Cameron Smith-Rodewald, PEZ

Cameron Smith-Rodewald collects PEZ. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, Cameron shares how a childhood curiosity became a 3,700-piece collection and lifelong passion.

I consider 2008 to be the year I began collecting PEZ seriously. I was 18, in my first year of college, and displayed my childhood dispensers on my dorm room windowsill. I started adding whatever I could find in stores. Now I have over 3,700.

How do you describe your collection?

I collect PEZ dispensers, PEZ-licensed items, and basically anything that says PEZ.

Most people know what PEZ dispensers are. You can still buy them today and the company releases many each year. I also have licensed items such as electronic PEZ dispensers, PEZ diecast cars, and plush PEZ. Some of my favourite pieces include school tools, jungle mission tools, and magic dispensers.

I do have some vintage PEZ dispensers, which in the PEZ community refers to items made before the late 1980s that lack feet. Today’s dispensers all have a small foot at the bottom of the stem.

My collection primarily consists of newer dispensers and licensed items. I have some electronic dispensers like the Jar Jar Binks version that loads in the back and spits out candy on his tongue, which is really funny. They have similar ones with Marvin the Martian and Wile E. Coyote.

PEZ conventions, such as PEZMania, also release their own dispensers. They are not typically produced by the PEZ company, although they are sometimes. I try to collect dispensers from the conventions I have attended in person.

When and why did you start your collection?

I had PEZ dispensers when I was a kid. The first one I got was Taz from Looney Tunes, the Tasmanian Devil. I still have it. I liked collecting things such as rocks, marbles, and LEGO.

How do you display and store your collection?

I display all of the loose PEZ dispensers in a dedicated room in our apartment on IKEA shelves. A member of the PEZ community came up with plans for grandstands using yardsticks and plastic moulding. Since newer dispensers have feet, the moulding holds them in place. I adapted those plans for my shelves and shared a video on Instagram about building them.

Other PEZ objects, such as giant dispensers and box sets, are displayed on shelves around the apartment. Some items are stored in bins, organized by type.

I track my collection in Google Sheets, noting stem colour, feet, and variant type. I don’t actively collect variations, but I log them anyway, along with patent numbers. PEZ has held several patents over the years that affect dispenser design. The patent number is on the stem with the logo and the country where it was made. The other side has an IMC number (injection mould code) that shows where it was made. For example, a six usually means China and a one means Hungary. Using Google Sheets lets me carry this data everywhere.

What do you consider to be the Holy Grail of your collection?

That is tough because I have a couple of favourites.

One is a professionally framed set of 16 vintage PEZ clickers from the 1970s. They are odd little toys that remind me of dog training clickers. I first acquired 15, then found the final one later. They are special to me both for their look and for surviving this long.

Another is a table I modified. It looks like a coffee table but has a cardboard interior lined with felt and a custom glass top. I like it because I made it, and it’s a fun display piece.

There are also vintage dispensers that I would love to own someday. A set of three Asterix characters is worth about $3,000 each, and Mary Poppins dispensers go for more than $1,000. If I ever get to the point where I can afford them, I would consider adding them to my collection.

What advice would you give to someone interested in starting a PEZ collection?

Modern PEZ dispensers are easy to collect and inexpensive.

Because there are so many different characters and themes, start with what you like. If you are into Disney, focus on Disney PEZ. If you love Halloween, collect Halloween PEZ. It can be overwhelming, so narrowing your focus helps.

The community side is great as well. Conventions are a fun way to meet other collectors and see the variety available. There are also Facebook groups, like Let’s Talk PEZ, which are welcoming and helpful for new collectors.

You can also follow PEZ creators on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for inspiration.

See more of Cameron’s PEZ collection on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads.

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