SOS Time is running out!! Vote for PEZ for the Toy Hall of Fame!!

Hi Pez Palz, time is running out!!

Our beloved PEZ are in the running to become a part of the 

National Toy Hall of Fame!! We need you to all vote!! PEZ is a finalist in the running to win the award so lets help our favorite toy WIN!

You can visit the http://www.toyhalloffame.org/ and vote for PEZ!! 

FIRST LOOK: second Turkish PEZ Gathering dispensers...

Yasin did it again! :) 

The second Turkish PEZ Gathering was planned for July 2017, but life can play sometimes a different game, an unexpected car accident (thank god all was good) and Yasin did not arrive in time to hold the gathering.

For thoose who know Yasin, he is allways super positive, 

and can not get out of serenity :)

The date was postponed, 

September 2nd was now time, to hold the second 
Turkish PEZ Gathering at the Istanbul Toy Museum. 
It was a small gathering, Yasin told us. 

 It´s important to organize a meeting point for Turkish PEZ collectors, and  surely the gathering will grow in the years to come.

Yasin has created like in last year dispensers, two different styles 
(custom made) of his gathering dispenser, again two pucks, both on green stems, with the Turkish gathering logo, in glitter and glow in the dark style!

We love the style and the idea. <3

2017 GLOW IN THE DARK STYLE (CUSTOM MADE) PEZ ISTANBUL GATHERING DISPENSER

2017 GLITTER STYLE (CUSTOM MADE) PEZ ISTANBUL GATHERING DISPENSER

2016 Istanbul PEZ gathering dispensers
1st Picture: Istanbul "Asia" Emoji 75 pcs. made by PEZ International
2nd Picture: Istanbul "Europe" Emoji 75 pcs. made by PEZ International
3rd & 4th Picture: Istanbul custom made puck

Thanks to Momo for the pictures :D
momopez.com

PEZ ON THE RIVER, behind the scenes of a convention host

We always appreciate a great PEZ Convention, 

but what most of us don't see is all that goes on behind the scenes.

 PEZ on the river hosts Cheryl and Sandy Gardner-Ghionzoli 

take us though the journey!

It is still not to late to join the fun this year! 

Registration is still open!

 You can visit the registration 

HERE

or visit 

http://pezontheriver.com/

for more information. 

Pez on the River takes place in 

Winona, MN

October 12th, 13th & 14th 2017

Behind the scenes of a convention host….

Phase 1: 

The Beginning 

Where to host it?

It starts with planning a location. We plan for 2 ½ days, so need to find and work with the hotel, or find a new one. 

What are the costs? 

We need to keep our costs to a minimum while providing a wonderful experience. Ok- have the hotel, and most importantly they are willing to work with us to meet our needs. Challenge 1 down.

Phase 2: 
The Experience

What kind of experience do we want our guests to have? What is the guest expectation?

Hold up- we need to face reality. We can’t please everyone all the time and need to take our best guess. Things change, costs go up, resources are limited.  How do we address rising costs, and knowing that anything can be “expensive” to anyone? What will we do to keep things affordable and worth attending?  More in packets? Less? Limited quantities? What do we think people are going to want to get and is this truly what people are going to want to get? How do we meet in the middle or make a compromise? Get input from your supporters, what are their thoughts, ideas, observations- what are the bare minimums, what are the must haves? What needs to stay the same, thoughts on what needs to change and how. Get lots of ideas- keep an open mind. No-one can do this alone. Our primary goal is to provide our guests with an experience they’ll remember and treasure and this needs to balance with the reality of needing to balance our expenses while doing so. In essence, the goal is to plan a convention that will pay for itself with a little left over to get the next one going. Ok- have a plan, figured a budget, and most importantly have a few secret supporters sworn to secrecy until the convention. They are the buffer zone, ones to bounce ideas off, to get to brainstorm, provide input, and help maintain sanity.

