Founded By Gary Doss And Boasts Over 1,000 Pez Pieces Including A Classic Toys And Banned Toys Museum
It wasn't really Gary Doss' choice to open the Burlingame PEZ Museum in 1995. It sort of just happened when his PEZ collection started to overrun his computer store. His PEZ collection now boasts over 1,000 pieces. In fact, he has every PEZ dispenser ever sold.
It all started with a single PEZ dispenser, of course. One caught Doss's eye at an antique show in the 90s. He saw somebody selling PEZ and thought, “What a silly thing to collect.” It's a toy that gives you candy, notes Doss. “That, to me, [though] is perfect.” So he set out to collect them all.
He hasn't sold a single computer ever again.
Doss graduated from high school in Burlingame and then went off to San Francisco State University, majoring in small business. Once he graduated college, Doss worked at an industrial spray painting shop, owned by his family. His takeaway from that business: “It was so dull!”.
He bought an Apple II computer the first year they came out in 1977 and invented a metal box you store it in that could be locked and not stolen. His family started selling those…then he opened his own computer store.
This is “life before PEZ,” according to Doss. And life before PEZ was very dull. He was never much of a collector, but the one time he collected anything he was 10 years old, collecting stamps from Czechoslovakia. This was around World War II and the stamps were all “downers,” said Doss. They depicted all sorts of tragedies: “very heavy material.”
Now, at 61 years old, Doss is constantly surrounded by candy and toys…all memories of his childhood. “A lot of these toys bring back a lot of fun, happy memories,” he explains. “We hear that a lot from people who visit.”
There are a lot of rare PEZ out there. There are some worth close to $10,000 (like a PEZ dispenser prototype of the Democratic donkey, given to John F. Kennedy when he visited Austria. PEZ originated there and there's only three of that specific model.) However those rarities were never sold to the public so they won’t be found in Doss’ museum.
When he began, Ross relied on various collectors’ books to supplement and build his collection. Now, there is a very active PEZ community on the internet with PEZ collectors helping each other locate dispensers. There are nine PEZ conventions in the United States every year as well as several more around the world.
Some of Doss's favorite PEZ dispensers are the PEZ dispensers shaped like guns, which came with flower-flavored candy (“That didn't help sales at all.”). He also likes any astronaut-themed PEZ dispensers, since they were his heroes growing up. There’s also a PEZ dispenser called the Psychedelic Eye.
“That’s one of the most bizarre ones,” notes Doss. “There's nothing else in the entire world like it. [You have to think] what was the board room like when they were coming up with those ideas? Mickey Mouse, Woody Woodpecker…and a giant eyeball in a hand! Whose idea was that? [But] in mint condition, it's worth $800.”
So Doss collected all the PEZ dispensers ever sold. Now what?
About ten years ago he added the Classic Toys Museum. Toys over 50 years old that are still made to this day can be found in the museum, including the first Lincoln Log sets, the first Slinky, the first Mr. Potato Head set. Doss is super fond of the View Master, since 70 year old slides can still work on the new viewers.
He added the Banned Toys Museum five years ago, which includes toys that have been pulled off the market for being dangerous or politically incorrect.
“Just about everybody has had Lawn Darts…it's amazing. [But] every third visitor tells me a horror story with Lawn Darts. We are pleased they are a banned toy. So many injuries with those things...,” said Doss. “One [banned toy] that is [completely] over the top is the 1951 Atomic Energy Laboratory. It was made by AC Gilbert, who made the Erector Set, which was the number one toy until World War II. [ACG] made a lot of chemistry sets. I had one growing up. [But there is] no way in heck they'd make those today with all the chemicals... It [actually] included radioactive material. It was very bold. Luckily it was so expensive that not many were sold.”
According to Doss, these three museums are “something silly” but also “slightly educational.” He sees people smile and learn something new every day. Like any museum, noted Doss, it's a link to the past. Families can come to any of the museums with every generation recalling certain memory…or even creating new ones.
All of this isn't enough for the avid collector. Doss just purchased a banned candy called “Road Kill Gummy Bears,” which featured little gummy animals that were created flattened with tire treads down the middle. It was banned in 2005 when the ASPCA complained that it “will make small children hurt small animals.”
The candies will soon be on display. “I will have to see if there's more banned candy out there. This could be the start of a new exhibit,” gushes Doss.
These nostalgic underpinnings linking yesteryear to the modern day helps create a common bond between people from 8 to 80. “[I mean] there's a common bond [here],” explains Doss. “I mean…who doesn't like toys? That's what makes life fun!”
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
Make Sure To Stay At: