PEZ

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See PE'Z for the Japanese band. See Pez (artist) for the graffiti artist.
A typical PEZ dispenser and packaging
A typical PEZ dispenser and packaging

PEZ is the shortened name of PEZ Candy Inc. It is also the name of two of its product categories, namely:

  • pressed, dry candies, straight-edged and shaped like 3/8-inch- (1-cm-) long bricks, and
  • pocket mechanical dispensers for such candy. (holds 12 pieces of pez candy)

The name PEZ was derived from the German word for peppermint, Pfefferminz, the first PEZ flavour. PEZ was originally introduced in Austria, later exported, notably to the U.S., and eventually became available worldwide. The all-upper-case spelling of PEZ echoes the trademark's style of type on packaging and the dispensers themselves, drawn in perspective and looking as if the letters were built out of brick-like PEZ candies.

Despite the world-wide recognition of the PEZ dispenser, the company considers itself to be primarily a candy company, producing over 3 billion candy bricks each year in the U.S. alone [1]. PEZ Dispensers are part of popular culture in many nations. Because of the large number of dispenser designs over the years, PEZ dispensers are collected by enthusiasts.

Contents

[edit] History

PEZ was first marketed as a compressed peppermint candy in Vienna, Austria. The candy was invented in 1927 in Vienna by a confectioner named Eduard Haas III. Haas invented peppermint candies using family owned baking powders, and decided to serve the mints in small, hand-size containers. He manufactured a small tin to hold the mints, similar to the modern Altoids tins. The first PEZ mint dispensers, known as "regulars", were similar in shape to a cigarette lighter, and dispensed an adult breath mint marketed as an alternative to smoking. They were invented by Oscar Uxa. Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation of Vienna, Austria, was the first to sell PEZ candies.

World War II slowed marketing and production. In 1945, manufacturers devised and promoted the PEZ Box Regular. In 1952 Eduard Haas introduced his product to the United States, and Curtis Allina headed PEZ's U.S. business. In 1955, the PEZ company placed heads on the dispensers and marketed it for children. Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse and Spacetrooper were among the first character dispensers.

After being unavailable for several years, peppermint flavored PEZ candies were reintroduced in the late 1990's along with remakes of the "regulars".

In early 2006 the family of the original founder of the company bought back 32.5% of the stock from investment company PGH for €18M. They now own 67.5% of the company. The headquarters are in Traun, Austria. The candies are produced in Traun and Orange, Connecticut. Dispensers are produced in Hungary and China.

[edit] Candy

PEZ candy has come in a wide variety of flavours over the years, including:

General

  • Apple
  • Cherry
  • Chocolate
  • Cola
  • Dextrose
  • Flower
  • Grape

General (Cont.)

  • Lemon
  • Menthol/Eucalyptus
  • Orange
  • Peppermint
  • Raspberry
  • Strawberry
  • Yoghurt

Sour Flavors

  • Sour Watermelon
  • Sour Green Apple
  • Sour Blue Raspberry
  • Sour Pineapple

Sugarfree Flavors

  • Sugarfree Orange
  • Sugarfree Lemon
  • Sugarfree Strawberry

The common US flavors of Orange, Lemon, Grape & Strawberry can be found kosher in specialty markets.

[edit] Patents

There are several patents related to the PEZ dispenser. PEZ, Inc. has applied for and received patents related to the PEZ dispensers. Usually, the patent number is molded onto the stem changed every time PEZ, Inc. made a change in the design of the dispenser. Looking at the patent number the dispenser's age can be estimated. The patent number timeline related to PEZ and PEZ-like dispensers follows:

Patent Year Name of patent; notes about the patent
U.S. Patent 2620061  1952 Pocket article dispensing container; First patent for the PEZ dispenser
* U.S. Patent 2853206  1958 Dispensing tablet container; tablet dispensing receptacle
U.S. Patent 3410455  1968 Dispensing Device for tablets
* U.S. Patent 3432074  1969 Vending machine
U.S. Patent 3845882  1974 Spring cage for use in a tablet dispensing receptacle
* U.S. Patent 3863804  1975 Medicant-dispensing container
U.S. Patent 3942683  1976 Tablet dispensing receptacle
* U.S. Patent 4295579  1981 Tablet dispenser
U.S. Patent 4966305  1990 Tablet dispenser
* U.S. Patent 5048720  1991 Tablet dispenser
* U.S. Patent 5071033  1991 Tablet dispenser
* U.S. Patent 5080258  1992 Tablet dispenser
* U.S. Patent 5460295  1995 Candy dispensing system
* U.S. Patent 5560516  1996 Tablet dispenser
U.S. Patent 5984285  1999 Plastic spring
* U.S. Patent 6543639  2003 Animated candy dispenser and methods
* indicates non-PEZ patent

Dispensers can also be found with several non-US patents, such as the German "DBP 818.829" (Deutsches Bundes Patent), and the Mexican "Patent Nr 141,242."

[edit] PEZ dispenser tags

There are two types of tags on PEZ dispensers.

The first type is the patent number. The patent number can be used to determine how old the dispenser is.

The second tag type is the injection mold code [IMC], it tells you the country of origin. A second number identified the specific facility within that country [which is denoted in brackets].

IMC Country
1 Austria/Hungary
2 Austria/Hong Kong
3 Austria/Hungary
4[1] Austria
4[2] Austria
4[3] Austria
4[4] Austria
4[5] Austria
4[6] Austria
4[7] Austria
4[8] Austria
5 Yugoslavia/Slovenia
6 Hong Kong/China
7 Hong Kong/Austria
8 Austria
9 Vermont, Connecticut/USA
V Yugoslavia

[edit] Characters

A Bugs Bunny PEZ dispenser.
A Bugs Bunny PEZ dispenser.

Toy character head dispensers were introduced in 1955, after the candy was introduced in the United States. There are over 450 unique dispenser heads with thousands of variations. The company formerly had a general rule against creating likenesses of real people. In the 1970's, three historical figures were created: Betsy Ross, Daniel Boone, and Paul Revere which were released as part of the Bicentennial series. These dispenser heads were not made to actually look like the people they represented, but instead used generic faces with different accessories. In 2006 a limited edition series of three PEZ dispensers were made to look like the Teutul family from Orange County Choppers. These are the first dispensers to have been made in the actual likeness of living people. The NASCAR-themed dispensers are based on the helmets of famous drivers, rather than their actual likenesses.

Several different versions were made of many of the characters listed below, but each character is only listed once. Sites in the links section go into much more detail into the variations of PEZ dispensers including providing images and release dates for different series.