Phase 3:
The Convention Itself

…it culminates after a year of organizing, designing, creating, planning, ordering, prepping, preparing, sorting, detailing, packing, and whatever other … “ing” you can think of!

Day before the convention thoughts? 

Do we have everything we need – door prizes, surprise goodies, schedules, packets, activities, resources (for Pez on the River, these include our significantly important “deck hands”). Everything must go is the phrase- what do we need, what might we need, do we have extra’s, what if…   

Get it all packed in a fashion that will make sense when it ends up at the hotel.  First things first- have to get the Hospitality room set up- how are we going to arrange it? What makes sense for a “traffic pattern”?  Need to make sure all guests get the royal treatment when arriving- where to put things, how to organize deck hands- who is helping with what.  

First early bird guests check in without a hitch, great!  Keep an eye on the time- the barbecue is tonight- what time are we starting, do we have some help, and does everyone attending know the plan.  Communicate, communicate, communicate.   Food was amazing as was the company. Everyone is well fed and socializing, final steps before actual opening day of convention. 

Up at 6am at the latest. Make sure hospitality room set up is going to continue to work.  Deck hands know their role and are comfortable. If not, show them the ropes, encourage confidence and provide support. Do we have all the what’s in place? What is our plan to make sure nothing gets missed for anyone attending?   What is our plan to maintain sanity when it seems like everyone has just shown up at the same time?

“Take a deep breath”, “grab a pop”, “go have a smoke”, “some strong coffee perhaps”?  (You’re going to make time for these things throughout the convention remember if you don’t take care of yourself, you are no darn good to anyone else). Whatever it is you need, get it- this is not a time for a meltdown.  Remember it is all about everyone attending and helping having them have an awesome and fun time. Here we go!

Doors open. Next guests arriving. Many familiar faces and oh the excitement on the new faces arriving. Things start to flow and people are having fun- attendees, deck hands and hosts. You are excited to see people making new connections, re-connecting, visiting, sharing stories and talking about what is to come at this convention. Make sure guests know all of what is available, what is needed for events this evening, time tables, etc.  Plan for nutrients- remember you need to eat too!

What are the other things that are occurring today, what is the plan- do we have enough deck hands- make sure they know what you need from them and that they have the means, supplies and time to do it.  Questions come up- it’s ok- we have this. Take it one step at a time. Who can find this out? Run this errand? Seek this information.  What is the plan to handle the bumps in the road?

Next activities are approaching- figure out the transition. We need to have people here doing this and there doing that- who is going to do what? Have we made it clear what exactly we need so that we can get it right the first time?    Don’t forget about Nemo- has he gone out, actually where is he? Did he wander off or is he sightseeing with a guest. No worries- all is well-we really appreciate those guests and deck hands who provide our mascot the royal treatment. Make sure he has supper before the next event. Have we got the treats, and things to keep him occupied, remember, he’s a dog and doesn’t really “dig” the PEZ (just the candy).  

Does everyone working with us have what they need to stay energized and moving- good food they like and will eat, time to eat, pop/beverages that they want to drink, a plan for people to take breaks- room hop, hang out, relax and put feet up.  We don’t want to kill our deck hands they are just as important to our success as our guests.   

Things are ready to transition. Close the hospitality room for now, have a plan and share it with others for those late arrivals. Put a sign on the door so that people know where we are, when they can check in and what is going on right now. Don’t want people to worry or panic, especially if this is their first convention- that not knowing is not only frustrating but draining. 

Let the games begin! Energy and excitement fill the room- are the games ready, prizes organized, deck hands filled in, microphone working. People are having fun! We are having fun! Games progress, time to get the auction set up.  Are our helpers ready for it to begin, auctioneer ready, guests have paddles or numbers, so far so good. Make sure we are fairly on time. Do we have too much for the auction? How long will it run? People want to room hop and visit afterwards- keep an eye on the time. Running good, make sure the “good items’ are at the beginning to get bidding and excitement going. Starting to get a little long- have had some healthy banter and bidding going on but clock is ticking.  Feel out the crowd- continue? Put some items into the silent auction?  Are there things people want to bid on tonight yet? We want to keep people happy and not bored.

