Pez
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Wikipedia-Article "Pez"
PEZ is the shortened name of PEZ Candy Inc.
it is also 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.
The name PEZ was derived from the German word for peppermint, Pfefferminz. Pez was originally introduced in Austria, later exported, notably to the US, and eventually became available worldwide. The all-upper-case spelling of PEZ, besides its status as an acronym, 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.
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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. PEZ is a shortened form of the word "pfefferminz," the German word for peppermint, the first PEZ flavor. 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 US 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".
The enthusiasm and nostalgia surrounding Pez are suggested by the existence of two single-block streets in the US, presumably both named "Pez" at the suggestion of Pez enthusiasts:
- Pez Way in Boulder City, NV (near Las Vegas) is a connector, approximately 100 yards (100 meters) in length, between two longer streets.
- Pez Court in North Haven, CT (near New Haven) is a dead-end street, approximately 500 feet (200 meters) in length.
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."
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 what country it came from. 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 |
Characters
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. 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.
- Asterix
- Asterix, Obelix, Muselix, Roman Centurion
- Bob the Builder
- Bob, Wendy, Pilchard, Scoop, Spud
- Barnyard friends
- Cow, Duck, Sheep, Donkey, pig
- Charity
- Barky Brown (Animal Welfare League NSW), Breast cancer awareness
- Christmas
- Angel, Elf, Polar Bear, Reindeer, Rudolph, Santa Claus, Snowman
- College Football
- LSU Football
- DC Comics
- Batman, Batgirl, Joker, Penguin, Wonder Woman
- Easter
- Chick, Duck with Flower, Egg, Lamb, Rabbit, Rooster
- Garfield
- Garfield, Arline, Odie, Nermal
- Harvey Publications
- Casper, 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)
- Marvel Comics
- Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Tom, Jerry, Barney Bear, Droopy Dog, Spike, Tuffy, Tyke
- Misc
- Bozo the Clown, Psychedelic Hand, Psydelic Flower, Bubble man, E.T., Jack in the Box, PIF, Zielpunkt
- Moomin
- Only in Japan, five minis.
- Mr. Bean
- Mr. Bean, Irma Gobb, Teddy, Mini Cooper
- The Muppets
- Kermit the Frog with bow tie, Kermit the frog with green collar, Fozzie, Miss Piggy,Miss Piggy with eyelashes, Gonzo
- Nintendo
- Diddy Kong, Koopa Trooper, 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, Footbal 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
- Shrek
- Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss-n-Boots, Donkey, silver Donkey
- 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, Jango Fett, General Grievous, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2, Stormtrooper, Yoda
- The Flintstones
- Fred Flintstone, Pebbles, Dino, Barney Rubble
- The Simpsons
- Bart, Homer, Lisa, Maggie, Marge
- The Smurfs
- Brainy, Gargamel, Papa, Smurf, Smurfette
- Bambi, Thumper
- Bouncer Beagle, Chip, Daisy Duck, Dalmatian, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Donald Duck, Dumbo, Goofy, Gyro Gearloose, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Scrooge McDuck, Webby
- Peter Pan, Captain Hook
- Baghera, Baloo, Kaa, King Louie, Mowgli, Shere Khan
- Mufasa, Nala, Pumbaa, Simba, Timon
- Mary Poppins
- Snow White, Dopey
- Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Tinkerbell
- Lil' Wolf, Practical Pig
- Pooh Bear, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Roo, Lumpy
- Zorro
- Sports
- Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey Puck, Baseball Glove, Soccerball
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael
- The Tweenies
- Bella, Doodles, Fizz, Jake, Milo
- Universal Monsters
- Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Wolfman
- Ultraman I
- Only in Japan, five minis.
- Warner Bros.
- Bugs Bunny, Bugs Bunny (Back in Action), Cool Cat, Daffy Duck, Daffy Duck (Back in Action), Foghorn Leghorn, Henry Hawk, Merlin Mouse, Petunia Pig, Road Runner, Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester, Tazmanian Devil, Tazmanian Devil (Back in Action), Tweety, Tweety (Back in Action), Wile E. Coyote, Yosemite Sam, Yosemite Sam (Back in Action)