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| Picture by Kolohe |
Newton Antiques and Collectibles is an interesting stop in Newton, North Carolina. Although this is primarily an antique shop, the owner, Walt Granford, is a dedicated PEZ collector and has what may be one of the largest private PEZ collections in the United States. It was reported that the collection contains over 100,000 PEZ units. He started colleting PEZ dispensers 30-years ago when he purchased a Pinocchio dispenser for $4 at a garage sale and when he arrived home he found out that it was worth $150.
We enjoyed looking at some of the unusual antiques before going to the back of the store to see his collection.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
PEZ was first marketed in 1927 as a peppermint candy in Vienna, Austria. The name PEZ is an abbreviation for PfeffErminZ (German for peppermint).
Originally, the candies were round and sold as "PEZ Drops" in round rolls. However, over time the candy design was changed to a rectangular shape and packaged in containers similar in shape to a cigarette lighter.
In 1949, PEZ dispensers were officially introduced to the world at the Vienna Trade Fair; and then in 1952, PEZ products were sold in the United States. However, sales increased substantially in 1955 when PEZ started putting heads on the dispensers and marketing the product to children. The first heads were Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Popeye, and Santa Claus.
Currently, over 1500 character dispensers have been created and it was reported that today there are billions of annual candy sales in just the United States. PEZ Company headquarters are in Traun, Austria, while the candies are produced in Janossomorja, Hungary, and Orange, Connecticut. At the facility in Orange, there is a 4,000 sq. ft. visitor center and museum. I'll have to add this stop to my bucket list for the next time I'm in Connecticut.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
After we had finished looking at the PEZ collection, we noticed a door with a sign that said: "World Fair Museum." When we inquired about the museum sign, the owner explained that he also collected world fair memorabilia and he agreed to unlock the door and let us look at some of the world fair items that he had collected. He explained that he became interested in world fair items because part of his PEZ collection was displayed at the 1984 World Fair in New Orleans. His world fair collection even included a limited edition Elvis set that featuring three different PEZ dispensers from different periods of Presley's life, and an Elvis record It happened at the World's Fair.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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