PEZamania is the largest and oldest PEZ convention in the world. It was originally started in 1991 in Mentor, OH by Richard Geary. Since then it moved to the Cleveland area and has changed hands several times, but it has continued to be a place where PEZ collectors and their families can come reconnect with friends, enjoy fun events, and buy/sell PEZ items. The convention is definitely geared toward those who are PEZ collectors, but many family members (often known as "enablers") usually have a great time and are welcomed with open arms by the collectors.

The convention generally has between 400 and 450 registered attendees, over 90 rooms open for selling, and a full ballroom (all four sections) open on Saturday for the public show. There are thousands of dispensers from very old to very new all at your fingertips!

PEZamania is an event run under the umbrella organization "VPC Productions." VPC Productions is a registered 501(c)(3) organization founded by Landon Proctor and Morgan Rhinehart. We like to say there is no "owner" of PEZamania, only hosts. You as the collectors "own" the show because you are the supporters and the reason it keeps going. We want to make changes and improvements based on what you want to see.

All the money we bring in from the charity auctions, silent auctions, and lounge lizard tickets goes directly to Gliding Stars - the PEZamania charity for over a decade. All registration fees go toward putting on the event. As a 501(c)(3) organization we are legally not allowed to profit from event, and because the hosts are directors and spouses of the directors of the organization we also cannot pay ourselves. Therefore, any registration fees that exceed the costs of the year's event will be either: (1) donated to the Gliding Stars, (2) donated to the VPC Productions' established scholarship: the VPC Community Involvement and Kathleen Eovino Memorial Scholarship, or (3) put toward next year's convention to provide more events and prizes.

You aren't required to stay at the convention hotel to register and attend the events, but we highly recommend it! It makes it easier to take quick breaks during the day, hang out in the Impulse Lounge until late at night, and drop off your armfuls of purchases regularly! :) We get a special rate from the hotel to try to make it as affordable as we can. While it isn't required, it is where all the fun happens!

Believe it or not, people come in as early as the Saturday or Sunday before the event even starts! Some people may start opening their rooms on Tuesday, but if you want to make sure you don't miss any official convention events, plan to come on Wednesday and leave on Sunday morning. This year we will be holding a big event on Saturday night with entertainment, social time, and amazing themed grand prizes! If you can stay, you definitely should!

Emphatically yes! The convention officially runs Wednesday through Saturday, but if you can only make a couple days there will still be plenty to do and many prizes to win! We want to welcome you to the convention for as long you can be there. Take a look at the agenda, and if you have any specific questions about the events so you can decide when you come, just let us know!

Room hopping is a key feature of all larger PEZ conventions. Attendees who choose to sell out of their rooms will leave their doors open throughout the day and anyone can pop in and out of open rooms to see what is for sale. You certainly don't have to be a seller and keep your room open if you don't want to. You can come and take advantage of all the shopping opportunities throughout the hotel. Usually at PEZamania the first floor is completely filled with people selling out of their rooms, the second floor is majority sellers, and if space is needed there are some on the third floor too. There isn't a set time for room hopping - if rooms are open you can shop! Some dealers open as early as Tuesday of the convention week and others may not set up fully until Friday so the key is to keep making rounds to check out all the rooms. You'll be able to find everything from vintage to current, price thousands of dollars to free. There really is something for everyone!

Swag swapping started a few years ago and originally came about through Brian Jaskolski. It's totally optional and some attendees participate and others don't. The idea is everyone brings items ("swag") to trade with one other. It can be as simple as post cards or stickers or as elaborate as painted and themed fantasy dispensers. It is all up to your imagination, time limits, and budget. There is no formal trading event - you can trade with anyone throughout the whole convention. It's a fun way to strike up a conversation and see the creativity of others in the community. Most items are PEZ themed, some are themed to match the convention, but sometimes people even bring snacks to trade as their swag. If you want to get an idea of all the different types of swag, check out this album put together by Karen Pachowicz! People make anywhere between 50 and 125 pieces but the average seems to be right in between.

