Wacky Wednesday #95: PEZ Dispensers

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which makes today PEZ-Giving. In fact, I have been offering PEZ candies to strangers and friends all morning. Two different people commented that the explosion of PEZ dispensers on my necklace looked like multi-colored turkey feathers. It was unintentional, but hey, that works.

The universe of PEZ dispensers is giant. But believe me, I’m not trying to collect more stuff. I have loads already. Still, researching PEZ was a fascinating view into the world of collecting.

Here’s how my foray into all things PEZ came about. Recently I was cleaning out boxes of my kids’ toys and I came across several PEZ dispensers, and a costume idea began to form. PEZ dispensers fit my requirements for most of my Wacky Wednesday costumes: they’re small, colorful, fun, and more interesting when part of a collection. Decision made.

I had only five or six PEZ dispensers at home, so I started checking out EBAY for collections I could buy inexpensively. Sure, I could buy a collection of more than 100 dispensers but part of my Wacky Wednesday goal is that I’m either repurposing free items, or not spending much money on supplies. The challenge of making something memorable without spending a lot is part of the experiment.

I cut these letters from styrofoam trays and made a PEZ stamp.

Here is my cost breakdown for creating this costume:

$  22.49  Pez dispensers from EBAY

$      .50  Embroidery thread for connecting the dispensers

$      .30  Hot glue sticks

$        0   Styrofoam food trays for my PEZ stamp (free! Repurposed from our recycling)

$        0   Fabric and paint for dress (already had it)

$  23.29  Total

Let’s talk about PEZ’s history for a minute, because I find the back story intriguing. PEZ is older than I would have guessed. The candies initially were made in Austria as peppermints by Eduard Haas III in 1927. Their name is an abbreviation of PfeffErminZ (German for peppermint). In the 1950s PEZ began selling dispensers with playful character heads on top, including Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse, to appeal to children.

Amazingly, more than 1,500 different PEZ dispenser designs have been created since the ‘50s. The PEZ collecting hobby beckons collectors all over the world, and there are annual conventions in various counties. Pez-a-Mania is the oldest convention, and it was started in Ohio in 1991.

 

My mohawk is supported by pipe cleaners, which I use because they are simultaneously lightweight and sturdy.

After I am finished with this costume, I probably will dissemble it and sell the dispensers on EBAY to a lucky bidder who probably won’t turn them into wearable art, but who will enjoy them in another way.

I hope these accessories brought back a happy memory for you, either of your own PEZ dispenser, or of a toy you enjoyed as a child. Sure, we can survive without collections, candy and toys. But these combination of toys and candy make us smile or laugh, and we need levity. They are also good conversation starters, and we need to connect with others. My costumes don’t solve the world’s problems--but to me, humor and fun make the harder parts of life a little easier. I love bringing people together over my costumes and stories. And it’s the season of giving. Let’s share some laughs–and some candy.

Got PEZ?