Asterix
Asterix, Obelix, Muselix, Roman Centurion
Bob the Builder
Bob, Wendy, Pilchard, Scoop, Spud
Barnyard friends
Cow, Duck, Sheep, Donkey, pig
Bugz
Ant, Baby Bee, Bee, Beetle, Centipede, Fly, Grasshopper, Ladybug, Worm
Cars
Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson, Sally Carrera, Mater.
Charity
Barky Brown (Animal Welfare League NSW), Breast cancer awareness
Christmas
Angel, Elf, Polar Bear, Reindeer, Rudolph, Santa Claus, Snowman
College Football
University of Alabama, Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, Louisiana State University, University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, University of Texas
Easter
Chick, Duck with Flower, Egg, Lamb, Rabbit, Rooster
Garfield
Garfield, Arlene, Odie, Nermal
Halloween
Skull, Witch, Mummy, Happy Ghost, Scary Ghost, Pumpkin, Slimy Ghoul
Harvey Comics
Casper the Friendly Ghost, The Green Hornet
Hello Kitty
Kitty White, Corocoro Kuririn, My Melody
The Incredibles
Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible, Dash, Jack-Jack; Bob Parr, Helen Parr, Dashiell Parr, Jack-Jack Parr (not in USA)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
Sid the Sloth, Diego the Sabertooth Tiger, Manny (Manfred) the Mastadon and Scrat the Prehistoric Saber-tooth Squirrel
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Tom, Jerry, Barney Bear, Droopy Dog, Spike, Tuffy, Tyke
Misc
Peter Pez, Psychedelic Hand, Psydelic Flower, Bubble man, E.T., Jack in the Box, PIF, Zielpunkt, Smiley Face, Bozo the Clown
Moomin
Only in Japan, five minis.
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean, Irma Gobb, Teddy, Mini
The Muppets
Kermit the Frog with bow tie, Kermit the frog with green collar, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Miss Piggy with eyelashes, Gonzo
NASCAR
Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Richard Petty, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace
Nintendo
Diddy Kong, Koopa Troopa, Mario, Yoshi
Olympic Games
Alpine Man, Olympic Snowman, Vucko Wolf
Peanuts
Charlie Brown, Joe Cool, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Woodstock
Pez-Pals
Boy, Bride, Doctor, Engineer, Fireman, Girl, Groom, Knight, Maharaja, Mexican Boy, Nurse, Pirate, Policeman, Ringmaster, Sailor, Sheik, Sheriff
Pez-Pals 2
Alpine Boy, Aral Oil, BP, Mariner, Pilot, Shell Oil
People
Astronaut, Cowboy, Football Player, Pilot, Spaceman, Stewardess
Pez-a-saurs
He-saur, She-saur, Fly-saur, I-saur
Pink Panther
Pink Panther, Inspector Clouseau, Ant, Aardvark
Pokémon
Koffing, Meowth, Mew, Pikachu, Psyduck
Popeye
Brutus, Olive Oyl, Popeye
Sesame Street
Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Zoe
PEZ Sourz
Pineapple, Green Apple, Watermelon, Blue Raspberry
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Embarrassed SpongeBob
Star Wars
Boba Fett, C-3PO, Chewbacca (IV-VI), Chewbacca (III), Clone Trooper, Darth Vader, Death Star, Emperor Palpatine, Ewok, General Grevious, Jango Fett, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Stormtrooper, Yoda
Super Heroes
Batman, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine, Wonder Woman
The Flintstones
Fred Flintstone, Pebbles, Dino, Barney Rubble
The Simpsons
Bart Simpson, Marge Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Homer Simpson, Maggie Simpson.
The Walt Disney Company
Sports
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey Puck, Baseball Glove, Soccerball
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael
Universal Monsters
Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Wolfman
Ultraman I
Only in Japan, five minis.
Walmart
Walmart Semi
Warner Bros.
Bugs Bunny, Cool Cat, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Henry Hawk, Merlin Mouse, Petunia Pig, Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester, Tazmanian Devil, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam


[edit] Trivia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  • An episode of Seinfeld, "The Pez Dispenser", centered on PEZ. Jerry made Elaine laugh during a concert by placing a Tweety PEZ dispenser on her lap.
  • One common misconception is that eBay was founded to facilitate trading PEZ dispensers. While founder Pierre Omidyar's wife is a PEZ collector, this story has since been revealed as an invention created for marketing purposes.
  • The song "Rockstar" by Nickelback references a PEZ dispenser.
  • In the NBC series The Pretender, the main character Jarod is seen munching on PEZ in many episodes.
  • In the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story, one of Sid's mutant toys named Ducky has a duck PEZ dispenser for a head.
  • In one episode of Futurama, Bender owns an apparently stolen PEZ dispenser, with the head of the character Calculon on it.
    • In another episode, Billy Crystal's head is placed on top of a giant Oscar award, and he remarks, "now I know how a PEZ dispenser feels!"
  • There are at least two US streets named PEZ:
  • In the 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, while demonstrating to E.T. what to do on Earth, Eliott shows him the things in his bedroom, one of which is a PEZ dispenser and its candies.
  • In the film Little Giants, the main character's younger sister thanks God for PEZ during a prayer at dinner.
  • On Dexter's Laboratory, Dexter is battling a monster from his own Power Ranger-like robot. He pushes a series of buttons and spells out P-E-Z. His robot's head rises like a PEZ dispenser and shoots rockets from the neck.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://pezco.securesites.com/stuff/about.php

See also Pez Card Game

[edit] External links

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