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PEZ: From Austrian Invention to American Icon
PEZ is an American classic and a staple of many childhood memories. Yet it originated in Austria, where PEZ began in 1927 as compressed peppermint tablets marketed as an alternative to smoking. Upon arrival in the United States in 1952, PEZ quickly took a new direction, adding fruit flavors and three-dimensional character heads to top the dispensers. Now produced in Orange, Connecticut, the iconic PEZ brand is available in over eighty countries, selling more than sixty-five million dispensers annually and inspiring collectors and fans worldwide. Join the world s first and only official PEZ historian, Shawn Peterson, on a journey of sweet proportions for an inside look at the world s most cherished interactive candy."
208 pages, Paperback
First published March 30, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 26, 2017
From a humble attempt to create a candy as an alternative to smoking, Pez has become one of the most iconic candies in America and the world. Pfeffermintz, shortened to Pez, has its own base of fans of collector, forever looking around for rare candy dispensers in particular and almost everything related to Pez in general. Not only talking about the corporate and product history of Pez, the author also writes about tips on how to collect Pez dispensers, if you are looking to start your oen collection.
January 21, 2020
Interesting book about multiple facets of the history of Pez. Corporate history across the decades, the relative rarity of dispensers and variations, how the candy and dispensers are made, and collectors stories. Well researched. I thought a book about Pez could have been a little more fun, but at least the author's passion came through. I read this as initial research into food and toy premiums, a current obsession of mine. Next up is Cracker Jack and Bazooka Joe history, plus going back to the last fast food book I read to the chapter on Happy Meals.
June 20, 2019
I learned a lot about this fun candy and find myself looking for dispensers at yard sales! The author was so enthusiastic, that I am planning on a trip to the museum on a trip planned for 2020 - my first trip to north east USA.
December 9, 2017
Pez history is tasty treat.
Well-done history of Pez candy, famous dispensers and the people who created the brand. Fun, fast read of a culinary notable.
Well-done history of Pez candy, famous dispensers and the people who created the brand. Fun, fast read of a culinary notable.
April 6, 2019
Shawn Peterson is undoubtedly the national expert on Pez history, having written several previous books complete with full-color photography and suggested price ranges that are staples in the Pez-collecting community.
This book takes a different approach from Mr. Peterson's previous works. As an employee of PEZ USA since 2010, Mr. Peterson has had access to all of the historical files that tell the story of the Pez company. He accomplished the amazing juggling act of setting up the highly successful Pez Visitor's Center at the Pez factory in Orange, Connecticut. It has become the Mecca of the Pez collecting community! In this new book, Mr. Peterson has made a valiant effort to pull together all of the pertinent information that is available about who decided what when, and how those decisions affected the beloved Pez products produced and sold from 1927 to the present. He gives us a great deal of information, not all of it new. But to have it all in one volume is a treasure for the Pez Collector! The most valuable information, as an avid collector of Pez memorabilia, is the list in each decade chapter that identifies the specific Pez dispensers that were put into circulation in each year of each decade. Gold mine! No collector's stash should be without it!
You will have noticed that, although I highly recommend that every Pez collector on earth should buy this book, I have given it only 3 stars. This is because I have also reviewed books such as Anna Karenina, The Sound and the Fury, East of Eden, and The Cat in the Hat. Under NO circumstances does Mr. Peterson's book rise to such a level. The book would have benefited greatly from a thorough editing by an experienced editor. So. 3 stars. Still. An impressive effort to provide the world with the best details of history of Pez. The book has both my applause, my recommendation to purchase, and a significant bit of my cash, having bought several copies.
Congratulations, Shawn Peterson! Great job! Great addition to the Pez history library!
This book takes a different approach from Mr. Peterson's previous works. As an employee of PEZ USA since 2010, Mr. Peterson has had access to all of the historical files that tell the story of the Pez company. He accomplished the amazing juggling act of setting up the highly successful Pez Visitor's Center at the Pez factory in Orange, Connecticut. It has become the Mecca of the Pez collecting community! In this new book, Mr. Peterson has made a valiant effort to pull together all of the pertinent information that is available about who decided what when, and how those decisions affected the beloved Pez products produced and sold from 1927 to the present. He gives us a great deal of information, not all of it new. But to have it all in one volume is a treasure for the Pez Collector! The most valuable information, as an avid collector of Pez memorabilia, is the list in each decade chapter that identifies the specific Pez dispensers that were put into circulation in each year of each decade. Gold mine! No collector's stash should be without it!
You will have noticed that, although I highly recommend that every Pez collector on earth should buy this book, I have given it only 3 stars. This is because I have also reviewed books such as Anna Karenina, The Sound and the Fury, East of Eden, and The Cat in the Hat. Under NO circumstances does Mr. Peterson's book rise to such a level. The book would have benefited greatly from a thorough editing by an experienced editor. So. 3 stars. Still. An impressive effort to provide the world with the best details of history of Pez. The book has both my applause, my recommendation to purchase, and a significant bit of my cash, having bought several copies.
Congratulations, Shawn Peterson! Great job! Great addition to the Pez history library!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews