The Pez Collectors Store has been busy this past month adding new pez and attending the 2022 Sweets and Snacks Expo to learn about upcoming pez. We would like to offer our Congratulations to Lois Anthony, Director of Sales at PEZ Candy, Inc., for being awarded the prestigious 2022 Silver Candy Dish Award at the Sweets and Snacks Expo Award Ceremony! It is always great for the hobby when our chosen favorite candy dispenser receives national awards!
The new Mandalorian Pez Assortment arrived in the Pez Collectors Store with the newest Boba Fett! The original 1998 Boba was a bluish grey, with silver on the right side below the black range finder, 12 yellow blocks around the top left side of the helmet, and dark green paint on the back of the helmet just like that on the front in the cheek hollows. The 2013 second version of Boba was mostly the same as the original, but the color was a greenish grey and there were only 10 yellow blocks around the top left side of the helmet. The newest version for 2022 is a slightly bluer greenish grey in a new mold with a smaller, rounder head with a wider visor with a dent on the top, 16 orange blocks around the top left side, a white loop on the top of the left helmet side bar, no dark green on the back, no silver, but a black loop on the top of the right side piece below the range finder, and silver on the stem of the range finder. This is definitely an all new Boba Fett! Of course, Mandalorian and Baby Yoda (aka the Child, aka Grogu) on a full size stem are also included in the assortment! The set of 3 is available now in the Pez Collectors Store!
Lightyear Pez have arrived and they look great! Lightyear in his Space Ranger Suit, Lightyear in his XL suit and the adorable robot cat Sox are included in the assortment and the set of 3 can be found in the Pez Collectors Store now!
The 2022 Original Collector's Price Guide to Pez 33rd Edition is in stock in the Pez Collectors Store now. This price guide provides price ranges for all the known pez variations, along with handy check boxes to track your collection. The price guide is helpful in establishing the value of a pez you are considering buying or selling or for insurance purposes. This is a must have for all collectors!
A new European Peppa Pig assortment will be coming to the Pez Collectors Store soon! Peppa Heart has three hearts printed on a lavender stem, George Dinosaur has a dinosaur and George printed on his blue stem and Peppa Teddy has a teddy bear and Peppa printed on her red stem. This assortment will be in stock just as soon as they make their way across the ocean and through customs!
We attended the 2022 Sweets and Snacks Expo to get information about upcoming Pez releases, touch base with our sales rep and other PEZ Candy, Inc. employees, get photos of the items on public display, and make plans for our future orders. The Expo is a confectionary and snack industry trade event where candy and snack companies display their upcoming products and solidify existing accounts and attempt to gain new accounts with distributors and buyers. We generally look for all candy collectibles, focusing on PEZ and PEZ licensed items, but also Poopers and PopUps. In this newsletter, we will report just on the PEZ items information and save the rest for another newsletter. Many of the booths give out samples and the PEZ booth gives out PEZ candies. They also gave out a special 2022 Sweets and Snacks Expo Carded Red Stem Cupcake with Sprinkles dispenser to customers. To limit people coming back for a second, they mark your badge with a P to show you received one and they were not out on display for casual passersby. Step through the magic door at the Pez Booth and join us in seeing what is on display!
The ET 40th Anniversary Pez Twin Pack was on display at the Sweets and Snacks Expo. The first scheduled ship date for them is June 1 and we are hoping they will arrive soon. The 40th Anniversary of the release of the ET movie is June 11 and the Pez twin pack graphics celebrates the iconic graphics from the movie with the glowing heart and lighted finger of ET, and the classic flying bicycle with ET in the basket in front of the full moon image on the background inside the twin pack box. The ET pez appear to be the same, but on mini stems!
Pezimals were scheduled for release June 1, but the first ship date has been pushed back to July 1 as supply chain issues continue to plague PEZ Candy, Inc. This set of 3 was not on display at the Sweets and Snacks Expo, but they have been released in Europe, so the USA shouldn’t be too far behind! Milo the Monkey, Ella the Elephant and Gigi the Giraffe are the first of what we expect will be a zoo full of new pez dispensers with nearly endless possibilities for the assortment! These will be available only on blister cards or loose for those who prefer to save on shipping.
The LOL Surprise Collection 3 pez were on display at the Expo and some of the new dolls do look different than the concept drawings originally included in the catalog information. They do look great in person though! The dolls will come unhidden on blister cards (without the plastic covers) but will still be masked in the polybags to keep the surprise alive! Again, there will be three different dolls molds, each in 3 different versions with varying availability, ranging from “Stylin” (Popular) to “Special” (Fancy) to “Super” (Rare).
Animal Crossing Pez were also on display at the expo and are scheduled to begin shipping August 1. This set of three is based on a popular Nintendo video game series. Businessman Tom Nook is a Tanuki or Japanese Racoon dog, K.K. Slider is a traveling musician dog and Player Assistant Isabelle is a golden Shih Tzu dog. The set is cute and a great new Nintendo licensed set!
The Game of Thrones Pez Twin Packs will feature Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen each with Drogon, the black and red dragon in Game of Thrones graphics twin packs. Jon and Dany seem to be the same pez as previously released in the GOT Pez Gift Tins, but Drogon is new! The twin pack pairs are scheduled for first shipment August 1. The samples on display at the Expo are unfinished – there is a cardboard picture of what the dispensers should look like inside the boxes, rather than the actual dispensers. Supply chain logistics may be causing issues for the production of these twin packs, but there is still 3 months to go until it is scheduled for release!
The Black Panther Gift Tin was selected as a finalist in the 2022 Most Innovative New Products Award in the Novelty/Licensed category. While it was not selected as the winner, it’s still a winner in our book! This new gift tin features Black Panther, Shuri, Purple Black Panther and Okoye dispensers in a Black Panther shaped gift tin with a Black Panther face featured on the back. It is scheduled to begin shipping September 1, ahead of the November 11 release of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie.
Shuri and the Black Panther will also be available in a Black Panther Twin Pack, also scheduled for release September 1.
The Mandalorian Pez Gift Tin is great! It is shaped like Baby Yoda in the Pram and that is what it features on the back. Mandalorian and the 2022 Boba Fett are included along with Baby Yoda (Grogu) in a Pram and Fennec Shand. You have to look closely at Fennec to see her eyes peeping out of the visor between the top and bottom of her helmet! Baby Yoda is exceptionally well detailed and cute as can be! This gift tin is sure to be a sell out! The first scheduled shipping date for the tin is September 1. These new dispensers will be available only in the gift tins.
A new Giant Spiderman is scheduled for release to celebrate the character’s 60th Anniversary. This giant was on display at the Sweets and Snacks Expo and it features the heavy black webbing and blue stem like the 2020 version of Spiderman, except in a giant size! It is also scheduled to begin shipping September 1.
New for Halloween 2022 is the yellow on orange Jack-o-Lantern on a yellow stem. The face is printed on the same pumpkin mold that has been used for the 2018 Happy Pumpkin and 2020 Scary Pumpkin. Halloween begins shipping July 1.
Also new for Halloween this year are 4 new mini pez in a Halloween Pez Party Bag with 12 dispensers. Hopefully, the Black Cat, Jack-o-lantern, flying bats and Trick or Treat dispensers will be evenly distributed in each bag, making three full sets of 4 dispensers per bag. The bags are updated and each of the dispensers have a new design printed on the black and yellow balls. The Halloween Party Bags are scheduled to begin shipping July 1, well ahead of Halloween but we usually wait to be sure that all the old inventory that won’t have new dispensers gets shipped out ahead of our orders!
The new dispenser shown for Christmas 2022 is a revision of the paint and expression on the Gingerbread man. The 2019 Gingerbread Man has a green bow tie and belt with red buttons and a red smile, sitting on a red stem. The 2022 Gingerbread man shown in tube has a red bow tie and belt with green buttons and instead of a red smiling mouth, he has a black screaming O mouth and he sits on a green stem. The slightest changes make a whole new dispenser and Pez knows it!
We also found another product at the Sweets and Snacks Expo that we are excited to share with you! PEZ Gingerbread House Kits! The large kit includes one mystery holiday pez dispenser while the mini gingerbread house kit does not. These look like so much fun!!!
Easter Pez are scheduled to begin shipping from Pez Candy, Inc. beginning December 15 and the new Easter Egg in Tube was the only new dispenser on display at the Sweets and Snacks Expo.
That’s all the announced releases scheduled for 2022. We gave a highlight of these in our January Pez Collectors Store Newsletter, but were not able to share images until they became public or 30 days prior to the first scheduled ship dates. We are really excited to share these with you now, plus more for 2023!
2023 will kick off with the addition of a new dispenser to the Pez Treats Assortment. The Donut is due to begin shipping or flowing into the assortment beginning January 15. The frosted donut with sprinkles features eyes and a mouth on the lower half of the donut. The Donut joins the cheeseburger, taco, pizza and cupcake in the Treats Assortment. There may be no end to the different snacks that might be added to this assortment!
Disney is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and Pez will be commemorating it with a new set called the Disney 100th Anniversary Assortment. While our handy pocket calendar card says this assortment will begin shipping January 15, our handy order form indicates that the assortment won’t begin shipping until February 1. The assortment was not available for public display or photos at the Expo, so we can’t share any details. However, what was on display at the show were three new Disney Princesses. Snow White, Cinderella and Rapunzel are all getting makeovers! We have seen the new Cinderella and Snow White in images from the European Pez Catalog already, but the expo was a first sighting for the Rapunzel. We will have Snow White and Cinderella and most likely will have all three from Europe in September or October.
Good Luck Bear will be added to the Care Bears Assortment and flowed in to begin shipping February 1. This Green Bear with four leaf clovers on his paws and tummy is a very popular character for the Care Bears and is a welcome addition!
Gabby’s Dollhouse is a new assortment scheduled for release February 1 and the assortment includes Pandy Paws, Cakey and Mercat. There will also be a pair of twin packs with Gabby’s Dollhouse graphics featuring Pandy with Cakey and Pandy with Mercat, also due for release February 1. As you may be able to tell from the images, these are still in the development stages. The faces are not printed on, but are paper cutouts that are pasted on the dispensers – really well done, but not the final factory printed samples. We appreciate the extra effort that went into mocking up the dispensers to have them available for display!
Hello Kitty Yoga was not on display, but it is scheduled for release in the USA March 1. Historically, Europe releases a set of 4 new Hello Kitty characters early each year and we are guessing that the theme for the 2023 European Hello Kitty set will be yoga!
Little Mermaid is getting her own assortment with Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder! While the assortment was not on display, the addition of Sebastian and Flounder should be awesome! The set is scheduled for release April 1 and will also have twin packs!
My Little Pony will have new dispensers beginning March 1 according to our order form, but April 1 according to our handy pocket calendar. We are guessing that these will be the same as the European scheduled releases and will include Sunny and Izzy and possibly Pipp who won the popular vote contest in Europe. These will likely be released in Europe and available in the Pez Collectors Store in late 2022, but if there are any changes in the dispensers released in the USA, we will have them, too!
Despicable Me 4 is listed as a new assortment for May 1 release, though there is no mention of a new assortment listed on our order form. Nothing was on display for new Minions, so we will have to wait and see!
There is a new Looney Tunes assortment scheduled for release June 1, along with twin packs. We have no definite information on this set yet, but the event dates correspond to the release of the Coyote vs. Acme movie, so we are hoping for some new Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner action! We will provide more information as it becomes available.
Ghost Spider will be joining the Marvel assortment beginning September 1. It is possible there will be additional new characters as well be Ghost Spider is definitely planned.
A Disney 100th Anniversary Gift Tin is planned and while there is nothing definite yet, it is possible that we will be looking at something extra special – something shiny or chromed perhaps to celebrate a century of Disney! A Giant Mickey Mouse 100th Anniversary Dispenser will also be released September 1.
October 1, Trolls 3 will be released as a new assortment along with twin packs.
Of course, we expect to see some new holiday dispensers and there will likely be some surprises along the way. It’s tough to plan everything a year or more in advance and sometimes information is still in concept stages or in discussions or even under embargo. We look forward to receiving new information and sharing it with you as timely as possible!
Funko released images of the Five Nights at Freddy POP! PEZ scheduled for first release August 21. Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie and Chica look great and we can’t wait to add them to the Pez Collectors Store!
For those who are fans of other co-branding Pez items, the L.O.L. Surprise! Loves Mini Sweets collection will be available in three different series, all featuring an exclusive unboxing experience: The classic L.O.L. Surprise! ball with the new compostable paper ball; the Surprise-O-Matic capsule with a vending machine reveal; and a Deluxe Multi-Pack that comes in two styles and three dolls. The collection will roll into stores in mid-June, with the Deluxe Multi-Packs launching later in August. Be looking for these adorable PEZ dolls!
Hopefully everyone is shifting into pez convention excitement mode! I know we are! This month we will be attending the Michigan Pez Gathering, June 23 - 25 in Ann Arbor, MI! The agenda is packed full with seminars, games, activities, The PEZ Outlaw movie showing, Q&A with Steve Glew, more games and activities, etc. etc. etc. Of course, there is a ballroom show on Saturday and admission is free to the public and includes a Food Drive – Give Back and Support Local Communities by bringing non-perishable food donations. There is also a fabulous after party that will literally blow your mind! We can’t wait to see you there. Hosts Jim and Jody Blaine have thought of everything! Visit www.mipezcon.com for all the final details!
July 21 – 23 is the “World’s Largest Gathering of Pez Collectors” – the Pezamania convention. Touting its 31st year, the theme is Super Heroes and hosts Rick and Sue Marlowe have seminars, games, and more pez than you can imagine with lots of dealers and collectors opening their rooms for room hopping and having tables at the show. We can’t wait to see you there! Visit www.pezamania.com for all the details!
September 8 – 10 is the Pez On The River Convention and hosts Sandy and Cheryl Gardner- Ghionzoli have a scavenger hunt, a Pucker Up costume contest, seminar, games, room hopping and a great show. The laid back atmosphere and family style group dinner allow collectors time to catch up and really get to know one another and the hosts go above and beyond in making sure every person is well cared for, well fed, and fully accommodated in every way possible! If you haven’t attended POTR, it is a must attend, and if you have, well, you already know how great it is and I look forward to seeing you there again this year! Get your hotel reservation made and your registration sent in! Visit www.pezontheriver.com for details!
That’s all for now – until next month, Happy Pezzing!
All the best,
Chris Jordan
www.pezcollectors.com