Energy Turns the World (but PEZ rocks eBay)

August 18, 2006 8:37 PM

Is this the most valuable PEZ dispenser in the world? Collectors know of only two examples of this 1982 World’s Fair astronaut design PEZ dispenser - each in a different color scheme. Between 06:29:59 PDT and 06:30:12 PDT, the eBay bid for the green stem example from the Headley-Du Vall PEZ Collection exceeded the current world record of $6,000 for a single dispenser. (More inside).
posted by nanojath (30 comments total)

I discovered the auction following up the exploits of Metafilterian bleucube, who is hosting the auction on behalf of mail order entrepreneur and Dean Du Vall (who is apparently well known in the Pez world). As of this posting it had exceeded $20,000. If the sale goes through it will far exceed the world record.

While it appears Mr. DuVall himself is largely responsible for advertising it as the “$100,000 PEZ dispenser" (the classified ad he placed in 1999 asking this price is discussed in this PEZ convention bit on NPR), with 8 days to go it could just happen. Will the PEZ collecting price point attain a new order of magnitude this summer? (Coincidentally, the 1982 World’s Fair is the destination of Bart Simpson’s misguided road trip to see the Sunsphere in a 1996 Simpson’s episode...)
posted by nanojath at 8:39 PM on August 18, 2006

I don't know if this is true, but I've read that Pierre Omidyar started Ebay to enable his then girlfiend (and now wife) to trade Pez dispensers.
posted by pruner at 8:46 PM on August 18, 2006

Actually, it's not true. But it makes a good story.
posted by bob sarabia at 8:53 PM on August 18, 2006

bob - I was just gonna post a follow-up, having read the following on the Ebay's wikipedia entry:

The frequently repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade PEZ Candy dispensers was fabricated by a public relations manager in 1997 to interest the media. This was revealed in Adam Cohen's 2002 book and confirmed by eBay.
posted by pruner at 8:55 PM on August 18, 2006

Bleucube, you say? That guy really knows how to scrap up a dollar, doesn't he?
posted by bob sarabia at 8:59 PM on August 18, 2006

Well, shit; now I wish I'd kept mine in the original bag.
posted by yhbc at 8:59 PM on August 18, 2006

I bet the candy is stale by now.
posted by Balisong at 9:03 PM on August 18, 2006

in-frikkin-credible.
posted by nickyskye at 9:03 PM on August 18, 2006

eBay appears to have weathered the storm of this shocking revelation. I've been checking in on this auction for 2 hours now and the price has gone up $11,000 in that time. Mesmerizing... (I always wonder what all I wrecked and threw away in my misbegotten youth).
posted by nanojath at 9:06 PM on August 18, 2006

That guy really knows how to scrap up a dollar, doesn't he?

Well, he did end up giving all the money from the shock collar experiment to the charity. That project and subsequent post is how I came to know him.
posted by nanojath at 9:08 PM on August 18, 2006

This is the Pez dispenser I'd like to have. Nothing like a toy pistol that shoots candy into your mouth.
posted by marxchivist at 9:22 PM on August 18, 2006

Well, he did end up giving all the money from the shock collar experiment to the charity. That project and subsequent post is how I came to know him.

Hm, I don't remember getting that vibe from that post at the time. The post says "10% of the proceeds go to charity. That other 90% go to being awesome." So if he's now giving 100% to charity, then more power to him.
posted by bob sarabia at 9:26 PM on August 18, 2006

So, is Metafilter now a site featuring the best of bleucube's various schemes to raise money or sell shit? I'm a toy collector and even I'm not sure that a link to an eBay auction, a Geocities site who has already exceeded bandwidth and a factoid about expensive Pez make much of a good Metafilter post. Certainly there are Pez web sites or message boards (particularly discussing this particular Pez) that would have fleshed out this post a little better than simply using Metafilter to promote an eBay auction.
posted by MegoSteve at 9:26 PM on August 18, 2006

When I emailed bleucube to tell him I was posting this I told he we'd end up having this discussion, MegoSteve. I looked up what information I could find, that GeoCities page is still working for me (I'll be sorry if this ends up hammering that poor lady's site). I thought the shock collar experiment was interesting, apparently a number of other people did as well, someone else promoted that project to the front page. I'm not connected to this auction in any way and I don't stand to gain anything by it. I thought the world record angle was interesting. Flag it if you think it sucks, if they pull it I won't bitch.
posted by nanojath at 10:05 PM on August 18, 2006

I had a season pass to that worlds fair. Cool memories.
posted by UseyurBrain at 10:34 PM on August 18, 2006

I went to that fair and I was 9. I might have come home with that dispenser. It looks miiiiighty familiar.
posted by damehex at 10:48 PM on August 18, 2006

Incidentally, according to this article one of those ray-gun dispensers Marxchivist is talking about went for $11K+, some discussion I saw online assert that as the current record but I couldn't find any other corroboration.
posted by nanojath at 11:00 PM on August 18, 2006

a factoid about expensive Pez make much of a good Metafilter post.
Don't visit much huh?
posted by PHINC at 11:29 PM on August 18, 2006

Does anyone else want to break that thing?
posted by hoborg at 11:30 PM on August 18, 2006

posted by knave at 12:29 AM on August 19, 2006

W O     D
F   I R
posted by Eideteker at 7:17 AM on August 19, 2006

(in case Eideteker's comment is a little too enigmatic...)
posted by nanojath at 8:12 AM on August 19, 2006

Ha ha, thanks! Wasn't sure anyone would catch the allusion.
posted by Eideteker at 8:27 AM on August 19, 2006

Sad, so sad.
posted by 517 at 9:04 AM on August 19, 2006

hoborg: "Does anyone else want to break that thing?"

*raises hand*
posted by ZachsMind at 10:12 AM on August 19, 2006

Over $25k.... and the reserve is still not met.
posted by bonehead at 10:23 AM on August 19, 2006

Nanjath: You're pretty much a sucker for losers like bleucube. Don't give him any money and don't post his money grubbing projects here. Please.
posted by bob sarabia at 11:56 AM on August 19, 2006

that should be "nanojath"
posted by bob sarabia at 11:58 AM on August 19, 2006

You're cute in a wise, avuncular way when you start handing out the sage advice, bob. I'll run everything by you from here on out.
posted by nanojath at 1:21 PM on August 19, 2006

I feel like I learned so much today. i once made a sculpture out of pez dispensers i'd smashed to pieces, turns out I should have saved them. I like this post.
posted by jrb223 at 5:09 PM on August 19, 2006