Friday night games a success as was the live auction. People are room hopping, visiting or getting ready for the show tomorrow. Phew…. First day a success.  Before dropping tonight, what do we need to have ready for tomorrow? Does the hotel know what we need for morning set up, what time will our contact person be in? What time do we need to be in the main area to ensure everything is ready for the dealers? What problems did we run into yesterday and what is our plan to fix them, how are we going to handle any bumps.  Get your frustrations out with each other, vent, go for a walk or swim, whatever, we need to be positive and on the same page. Now, maybe for a few hours of sleep…. Maybe 

Good morning Day 2

The Show is Today

Early morning rise to meet in the ballrooms. Are the tables set up correctly? Do we have enough space for walkways, seating, etc. Get the tables marked so when dealers begin to arrive they know where to start setting up. Dealers begin arriving, loaded carts, hand trucks, dollies, arms, etc. Help dealers where ever needed. Almost show time, welcome table set up, greeters ready. Guests begin arriving, share with them all that is going on in the ballrooms. Check in with dealers, do they have what they need? If not, assist in meeting the needs. We are slowing down too, so make sure we eat and drink to keep energy and attitude up. Make sure hotel staff are aware of the show, invite them in.

Time to close costume contest bidding and tally up votes. Now for the announcement! Show starts to slow down, close silent auction and get to tallies. People are waiting to see who won what. Finish all tallies before starting to get people checked out. Dealers start to pack up. Assist as needed, wherever needed.

  

Time for something real to eat- dinner out with the Pez heads. Remember there are still activities this evening, so pay attention to the time so that you can arrive back and be set up in time for guests to arrive. Thank people for their support of the convention and welcome them to relax and have some fun with each other.

Games went well. People are retiring for the evening, some are headed out.  Say “see you laters’’ and until next time. Thank everyone for all their support.   We need to be out of the hospitality room before 8am tomorrow, so time to pack it up and pack it out to vehicles. Some stuff ends up in hotel room. Use your space wisely- you think you are heading home with less than you came with but remember you shopped to! Time for visiting with deck hands and loyal supporters who have not crashed yet. Return to room and literally crash- but remember, to set an alarm. Our fearless host Sandy is always up early to see our guests and dealers off. Assist with any last-minute issues with guests, hotel, etc.  

Time to check out, pay the bills and head home. Not done yet, need to drive home and then unpack at home. Trucks are empty, and so is the energy tank.  Time for a nap. Nemo already took the lead on that one- he started in the truck on the way home.     

-Cheryl and Sandy Gardner-Ghionzoli 

PEZ Contest Winner Who I am?

Thank You to all of you who entered our Who am I contest 

The correct answer was "C" Mr. Weenie!

We have entered all who answered correctly into our wheel and the winner is...

Dawn C

Congratulations Dawn!! 

Again we would like to give a Big Thank You to

 Uwe S. 

for supporting this contest! :)

New PEZ Star Wars twin pack

Chris Jordan of pezcollectors.com has the new Star Wars Gift Set.  

One of the new sets features Chewbacca & Porg and the other features BB8 & Rey.  They are packaged in new white boxes. Porg was first unveiled on September 1st at the Force Friday 2 event.

This is a USA release.

These are available through Pez dealers for now and we will let you know when they start popping up in stores across the country.

Photo: Kathleen E. / Facbook / Las Vegas Sin city PEZ convention

Coming soon, new PEZ CANDY GIFT TIN...

September is always packed with new releases from PEZ Candy Inc, and today we want to share pictures with you of the PEZ Candy Tin which 
will be coming soon.

The new PEZ Candy Gift Tin (USA only) will feauture over

50 PEZ Candy refills assorted fruit flavors and will include a 

PEZ Regular Dispenser.

