Pez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pez

Type	Candy
Place of origin	Austria
Region or state	Traun
Created by	Eduard Haas
Invented	August 10, 1911; 114 years ago (1911-08-10)
Main ingredients	Sugar, corn syrup, plant-based fat, flavorings and colorings
Variations	Peppermint, Grape, Cherry, Orange, Lemon, Strawberry, Raspberry, Cola, Sugar Cookie, Fizzy, Sours, Candy Corn, Cotton Candy, Vanilla Cupcake, Banana, Lychee, Mango, Coconut, Chocolate, Dragon Fruit
Food energy (per 8.5 g (1 roll) serving)	34.4 kcal (144 kJ)
Nutritional value (per 8.5 g (1 roll) serving)	Protein 0 g Fat 0 g Carbohydrate 7.9 g

Pez is a famous brand of candy and its special dispensers. It comes from Austria. The candy pieces are small, pressed blocks. Each Pez dispenser holds 12 candy pieces.

The word PEZ comes from the German word PfeffErminZ, which means peppermint. The logo for Pez looks like the letters are made from many small Pez candies. Even though the dispensers are very popular, the company mainly sees itself as a candy maker. Billions of Pez candies are eaten every year! Pez dispensers are also a big part of popular culture. Many people collect them because there are so many different designs.

History of Pez

PEZ first started in Vienna, Austria, in 1927. It was created by Eduard Haas III. The very first Pez was a round peppermint sweet. Over time, the candy changed into the hard, brick-like shape we know today.

The packaging also changed. It went from wrapped rolls to small tins. The first Pez dispensers were called "regulars." They looked a bit like a cigarette lighter. These were made for adults as a breath mint. Oscar Uxa invented these early dispensers.

World War II made it harder to make and sell Pez. But after the war, in 1949, the first dispenser was officially shown. In 1952, Eduard Haas brought Pez to the United States.

Pez Dispensers for Kids

A big change happened in 1955. The Pez company started putting heads on the dispensers! This made them popular with children. Some of the first character dispensers were Santa Claus, Popeye, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck. Since 1950, over 1500 different Pez dispensers have been made.

Pez vending machines were used in countries like Germany and Switzerland. These machines started appearing around 1954.

In 1973, Pez built a factory in Orange, Connecticut, in the US. The company continued to grow and expand its dispenser lines. In the mid-1990s, the original peppermint flavor was brought back.

Today, the main office for Pez is in Traun, Austria. The candies are made in Hungary and Orange, Connecticut. The dispensers are made in Hungary and China. In 2011, a PEZ Visitor Center opened in Orange, Connecticut. It has a huge space dedicated to everything Pez!

Pez Characters and Collectibles

Character-headed Pez dispensers.

At first, Pez dispensers did not have character heads. These were the "regulars," which were just simple rectangular boxes. The fun toy character head dispensers came out in 1955. There are now more than 550 unique dispenser heads. These come with thousands of small differences.

In the 1970s, Pez made three historical figures. These were Betsy Ross, Daniel Boone, and Paul Revere. They were part of a special Bicentennial series. These dispensers had general faces with different hats or accessories.

Star Wars Pez dispensers have been very popular. They became big collectibles after they were first made in the 1990s.

Pez usually did not make dispensers that looked like real people. But in 2006, they made a special series. It featured members of the Teutul family from Orange County Choppers. In 2007, a limited edition Elvis Presley set was released. It showed three different looks from his life.

In 2008, the first Star Trek dispensers came out. They were in a gift set with the original crew. A second Star Trek set came out in 2012. It was based on The Next Generation series.

In 2009, Pez celebrated the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. They released a special box set. It had characters like Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, and the Wicked Witch of the West. Only 300,000 of these sets were made.

Many other popular characters have been made into Pez dispensers. These include characters from Disney, Marvel, and many more.

Popular Pez Character Sets

Pez Collecting Fun

Many people enjoy collecting Pez dispensers. Some rare Pez dispensers can be worth a lot of money! For example, a special Mickey Mouse dispenser was sold for $7,000. This one was a factory test model, not sold in stores. Some of the most valuable Pez dispensers are three Political Donkeys. Each of these is worth over $13,000. One of them was even owned by John F. Kennedy.

Pez collectors often meet up at special events. These are called Pez conventions. The oldest one is Pez-a-Mania, which has been held in Cleveland, Ohio, since 1991.

Pez in Media

Pez has also appeared in movies and games. An animated movie about Pez is being developed. There was also a Pez Card Game where players collected points with Pez flavors and dispensers.

In 2022, a documentary called The Pez Outlaw was released. It told the story of a farmer who brought rare Pez dispensers into the United States. The film was available on Netflix in 2023.

See also

In Spanish: Pez (caramelo) para niños

• Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia

Images for kids

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  Pez candy pieces

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  A Pez vending machine