This
is the season for giving thanks, so I'd like to express
my gratitude for a variety of things that make life as a
Pezhead easier and more enjoyable.
The
Expand-A-Shelf
Essential
to a good Pez display are the tiered shelves which hold
the rows of loose Pez dispensers. Some Pezheads order these
shelves from specialty merchants online or at Pez conventions;
others are skilled enough to build them on their own. As
for me, I get my shelves from Bed Bath and Beyond. Called
the "Expand-A-Shelf" and advertised as a spice
rack, it has a nice white color and wide tiers, and it can
expand or contract depending on your display needs and the
size of the cabinet or shelf you put it on. And it's cheap,
too- only $10 per shelf, plus with the thousands of Bed
Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons that arrive at your mailbox
each week, the deal is even sweeter.
I'm
a little worried that I am unable to locate the Expand-A-Shelf
at BedBathAndBeyond.com, but a quick Google
search confirms that there's no shortage of these wonderful
little things at the click of a finger.
Pez
Community/Pez List
Whenever
I need a Pez pick-me-up, I head over to the Pez
Community forums or the Pez
list. While it's nice to hear about my fellow Pezheads'
miracle garage sale scores, or to hear about upcoming dispensers
that will be gracing stores in the near future, the real
reason I am drawn to these sites is the firsthand accounts
of new Pez in stores today. Without these sites, I never
would have known about the new Toy Story dispensers at Toys
R Us, the Ice Age dispensers at CVS, or the Wizard of Oz
Pez at Family Video, to name just a few examples. True,
sometimes the finds are at stores not in my area, and sometimes
even when Pez is found at local stores I end up hitting
many different locations (I'm looking at you, Walgreens).
But a kickstart for a Pez hunt is never a bad thing and
it makes the inevitable find that much sweeter.
When
I find new Pez, I often try to return the favor by posting
where I found it on Pez Community.
Pez
conventions
Ever
since attending my first Pez convention in 2001, I have
been exposed to more Pez, and more Pezheads, than anywhere
else. While the most enduring part of Pez conventions is
the feeling of familiarity you share with fellow Pez collectors-
that feeling of "I am not the only Pezhead!" that
sometimes eludes you with friends and family back home-
there is also of course the heaps and heaps of Pez that
you add to your collection. I've found a fair number of
vintage and unique current Pez on eBay, but it's not quite
the same as visiting trusted dealers at conventions, chatting
with them about the qualities of dispensers, and getting
to hold the Pez in your hands, to really examine it and
appreciate it, before finally deciding on it.
I could
go on and on about how much fun I've had at Pez conventions,
but instead of blistering up my fingers, I'd rather just
point you in the general direction of my several recaps
in the archive.
iPod
Touch
At this
point I've lost count of how many times I've mentioned how
valuable the iPod Touch can be for Pezheads everywhere.
The large touch screen displays photos of my Pez collection
in bright, colorful, and zoomable fashion. Having quick
access to these photos when on the Pez hunt helps me to
make sure that I am not unintentionally adding duplicates
to my collection, and allows me to fill in the gaps of existing
collections with confidence. I am sure that there are similar
devices out there that can accomplish the same thing, but
for me, nothing tops the iPod Touch.
So I'll
say it one more time (well, for now, anyway): Thank you,
iPod Touch! And thanks to everything and everyone else that
helps to make being a Pezhead truly where it's at.
