Your Old PEZ Dispensers Might Be Worth Something
PEZ dispensers, nostalgic candy dispensers with their signature decorative heads, are more than just a fancy way for kids to consume candy – they’re also in high demand in the collector’s market right now. Some of them sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars, so if you have any of your old favorites in boxes, you might want to check if they’re worth something.
Which PEZ dispensers are valuable?
The Austrian company PEZ Candy began producing mints in 1927 (first in the form of a “drop”, and then in the form of familiar bricks that we know today). He officially unveiled his first dispenser at the Vienna Trade Fair in 1949, and by 1957 added the signature 3D head at the top. Early dispensers featured a Halloween witch and Popeye.
Like many collectibles, the older they are, the more valuable they are, especially if they are still in their original packaging. According to one success story, a rare prototype Mickey Mouse “soft head” dispenser from the 1970s sold for $3,500 on eBay in 2019, according to Love to Know . They also report that a similar Dumbo soft head dispenser prototype sold for $2,728 that same year, and a ” Mod PEZ psychedelic eyeball flower ” from the 1960s recently sold for $350.
To determine how old your PEZ dispensers are, check the patent number on the side of the stem:
- Patent No. 2,620,061 was obtained between 1952 and 1968.
- Patent No. 3,410,455 was obtained between 1968 and 1974.
- Patent No. 3,845,882 was obtained between 1974 and 1976.
- Patent No. 3,942,683 was obtained between 1976 and 1989.
Another quick way to tell the age of your dispenser is if it has square feet at the base that you use to mount them: they didn’t become standard until the mid-1980s, so the stemless dispenser is older than that. 1952-1968 dispensers usually sell for more on the market, and popular characters will be a better choice than obscure, unrecognizable characters.
How to sell a collective PEZ column
Your best bet is probably eBay. This list of eBay search results shows the most recent PEZ dispenser sales, which can give you an idea of what yours can go for. You can also search for a more specific dispenser, such as “PEZ Mickey Mouse Dispenser 1972” to see if anyone has sold your particular item, when it was sold, and for how much.