Assignment 2-1

PEZ Candy and Dispensers

Remember when you were a little kid, and your parents would take you to the five and dime, or a Benjamin Franklin's store? I know I do. One of my favorite things to get was PEZ candy and a new dispenser. Sometimes you could get a sack of PEZ, about 4 or 5, with a new dispenser. I liked to look and see what new heads they had out, and it was so hard to choose.

PEZ originated in Austria, in 1927, they were made of peppermint and used as an alternative to smoking (Wikipedia, 2008). In 1952, they were introduced to the United States, and in 1955 they added heads to the dispensers and marketed them for children. They come in a variety of flavors, and now they have returned the original peppermint flavor. PEZ candies are little brick like pieces, that fit neatly into a PEZ dispenser, and when you want one you lift the head of the dispenser and voila, PEZ at your disposal.

I know that they are PEZ collectors all over the world, but I was never one of them. In fact, I had really forgotten all about the wonderful world of PEZ, until my daughter asked me I wanted a piece of candy. I, of course, could not say no, as to the fact it was one of my favorite things growing up. WOW! What a shock, when did these little candies become so gross tasting? Anyway, thanks to my 12 year old, I now fondly remember buying PEZ candy and dispensers. While the taste may not be as I remember it, the fun of picking out a dispenser clouds my thoughts.

Once again, PEZ is becoming a hot item to have. But there are a lot more heads to choose from nowadays. It is interesting to see an old item come back to life and let me remember yet another fond moment from childhood.