If you haven't seen the documentary "The Pez Outlaw" (2022) you really should. It's a fascinating look at the world of Pez, complete with rogue collectors and corporate villains. And it might be, above all, a love story. It's got something for everyone! And, as a bonus, you get to learn about Bubble Boy, which is now officially my favorite Pez dispenser.
The Bend Film Festival describes the documentary, which was directed by Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel:
Set in the glorious 1990s, the film follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a small-town Michigan man who heads to Eastern Europe in a dual effort to pull his family out of poverty and escape his boring job. Steve becomes the hero of his own adventure, smuggling the rarest of goods (Pez dispensers) into the U.S. and making millions in the process. It was all magical until his arch-nemesis, the Pezident, sets out to destroy him. At its core, the film is designed to be fun and entertaining, but Steve's story is also about family, true love, mental health, and ultimately, a man who defies expectations and finds his purpose.
The documentary includes the story of the first Bubble Boy Pez dispenser that Steve Glew's son Joshua sold to a collector—for a whopping $1200! Today those original Bubble Boy dispensers go for up to $200. The website Eighties Kids explains:
A valuable collector's item, the Bubble Boy dispenser played an unexpected role in PEZ history, triggering an epic feud between the company boss and a black-market smuggler known as the 'Pez Outlaw.'