Curtis Allina Dies at 87; He Put the Heads on Pez
Curtis Allina, a candy company executive who presided over a powerful innovation in marketing that was less about the candy itself than it was about the container it came in — and who in unintended consequence created a universe of enraptured collectors — died Dec. 15 at his home in Olympia, Wash. Mr. Allina, who helped bring the world the modern Pez dispenser, was 87.
I cannot imagine a life without PEZ heads? Thank you, Mr. Allina.
This Bride and Groom PEZ was a re-release a few years ago. The originals were released in the 1970s and are probably the most valuable PEZ around. I remember seeing a set at the first MNPEZ Con that Stephen and I attended in 1996 when we lived in Minneapolis. At that time, they were valued at $1500 and were NOT FOR SALE.
These were offered by mail-order (and later online at http://www.pez.com/ but that store is currently closed) directly from the PEZ company. I paid $25 for the set. I am sure they would be worth more if I had kept them MOC (mint on card) but I prefer to play with my PEZ. :)
Since that time, PEZ has also released a bride with brown hair and an African-American bride and groom couple. All bride and groom PEZ are currently retired.
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