The San Francisco Chronicle made a rare foray down to lil ole B'game to visit our friend Gary Doss and his PEZ Museum and wrote up a lovely review of the local gem
“I’m good, thanks,” said Doss, when asked by a museum visitor if he would like a raspberry-flavored Pez candy to chew over while he pondered exactly what he had gotten himself into 24 years ago when he opened the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia at 214 California Drive, a few blocks from the Caltrain station.
Inside the museum are 1,100 dispensers — at least one of every model made by the Austrian candy company since it began cranking them out in 1950. The museum is one of those places that, if it cost more than $3 to go in, nobody would. A magazine named it one of America’s top 50 roadside attractions, along with the beer-can house of Texas, the shoe tree of Nevada and similar places that most parents have made a habit of driving past on road trips without stopping.
Fortunately, three bucks buys not only an admission ticket but a personal guided tour from Doss, a former computer salesman and metal worker who got hooked on Pez a quarter century ago at an antique show. He tossed the computers from the Burlingame storefront to make room for the Pez dispensers and has never looked back, even when — as on Thursday morning — only three people showed up.
Way to go, Gary. As the giant new building rises across the street, let's hope over sized, glass-faced beasts don't consume everything quirky and quaint in town.
Speaking of gems of Burlingame... assuming you knew about this? https://www.gofundme.com/aida-opera-candies-continuation
Posted by: Occasional Contributor | September 17, 2017 at 10:44 PM
There's no denying that I've finally put my money where my mouth truly is with a donation.
We all rallied for Sam's Sandwiches a few years ago to give Reno stopgap funding against business failure, and it would be a crime to deny Aida Opera Candies a like bailout.
Why is it that Burlingame's longtime Mom and Pop's are now up against impending financial ruin?
Posted by: pat giorni | September 19, 2017 at 04:01 PM
Thank you to all the Burlingame Chocoholics who've tossed in contributions so far; but I know there are more of you out there who'd like to see Aida's thrive through the holiday season, and beyond. The campaign goal has reached the 50% point--$4,965 of $10k goal--raised by 62 people in 14 days.
https://www.gofundme.com/aida-opera-candies-continuation
Posted by: pat giorni | September 25, 2017 at 11:09 PM
Day 20 of the Aida Opera Candies campaign, and it appears to have stalled.
Folks, I'm going to ask you to donate the price of 1 pound of See's Assorted Chocolates ($19.90)as a gift to keep this business alive.
Thank you.
Posted by: pat giorni | October 01, 2017 at 12:22 PM
'Will do. Thanks Pat, for doing this, I didn't know a campaign was going on... Is this a Pat "in house" campaign, or was this in a newspaper (or both?)
Posted by: Jennifer | October 01, 2017 at 01:35 PM
Jen,
Scroll up to 1st entry from Occasional Contributor(Sept. 17)....This is where I 1st heard that Aida's launched the campaign which I started pushing that day with a contribution, because like Sam's Sandwiches,I think we can ill afford losing the Moms and Pops of Burlingame.
Posted by: pat giorni | October 02, 2017 at 11:49 AM