Who is the person behind this item?
Most individuals may not be familiar with the name Eduard Haas. But, when it comes to his 1927 invention: Pez candy and the original Pez dispenser, just like the 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut PEZ Dispenser, the case couldn’t be more different.
Haas and his colleagues created a Pez dispenser that resembled a cigarette lighter in 1947. The “Pez Box,” a plastic dispenser that dispensed one candy at a time, debuted a year later at the Vienna Trade Fair. And got patented in 1949 under the appellation “Pocket Article Dispensing Container.” The instrument was once again a sensation.
Why is this item so rare?
According to most articles online, the dispenser, known as the 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut PEZ Dispenser, is one of just two known to exist in the entire world, but some still debate this fact.
This 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut PEZ Dispenser is unusual since it was made specifically for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. The developers had no intention of releasing it to the general public.
Suellen Headley and her husband, Dean F. DuVall, own the dispenser, which got etched on the side with “1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, Tennesse” (Tennessee got misspelled on the piece). The dispenser got designed to look like an astronaut, complete with a white helmet and a green stalk.
How much is it worth today?
This Astronaut dispenser got listed on eBay in 2006 with a starting bid of $500, a $30,000 reserve. And a $100,000 “Buy It Now” option, inscribed with “1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, Tennesse,” The winning bid was 32,205 dollars.
The exact value of Astronaut B from the 1982 World’s Fair got hotly discussed among Pez collectors. Some estimate it to be worth around $10,000 in 2006. However, according to the Pez Price Guide, it is valued at $12,000.
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