By Marsie Hall Newbold
Enquirer contributor

Who: Devon Miuccio, 5, of West Chester Township, the son of Dean and Alison Miuccio, a preschooler who has been collecting PEZ dispensers since he was 3 years old.

Devon Miuccio, 5, has 26 PEZ dispensers. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

On display: Twenty-six of the colorful candy holders, which were introduced in America 50 years ago, including those in the likeness of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Elvis Presley, Batman, Spider-Man, C3PO and R2-D2. He also owns a PEZ pumpkin, ghost, reindeer and snowman.

Where: On a bookcase in his bedroom.

Personal preference: His favorite dispenser looks like Yoda, the pointy-eared, troll-like character from the Star Wars movies. "I just like Yoda," Devon shouts with the exuberance that has earned him the nickname "Tigger." "I don't know why, but I just like Yoda so much."

On the lookout: Just before Christmas, Devon was hoping the next addition to his collection would be a zebra PEZ dispenser. "Those are hard to come by," his mother says, out of her son's earshot. "But I spoke to Santa Claus and heard that he is getting a Santa one. He's going to be shocked with that one, I think. He's very picky. He only wants the ones that he wants."

The family (including his maternal grandparents, Martin and Wylma Stuart) buy them whenever they are out shopping. But it has gotten to the point where his Nana and Pop-Pop have to have him along, because they are not sure which ones he has.

Devon says that his favorite place to find PEZ dispensers is Jungle Jim's.

Butterfingers: He claims that his mommy won't let him eat much PEZ candy. But that's OK, because his 5-year-old fingers find the dispensers hard to fill. When he does indulge, his favorite flavor is lemon.

Teachable moment: "Every night when he goes to bed," his mom says, "he changes, brushes his teeth, gets a book and when he is lying down he says: `Mommy, will you count my PEZ for me?' "

You can't hurry love: "I don't hurry through counting them," she continues. "He's still learning to count and I figure that he'll catch on. For me, everything is teaching. I figure he may learn to count that way.

"I don't think he's ever asked his dad to count them," she adds, chuckling. "That's a `me' thing, I guess. He wants me to read a story and me to count the PEZ."

Mrs. Miuccio believes that she'll be sad when her son moves on to something else. "I get as much of a kick of it as he does," she says.

Share your prize possessions with Marsie Hall Newbold by mail: c/o The Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, e-mail: marsolete@aol.com. Please include a daytime telephone number.