With Val Miller @PEZMANIA 26....

Every year I would like to be a part of PEZMANIA as every PEZ Collector else.

Unfortunality again I was not able but we are so grateful for the opportunity to share with you Valerie Miller's report from the 26th annual PEZMANIA Convention.

Here we go... 

Wednesday  -  Finally the day I leave for PEZamania is here. I'm up at 4 a.m. to head to the airport .  It was a long travel day, especially since Ohio is 3 hours ahead of Phoenix . By 6 p.m. I've landed collected my luggage and the shuttle get me to the hotel in time to see the start of the Pony Races. This is the first of many games played at PEZamania .

 

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Since I just got there I was eager to get my registration package so I didn't stay for the game but headed to the registration room . I keep running into so many people I know from other conventions and the other 3 times I've been to Cleveland the rest of the evening just flew by.

Thursday - I got out and did some room hopping. Some of the people I ran into were :

Eddie " PEZ Hunter" Santiago , who did the logo for the convention 

Eddie PEZ Hunter S

David Welch - iconic PEZ dealer and author of " Collecting PEZ "

John LaSpina -  another icon of our hobby and Author of " The PEZ Price Guide"

Chris Jordan - owner of PEZ Collectors Store and inventor of the best PEZ shoes ever made

Ruth and Tom,  Brian , Jeff, Robert , Phyllis, Jessica, Juan , Karen and Ivan , all long time PEZ friends.

Suddenly it's 7 pm and time for PEZ trading . Grabbed a few things and headed down. I like to have some 3.9 thin foot and some harder to find but inexpensive PEZ to trade with the kids. I like to think of them having so much fun they turn into serious collectors when they get older. I made some fun trades.



Dora Dwyer & Valerie Miller

After the trading I caught up with my friend of 19 years Megan Northrup and did some room hopping together. We chatted with Landon Proctor who created People of PEZ Collecting Trading Cards . 

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They were a big hit . Quite a few of the people on the first series were at PEZamania so there were a lot of people autographing their cards . Then we went to Shigeki's ( from Japan)  room and I got a couple sets of Bandai minis. It's been years since these were discontinued and are getting quite hard to find. Now I have 41 out of a total of 49 sets. So another day of PEZ fun came to an end .

Friday - Today is the day I am going to add 3 pieces to my collection I have been wanting for years and years. This year I decided to preview the available PEZ on Thursday and them think it over and get a couple of my dream PEZ . First I got a peach beak Cockatoo from John LaSpina and then I got the beautiful cobalt blue candy dish from David Welch.

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It's my understand this dish was a Christmas present from PEZ USA to their customers in the 70s or 80s.

At PEZamania Friday night is when the main game is played ( this year similar to Bingo) plus there are silent and live charity auction in addition to all the raffle winners . One of the live auctions was a MOC PEZ Palz blog dispenser in the amazing custom box . It was won for $220.

After all these events there was more room hopping and catching up with more people. There are so many activities and people there it is impossible to do everything and see everyone, but it is sure fun trying.

Saturday- Is the day of the public show. I had a table so was set up at 8:30 a.m. in time for the registered attendees to get the first look. At 9 a.m. the walk-ins joined the ones already in. As usual more visiting with people I hadn't already seen and lots of PEZ talk.. after the show there was another auction for charity then those of us staying the night went off to dinner. About 9 p.m. there carnival games in ballroom and many people gathered in the lobby getting a few more hours of visiting and PEZ talk.  All to soon it's time to go to pack and sleep .

Sunday - It was an all day travel day to get home and go back to the real world. I'm looking forward to the next PEZ convention.
                                             Valerie Miller

At the end, we like to thank Val for her great report <3. and for sure Krissy and me would like to send a  thank you from here to Rick and Sue M. for all the hard work on the convention, all the amazing things they have done for the Gliding Stars, and to bring the PEZ family together. 

Rick and Sue M.