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go off the beaten PEZ path!
Exotic PEZ dispensers might be items that are not the traditional types of dispensers, or they might be something that is PEZ-related that doesn't put out candies at all. Sometimes these are very cool things, and sometimes you sort of wonder at the fantastic strangeness of it all.
A hunting PEZ we will go...
There are so many characters and changes over the history of the PEZ dispenser, it's a good idea to be familiar with one or two of the reference/price guides that have been published. Most importantly, they detail a lot of the variations and variances that add value and uniqueness to a collectible dispenser.
Candy Handers
A "Candy Hander" is a mechanical toy, battery-operated, that was made to somehow dispense PEZ but it's totally not a regular dispenser. The first one I acquired was the Marvin the Martian Candy Hander."Where's the Ka-Boom? There's supposed to be an Earth shattering Ka-Boom..." If this candy hander also said that, it would be too perfect. It doesn't talk, but it does hand out PEZ. The box is made so that you can see how it works without taking it out of the package. And although I've had this thing for years, demoing it once a year has still left it with some original battery life.
So, when you press the button, Marvin swivels towards his space ship, holding a little shovel/nozzel end on a hose. That catches a PEZ that drops out of the ship and Marvin swivels back to hand it to you.
I've got two more candy handers. One is Jar Jar Binks (link goes to Star Wars PEZ) and the other is Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. With Wile, he's holding a shovel in front of a tunnel entrance where you can see a train coming and he retrieves a PEZ from there for you, while the Road Runner watches from off to the side.
PEZ Rarities
Be sure to do your research before jumping into an auction for rare PEZ. Some sellers use the term "rare" to artifically drive up the bidding prices when really the dispenser is a current common one. Check previous auctions and other PEZ sites to check availability, variations and values.
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Candy Pens
Ok, so these are one of the wussiest dispensers yet. They have no mechanical action and are just a shell that fits around what pretty much amounts to a BIC pen that just doesn't have a BIC logo on it. The PEZ are dropped down into these two channels in the plastic casing, and they are dispensed by pushing up on a plastic flower/button that just pushes them back out. There is no cover to keep the PEZ from just falling out if the pen is tipped. They were done with Looney Toon characters, but even Taz, Tweety and Bugs don't add much to this experience.I found these at the old FAO Schwarz in SF. Not all that exciting but different.
Check Out These Exotic PEZ Dispensers!
Here are some rare dispenser sets and collectibles.
Magic Candy Dispenser
This is one I found at a toy store in San Francisco about two years ago, probably due to the popular Harry Potter movies.
The Magic dispenser has got a regular dispenser embedded inside the larger casing, topped with a cute wizard hat. According the the back of the package, it comes in three color variations, holds a pencil and has star stickers inside a little door. It also shows a candy chamber where you can make a spare roll of PEZ candies appear and disappear (it's a magic trick built-in). It also points to a area on the toy and says there's a game there, but it's too small to read further details.
Exotic Fantasy PEZ Dispensers
Fantasy PEZ dispensers are made by PEZ fans, featuring characters that aren't actually in production by PEZ. If the craftsmanship and scale of the head are done well, and the dispsenser retains perfect function, some of these can become quite valuable.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byRocket Pen Candy Dispensers
These European candy pen dispensers are great! They come in three color combos and have futuristic bulbous bodies that house the pen and dispense PEZ candies.They are a bit awkward when it comes to actually writing with them but they look so cool, who cares?
Cool PEZ Gear
School Tool Candy Dispenser
This is also one that is new to my collection. It comes in three colors, green, blue or pink camo pattern.A regular dispenser is built-in, down one side of the toy. It's got a big clip for wearing off a backpack. The body is translucent, providing for storage but also transparency so you can see what you've got in there. It features a pencil, eraser, ruler, note pad, metric temperature converter, and metric distance converter. The metric features makes me think this was made for PEZ world-wide and it's only a strange measurement to the kids in the US.
Take A Pause For PEZ
I would eat anything that came out of their mouths (Oh God, I've been research c...
A boring football, a
This one-of-a-kind PEZ stand was made by my pal Matt. It features original artwo...
Vintage PEZ
Bicentennial PEZ
Power PEZ
I found this little number at a Walgreen's and I sorta regret not buying all three color variations.This is a battery-operated dispenser. Once you open it up and load all the PEZ, a push of the button makes the wheel turn around inside the casing, and the candies really do come shooting out pretty powerfully.
