I really enjoy going on vacation. Who doesn’t? But I find that it is taking me longer and longer to “get back into the swing of things” after going away for even a short trip. I am finally catching up from my trip to Terrificon, and hope to resume posting exhibits shortly.
On my way to Mohegan Sun, I stopped at the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut. I knew PEZ had made a Casper head with two or more different colors of die-cut stems, and was hoping to see one in person. I found one very quickly in the history display near the front door:
PEZ from the 1960’s including Casper
Later, near the window to view the factory area, I found another, along with one of the dies used to cut the design into the stem:
PEZ with dies used to cut stems, including Casper
I know PEZ are very collectible, but know little about their true value. I know the Caspers I have seen on eBay have sold for $100 or more. I believe Casper did not come with “feet”, the feet on the two in the photos above were probably added by the people creating the displays to help them stand up better. If you have any information about Casper PEZ you would like to share, please leave a comment below, and if you own a Casper PEZ and are willing to share photographs of it, please use the Contact the Curator form to let me know!
I was pleased to note that there were several comic book dealers at Terrificon, and that a couple of these dealers had Harvey comics. I even bought a comic as an upgrade to one I already owned. I spent some time talking with fellow Harvey comics fan Dan Parent:
Dan Parent and Jonathan Sternfeld at Terrificon 2016
Mr. Parent is probably best known for his work with Archie Comics, but has recently been working on a new project called Die Kitty Die. I was very happy to be able to buy the hardcover book and have Dan sign it.
My only complaints with Terrificon are that it seems very crowded, making it hard to go from table to table; and that it is a very expensive convention to attend. Ticket prices are on the high side, and the room rates are as well. It honestly felt like being at New York Comic Con, but with much fewer dealers. With that being said, I still had a great time, and will probably attend again next year.
In sad news, today is the last day to view the first-ever public display of the Harvey Mercheum permanent collection at the main branch of the Schenectady County Public Library (SCPL). I will be removing the display tomorrow. My thanks to the SCPL for providing me the opportunity to share the collection with the public. Hopefully other such opportunities will arise in the future.
