Boomer Fad Toys

Does the word Pfefferminz mean anything to you? Probably not, but that's the full name of Pez candy, a German confection that soared in popularity when Eduard Haas III introduced the first dispenser in the late '20s. Early dispensers looked like cigarette lighters, marketed as an alternative to smoking. Dispensers didn't have character heads until 1955. Some of the first characters included Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse. Since then more than 1,500 character dispensers have been created. The list includes Elvis, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Betsy Ross and Daniel Boone. — Photo by James Worrell