October 27, 2005
Pez MP3 Player ANDREW ZIPERN
Any eBay veteran can tell you about the unusual relationship that collectors have with Pez dispensers. The little plastic candy holders were one of the first collectible items to take off in online auctions. Just last month, a Dutch buyer paid $800 for a vintage model shaped like a pear.
Now, for $99, Pez aficionados can take their obsession into the digital age with the new portable Pez MP3 player. The device, available at pezmp3.com, is powered by a single AAA battery and topped by the Pez Pal Boy head.
<img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/10/26/technology/27pex184.jpg" alt=" - " />
Pat Misterovich, a stay-at-home dad in Missouri, created the player, which can also be used as a stand-alone U.S.B. drive. Mr. Misterovich said in an e-mail message that he was "trying to take advantage of the 'world is flat' idea," and described the player as a "grass-roots, labor-of-love type of product."
This Pez head does not dispense candy, and delivery takes at least four weeks. But if you want one, you had better hurry. Mr. Misterovich said the first edition would be limited to 5,000 players. Of course, you could always search for a used one on eBay.
ANDREW ZIPERN
