Goin' Down to Burlingame (continued) top of page | cover page

Along the far wall there were a series of framed dispensers signed by celebrities, such as a Wonder Woman Pez signed by Lynda Carter and a Hulk Pez signed by Lou Ferigno. There was even a Smurfette dispenser signed by someone who provided the voice of Smurfette for the cartoon show. This is the same type of memorabilia I have been adding to my own collection recently, with a Joe Cool dispenser signed by Henry Winkler and an Elvis dispenser signed by Elvis tribute artist Donny Edwards

The museum featured plenty more, including a nice variety of Pez advertisements and t-shirts, some displays for other classic toys such as Viewmaster and Colorforms, and a couple of well-done fantasy Pez dispensers in addition to those created for the dioramas. Check out this cool Jabba the Hutt:

As for Gary himself, he was a very nice man and a gracious, knowledgeable tour guide. When he talked about Pez he got the same smile on his face and gleam in his eye that I see so often in fellow Pezheads, and I am sure others see it in me whenever I talk about Pez. And on the particular day I was there, he had to talk about Pez a LOT- there was a seemingly endless stream of visitors and he gave each and every one of them personal attention. He did give me the honor of passing along the welcoming pineapple:

After we left the display room, we took time to pause and marvel at the 8 foot tall, custom made giant Snowman dispenser. Although it has made its way into the Guiness Book of World Records, this dispenser was not officially made by Pez. Nonetheless, it stands as a piece of art made for someone with a clear appreciation for the hobby, and for sharing that appreciation with everyone.

As I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of people at the museum the day I was there. However, from talking with most of them, I am fairly certain that I was the only collector. Most people had presumably heard about it in a local newspaper or magazine feature article, or perhaps even traveled from distant locales to be here (one man said he was from Germany, but I wasn't sure if he had traveled all this way just for the museum).

Although my collection is not as diverse and impressive as that of the museum's, I did enjoy showing a few pictures from my iPod touch (the very same pictures that I don't leave home without when I am going on a Pez hunt).

I purchased three items from the Burlingame museum: A carded Batman with cape that I did not previously have (which has already been added to my existing Batman collection), a lime monochrome whistle, and a nice custom dispenser from the museum. All for a very reasonable price of $24. Now that's what I'm talking about!

I can't emphasize enough how thrilling it was to finally make it to the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia. Even though I have given a detailed account of my visit, there is plenty more to experience here, and it is really worth a visit in person. For the very modest admission fee of $3, the devoted Pezhead, the casual collector, or anyone for that matter can step inside the world of Pez and behold the depth, wonder, and joy of the hobby. The sheer number of dispensers and other memorabilia, the various pieces of artwork inspired by the hobby, and the kindness and knowledge of the owners make this one Pez destination you can't afford to miss.

And now, a brief song in honor of my visit.

Goin' Down to Burlingame
To the tune of "Goin' Down To Liverpool" by The Bangles
Copyright 2009 JoePez Publications

Hey now
Where you going with that Pez dispenser in your hand
I said, hey now
Off the train and towards that Pezzy land

I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
To get my Pez on
To get my Pez on

Hey there
Where you going to see to a massive Pez display
I said, hey there,
Dispensin' all your troubles far away

I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
To get my Pez on
To get my Pez on

Hey now
Where you goin' to get some cool Pez history
I said hey now
Be amazed, then buy some Pez for you and me

I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
I'm going down to the Burlingame museum
To get my Pez on
To get my Pez on
To get my Pez on
That's right, my paisan

Pez Poetry top of page | cover page

Pez Haiku #95

There is death, divorce,
And despair in today's news.
Time to pop a Pez.

Burlingame

Things'll never be the same
Now that I've done Burlingame
All the Pez at that museum,
I sure am glad I got to see 'em.

Round the corner, see the sign,
Getting closer, feeling fine.
Open door! And step inside,
See a Pez world, far and wide.

Gary's cool, yes, be assured,
He'll take you on a magic tour.
He'll show the many Pez displays,
And tell you of the early days.

Take some pictures, ooh and ah,
A giant sign! Hooray, hurrah!
Autographs and ads galore,
So much Pez there to explore.

Hear the 8 foot snowman's call,
Guinness knows it's mighty tall,
Pick some Pez up for the road,
There's always one more left to load.

All the Pez at that museum,
It seems like it was just a dream.
Things'll never be the same
Now that I've done Burlingame.

Pezamania Now!

I drove from Pennsylvania
To get to Pezamania
The weather sure was rainy, yeah
But I am not complaining now

Bring it on, this cool July,
'Cause there's Pez in large supply
The well will never be run dry.
My Independence Day is nigh.

I've got a list already made
Gonna buy and sell and trade,
And when I see that Pez displayed,
I'll reach the end of my crusade

Pezamania 19,
Sure to be a real fine scene
A land of plastic and of dreams,
Now won't this light please turn to green!

Pez Almost-Quote of the Month top of page | cover page

"Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be a Pezhead."

Cover | Table of Contents | Page 2 | Page 3