
this to their other PEZ friends.
PEZ The Movie
Over the years movie studios have been looking in more diverse, or possibly stranger, places
to come up with inspiration for their next big blockbuster. While books have always been
a great source for Hollywood, video games are fast becoming the next big source of inspiration
after books. However, the movie business still needs to find a new and exciting source. With
successes such as Angry Birds and The Emoji Movie, apps and phones are even providing
good material and The Lego movies have paved the way for the toy industry to be on the
big screen, but what else? Well, it seems as though candy could hold the key. Envision
Arts Production has reportedly bought the rights to PEZ and plans to bring the PEZ world
to the big screen. Although no big details have been released as of yet, we're hoping
that this movie is still in the pipeline. After all, who wouldn't want to see an animated
world that is populated by PEZ dispensers? With the range and wealth of characters that
PEZ has, providing they can get the rights of course! But if this is done right then
the PEZ movie could be bigger than the Lego movies.
Plant Flavor
Since PEZ's first conception by Austrian Eduard Haas way back in the 1920's, PEZ has tried
many different strategies to stay in business. Just as with any company that wants to succeed,
PEZ has had to evolve and change their products in order to stay relevant and popular. One
of the avenues that PEZ has changed is its flavors. Originally starting with just one
flavor, Peppermint, PEZ now has multiple flavor combinations to its name. Raspberry, Strawberry,
and Cherry are among the more popular and real winners for PEZ, but it might be interesting
to know that not all of their flavors have been winners. PEZ once tried to market a plant
flavored candy. Using Chlorophyll, which is a green pigment found in plants and algae,
PEZ used the chlorophyll to try and create a 'Vegy' flavor. Other odd flavor choices
have been; Coffee, Flowers, Yogurt, and Licorice. Some of these flavors are actually still available
to buy, but not in the U.S.
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