For the most part, cash is king! Every dealer at the event both during room hopping and the Saturday ballroom show will take cash. There is an ATM available at the hotel, but the fees are relatively high and at times it does run out. Many dealers will also take friends and family PayPal as an alternative. Some dealers, though a small number, may have a square reader or other mechanism to take credit and debit cards or they will offer Venmo, but many will not have this option. Your best bet is cash followed by PayPal.

You can buy these tickets for $2 in the registration room when you pick up your registration packets. In the past tickets were limited to 128 and often ran out by Thursday morning. We are upping the number this year! There will be up to 256 tickets available so everyone who wants to play should be able to play.

You don't HAVE to dress up, but it is highly encouraged! Especially for our Family and Friends Hoe Down on Saturday. We are planning a big themed event with entertainment, decorations, and themed prizes. Your hosts will definitley be showing up dressed for the theme and we'd love for you to join us! But if you don't want to break out the boots and hats, you can certainly come as you are.

Generally, yes you must register and you must register AHEAD of time. The registration room will be open at the event; however, this is to sign-in and pick up previously purchased packets. New registrations will not be sold or processed during PEZamania. The only events open to non-registered guests (other than children) are room hopping and the public show on Saturday. All other events require a registration and the current year's name badges must be shown to win any prizes.

Nope! If you are in the area and planning to come by on Saturday for our public show, there is no registration required. It is free to attend (donations to charity accepted) and you can come once the doors open to the public. While we would also recommend registering and coming for the whole convention, if you can only make it to the public show we would be happy to see you there! You'll see PEZ at all price points and from all years. Enjoy the nostalgia or start a collection!

All adults should be registered to attend PEZamania but you do not have to pay to register children 14 and under. You may complete the new optional registration for kids 14 and under. It is free and will allow us to provide them with their own name badge and convention goodies! Registration is not required for children to play the kids games or rodeo games, but we do encourage you to complete this new free option. If you choose to, you may register your child/children at the full convention price. In this case, they will receive a full convention packet and be eligible for all the same prizes as an adult registration.

You can register under the "registration" tab on the website. You can choose either a premium or standard registration option. The premium registration provides more items and additional raffle tickets and game cards; however, even standard registrations will be able to fully participate in all events. Both registrations cover the same events and the same prize opportunities. You should add one registration per person and be sure to select a t-shirt size for each registration. Please do not register by changing the "quantity" because we will be missing information.

At this time we do not offer absentee registration or packets. However, we may make packets available after the event on a first come-first serve basis if they are left over.

Nope! Selling out of your room is available at no additional charge to all registered attendees. If you want to sell out of your room you can indicate this on your registration and we will do our best to get you on the lowest floors of the hotel.

We can't guarantee a specific room location but we will do our best to put all rooms that will be open for selling on the lower floors. If you are flexible with the type of room you are in (single king vs. two doubles or two queens), it will be easier to place you on the lower floors. We work with the hotel about 30 days in advance to try to get everyone placed. However, if when you register you don't let us know you are selling out of your room, we will not try to get you any particular placement. You may end up on the fourth or fifth floors of the hotel.

Yes. Dealer tables are $45 each and can be purchased when you register, or at any time before they sell out. You can purchase as many dealer tables as you need to have on Saturday.

YES! We absolutely welcome donations to support the programming and charity auctions. We host two charity auctions and two silent auctions that benefit the Gliding Stars. We also host free kids' games where we give out prizes and participation bags. You can donate PEZ items toward any or all of these events. Common items that tend to do very well in the live auctions include autographed PEZ dispensers, original artwork, unique vintage items, international dispenser or licensed items, and hard to find advertising items. Our silent auctions have a wide range of items from box sets and tins to autographs and vintage. We appreciate any donation you are willing to provide to support us and the Gliding Stars.

Yes! Both VPC Productions (the organization under which PEZamania operates) and the Gliding Stars are registered 501(c)(3) organizations. All donations you make to PEZamania and all purchases you make at the auctions that exceeds the established value of the item are tax deductible. We will provide tax letters to each donor at the end of the calendar year.

If you're interested in volunteering at PEZamania, send us an email! There may be opportunities to help in the registration room, during kids games, or for other things throughout the week. If you are local to the Cleveland/Independence area we can absolutely use your help leading up to the event to post flyers, distribute promotional materials, and contact local newspapers or radio stations to promote the public show.