Collecting Loose, In Bag or On Card

The question is often asked if it is better to keep a dispenser on card or in bag or to set it free.  The answer is a matter of opinion in many cases!  If you are fortunate enough to have a dear old aunt who finds a mint in cello Pez Pal still unopened in the cello bag, or a softhead Joker still on card, I would strongly suggest that you leave them in their original packaging!  Vintage pieces do have a greater value when still packaged.  Even if you collect loose, you can always find someone to trade the mint in package piece for the same piece loose, plus an extra pez or two for added value of packaging!  With that said, pieces that are current are much more plentiful and there are a lot of speculators stashing away cases of them, so there may be little point in keeping it in bag if you would prefer to set it free and enjoy it loose.  Some enjoy displaying their collection in bag and that is just fine, too.  The exception that I would make to this is for current specially packaged dispensers or factory errors.  Errors will be discussed more fully later, but some collectors greatly enjoy factory errors such as pieces missing and not in the bag or on the card.  When a pez leaves the factory and goes to the retail shelf missing a face or some other part, being kept mint in bag is evidence that it is an error, but when it is set free, it is more likely to be considered just a broken pez.

The graphic cards produced today have a much greater visual appeal than the generic cards of the past.  Typically today, dispensers are released as sets such as Bee Movie, Golden Compass, Chicken Little or Disney Cars.  These are packaged on cards that are specific to the set and often the graphics of the card are as interesting as the Pez itself.  Some collectors collect and display strictly on card, and these collections have an enormous impact, but take up a lot of space.  If space is an issue, but you really like the cards, you might consider collecting just one of the characters on a mint card, and the rest or a complete set loose or in bag.

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