NEWS_PEZ

Betsy Ross to Yoda, PEZ is tops with collectors

Combining two of kids' favorite things --- candy and a toy --- the Pez dispenzer has become one of today's hottest collectibles.

The candy saw an inauspicious introduction to American consumers in 1952. It was marketed as a breath mint for adults and sold in a handy little dispenser that resembled a disposable cigarette lighter.

Realizing that his product, which was doing well in Europe, had lost something in the translation to America, PEZ inventor Edward Haas came up with a marketing cure that was a sucess beyond all expectation.

Haas added fruit flavors to the candy and topped that off with the placement of cartoon character heads on the dispenser.

"This marketing shift proved to be a brillant move, making PEZ one of the most recognizable commercial names around," said Shawn Peterson, author of the book Collector's Guide to PEZ.

Few changes have been made to the dispenser's basic design since then. The "feet" that were added in the late 1980s, giving the dispenser more stability when standing upright, is one of the most obvious changes made over the years.

But the heads atop the plastic stem have been a steady parade of changing faces. Animals, cartoon characters, and Star Wars aliens have all crowned colorful plastic PEZ stems.

"It is hard to say how many different heads have graced the top of a PEZ dispenser," said Peterson. "Conservative estimates put the number between 250 and 300 different heads."

At any given time there are as many as 70 different dispensers available at local retailers, not to mention the seasonal ones that appear for Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentine's Day.

"Despite numerous requests for Elvis and others, PEZ has never depicted a real person with the exception of Betsy Ross, Paul Revere and Daniel Boone," Peterson said. "Real people rarely have interestingly shaped heads, and the possibility of a real person winding up in a front-page controversy makes the thought less than appealing for a children's product."

The PEZ collecting community has been steadily growing since the early 1990s. The first PEZ convention took place in 1991. In 1993, Christie's held the first auction featuring PEZ, and Forbes magazine put the hobby on its cover.

As with any popular collectible, prices for the most rare examples are quite steep. Among the most valuable are the "regulars," dispensers with no heads.

Advertising regulars were given to customers and sales reps as a "business card." They are difficult to find and run between $500 and $1200 each. Other regulars include mail-in premiums like the Arithmetic Dispenser ($350 to $500) and the metallic Golden Glow ($75 to $100).

Die-cuts are also popular dispensers. These have an image corresponding to the character head cut out of the side of the stem.

Only five die-cuts have been produced: Easter Bunny, Casper the Ghost, Mickey Mouse (also featuring Minnie Mouse on it), Donald Duck, and Bozo the Clown. A mint-condition Easter Bunny can bring as much as $500. The others range in price from $100 to $150.

Rubber-headed dispensers from the 1970s featured the superheroes Batman, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl, and super-villians The Joker and Peguin. These soft-headed characters fetch $120 to $175.

The six creatures in the "Eerie Spectre" series are also soft-headed. Air Spirit, Diabolic, Vamp, Zombie, Spook, and Scarewolf range in value from $150 to $300 in exceleent to mint condition.

PEZ deviated from its standard dispenser format with the production of candy-shooting guns. During the 1950s, a loaded Space Gun and Space Gun permit were available for 49 cents from retailers. Today, guns in the more common colors -- command $400 to $600.Prices rise to several hundred dollars for maroon, light blue, lavender, and silver. Transparent guns can top $1,000 in value.

Other guns include Candy Shooters from the 1960s that range in price from$45 to $150, and the 1980s' Space Gun in red ($85 - $125) and silver ($100 - $150).

Some collectors also pursue PEZ advertisements, premiums, and other memorabilia. These include clickers, masks, paper inserts included with dispensers, yo-yos, and ashtrays. These items are generally harder to find than dispensers.

Counter display boxes, featuring football players, monsters, Disney characters, and superheroes are also collectible. Values often range from $250 to $500 depending on condition and what is portrayed on the box. For example, a 1960s Popeye box can be worth up to $750. Vending boxes from the 1960s will fetch between $50 and $225, and those from the '70s are valued at $20 to $50.

For a free catalog of Krause Publications books or periodicals on collectibles, write Public Relations, Dept. IC, Krause Publications. 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001, or visit www.krause.com on the worldwide web, or e-mail info@krause.com