Collecting the Sox: PEZ

First off, a show of hands. Who actually puts the Pez candy in the Pez dispenser before eating it? Isn’t that an awful lot of work to go through to get a sugar high? Just unwrap and eat!

I’m sure I don’t need to tell anyone what Pez is. They’ve been around for a while, and have become very collectable, even outside the sports world. No matter what you collect, you can probably find a Pez dispenser to fit into your collection. Pigs, cats, snowmen, Star Wars, anything under the sun. Some people just collect Pez dispensers, no matter what they depict. For Red Sox collectors, this makes one of those crossover collectables that can be a challenge. The more collectors that are looking for an item, the more challenging it usually is to find. That annoying supply and demand thing again. Thankfully for Pez, the supply side of the equation really helps collectors out. They’re not particularly hard to find. Ok, they’re everywhere. That’s what really makes them a good collectable. Plus, they’re really cheap. I find myself getting them a lot as add-ons to gifts. That shirt’s not quite enough? Toss in a Red Sox Pez to complete the thought.

Once you have one, they’re great to display. You can either leave them in the package, or take them out and try to stand them up. That might take a little balance. But, it usually works out pretty well. They don’t take up a lot of room, which is really important. You can fit a rather large collection on a small shelf. That’s a lot easier than something like bats or refrigerators. It also means they can be tucked in anywhere. You don’t need a whole room dedicated to the Red Sox (although that works fine too). Have an extra inch on your desk? Or a corner of your bureau? Perfect spot for a Pez. They’re colorful, and can add a bit of visual interest to a display area. Because of those reasons, it’s not hard to see why something so weird has become a collectable to so many.

Does anyone else have Red Sox Pez?