This is a must have for us :)

Picture: PEZ Candy Inc.

All the details about the BIG E PEZ...

We now have more details about the new BIG E Pez dispenser, and we are happy to share all of them with you.

PEZ will be again at the Eastern States Expedition in West Springfield Massachusetts, the expo runs from September 15th till October 1st.

Tickets and more info can be found here The BIG E

Here's what you need to know!
PEZ Candy Inc. has made a total of 1100 dispenser, the dispenser will 

be sold for $8 and the T-Shirt will be $20.

You can purchase a special package bundle T-shirt & Puck 
together for $25.00, maximum 3 per person, 

 while supplies last.

2016 & 2017 BIG E - Eastern States Expedition PEZ

Special package bundle 

T-shirt & Puck 

together for $25.00

Disney's Star Wars PEZ hit Europe

PEZ Big E Puck & T Shirt 2017

Pez announced today the first pictures of the Big E PEZ puck and T shirt that will be available at their booth at the Eastern States Expedition in West Springfield Massachusetts. The Expo runs September 15th and runs though October 1st.

This will surely be one to add to our collections!

Photo: Pez USA

PEZ Lineup 4th Quarter and First Quarter 2018 and beyond

 We would like to thank Chris Jordan of pezcollectors.com for the great monthly news letter! She always has the latest news on Pez!

For Halloween 2017 a new Mummy has been added to the lineup and should be hitting stores near you very soon if not already.

Coming this Christmas is special mini PEZ ornaments for the tree, snow globe, plus an Angel with Blonde hair in the tube assortment.  A few folks have already found the snow globe PEZ in stores. Mini PEZ include Santa, Elf, Reindeer, and Angel with brown hair. We love the new additions to the Christmas lineup.

Photos: Chris Jordan

Also New Valentine Bears are expected for Valentines 2018.  This picture was taken at the PEZ visitors center located in Orange, CT the newest upcoming releases are displayed in a glass case.

Marshall will also be added to the Paw Patrol Assortment sometime this month.

The Eastern States Expedition known as the Big E in West Springfield Massachusetts starts on September 15th and runs though October 1st. PEZ usually has a big booth at the show and in years past has had a special PEZ to commemorate the event. 

Jurassic World a Fallen Kingdom is expected to hit theaters in June 2018. We saw these at this years Sweets and Snacks Expo. A new Jurassic themed tin on display which included 

Mosasaurus - Blue Stem

Tyrannosaurus - Red Stem

Triceratops - Orange Stem

Velociraptor - Blue Stem

These will be the click and play version, also the tin will also feature a game board like the Smurf's tin that was released earlier this year.

Chris Jordan is reporting that the tins will ship in the beginning of April 2018.

Photo: Lucy M

Chris Jordan of pezcollectors.com/ announced in her September newsletter that May 2018 will bring a new assortment of the Incredibles including Dash,

 Jack Jack and Violet with heads and busts!!

 A completely new variation of a favorite!!

The new Incredibles movie is scheduled for a May 2018 release.

The Biggest take away from all the news is a surprise to many collectors! 

Dr. Seuss Tin!!

A gift tin is scheduled for a 2018 October release. The tin will feature Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Max. We are very excited for this!!

Photo: Google Images

More News will be coming so make sure to check back often!!

Hurricane Harvey Animal Relief PEZ

Pez Palz is so happy to announce that Tina G. is working with Tracy from Poor Paws to create a special Hurricane Harvey Pez to help all displaced animals from the current disaster in Texas.  These will probably be limited to 150 and they are selling for $35 each + postage.  If you are interested in helping please contact Tina G. through her website

http://www.snowcrest.net/tina/ 

and Tina will give you all the details. 

All the profits will go to help in Texas. 

Big thank you to Tina & Tracy! You are both AMAZING!

Barky 
(Both print versions)

Photo Tina G.