Pez heads celebrate the pop culture phenomenon in Myrtle Beach.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. _ Gerhard Trebbin traveled more than 3,000 miles to the Grand Strand this week _ not for the waves, but to talk candy in a hotel room.

``It's a part of culture,'' the German collector said while unpacking hundreds of Pez candy dispensers from card board boxes.

Myrtle Beach is the landing place this week for more than 100 Pez collectors and dealers from across the United States, Japan, Austria and Germany.

The Pezheads, as they call themselves, set up Thursday at the Crown Reef at South Beach Resort for an open-door convention that runs through Saturday.

``We always see some really interesting groups come through here,'' …