If you have an old Pez dispenser with an interesting character head, it’s possible that you’re holding a lottery in the shape of a candy box! That’s right! The candy box line Pez started in the 1950s is unexpectedly popular today as collectibles, selling for big amounts of up to a few thousand dollars.
Intrigued? This guide will help you assess the true value of vintage Pez dispensers, along with the 15 most valuable dispensers that are unbelievably expensive. You could be rich if you have them!
Brief History of Pez Candy Dispensers
The world-famous Austrian candy company Pez released its first candy dispensers in 1949 at the Vienna Trade Fair. These early dispensers were regular boxes. The company then added character heads to them in 1955, and they instantly became popular among kids.
In the 1950s, the first character dispensers Pez released were Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Popeye. The company then made thousands of dispensers based on popular fairy tale, cartoon, or movie characters, as well as original characters.
While these dispensers were popularized for kids, they have become a special collectible today, which can actually be worth a lot!
15 Most Valuable Pez Dispensers Worth Money
The average price of a vintage Pez dispenser ranges from $10 to $50 for common characters. However, rare, special-character dispensers can sell for up to $5,000 or more due to their high desirability. Here are the 15 rare and highly valuable Pez dispensers ever sold!
1. 1961 Political Donkey Three Dispensers (Sold for $20,000 Combined)
In 1961, Pez Candy Company exclusively made three donkey dispensers to be given as a present to the U.S. President, John F. Kennedy on his visit to Austria. Being extremely rare and unavailable for sales or auctions, these three Pez Political Donkey dispensers are one of the most expensive ones, worth around $9,000 to $13,000 or above each.
2. Mickey Mouse Soft Head Pez Dispenser (Sold for $3,500)
One of the first soft heads made by Pez Candy Company was Disney’s Mickey Mouse. It produced a few samples in the late 1970s, but Disney did not permit Pez the license to start this line. So, the only few Mickey Mouse dispensers ever made were the soft head prototypes.
One of these rare Mickey Mouse Soft Head Pez dispensers was reportedly sold for $7,000 to a US collector, and another one was sold at $3,500 in 2019, according to Pez Collection Hero!
3. 3-piece Set of 1968 Pez Psychedelic Flower & Hand Dispensers (Sold for $3,500)
At LiveAuctioneers, a set of two Pez Psychedelic hand dispensers and one Psychedelic Flower dispenser from 1968 was auctioned for an exceptional price of $3,500. All three dispensers are retired models and two of them have patent numbers and “Made in Austria” markings on them, making them extremely valuable.
4. Dumbo Soft Head Prototype (Sold for $2,728)
Made in 1979, Dumbo is another expensive Pez dispenser you mustn’t miss! It features a Dumbo head with an orange hat attached to a light pink stem. A rare Dumbo soft head prototype was auctioned for $2,728 on eBay, as stated by Pez Collection Hero.
5. Captain Hook Pez Dispenser ‘Soft Heads’ Prototype (Sold for $2,500)
If you loved the iconic villain Caption Hook from Disney’s 1953 animated film “Peter Pan,” you’re going to love this Disney Caption Hook Pez dispenser, too. A rare factory prototype of the Caption Hook ‘Soft Head’ dispenser by Pez was sold at a whopping $2,500 at an auction.
6. Landerbank Hippo A Pez Dispenser (Sold for $2,000)
One of the rarely found Landerbank Hippo dispensers in good condition won a high bid of $2,000 at an auction via AntiquesNavigator. This dispenser was released as a part of the Animal series and has “Landerbank” (a European bank) marked on the side. The head of the dispenser is orange while the stem is green.
7. 1950s Pez Space Gun (Sold for $1,099)
A rare 1950s Pez space gun dispenser sold for a whopping $1,100 on eBay. It included the original box along with the original gun permit paperwork, which justifies its high price.
8. 80th Anniversary Mickey Mouse Pez Set (Sold for $1,225)
I found a set of five limited edition Pez dispenser bundles that sold for a stunning price of $1,225 on eBay. The bundle contained one set of three gold edition Mickey Mouse dispensers, one set of three Silver edition Mickey Mouse dispensers, and three tubes with the 1928 Steamboat Willie dispenser.
9. Pez Pal Knight Dispensers No Feet (Sold for $1,100)
Pez’s 1972 Pal Knight dispensers are generally found with red stems, but the ones with black and white stems are highly collectible. A pair of black and white Pal Knight dispensers with the 2.62 patent number and “MADE IN AUSTRIA” mark on the no-feet stems auctioned for $1,100 on LiveAuctioneers.
10. Pez Disney Mary Poppins Dispenser No Patent (Sold for $1,000)
The Disney Mary Poppins Pez dispenser was made in 1973 in a very limited number, and one was sold at an online auction for $1,000. It has an orange Mary Poppins face with red hair and a pink hat and a blue stem with the “MADE IN AUSTRIA” marking.
11. Pez Arithmetic Candy Dispenser (Sold for $761)
An unused, mint-condition Pez Arithmetic candy dispenser from the 1960s with its original pamphlets won a bid of $761 on eBay!
12. 1970 Pez Fireman Dispenser No Feet (Sold for $422)
A Pez’s 1970 ‘Fireman’ dispenser is sold at $422 on Etsy. It’s a retired model and has no feet at the base, which makes it highly desirable and rare to find.
13. 1977 Blue Astronaut B Pez Dispenser No Feet (Sold for $239)
This 1977 Pez dispenser features a teal blue Astronaut head with a matching stem marked with “Made in Austria.” While the price range of the blue Astronaut B dispenser is quite wide, one sold for a surprisingly high price of $239 on eBay!
14. Disney Dopey Pez Dispenser (Sold for $175)
If you’re a Disney fan, this is a must-have collectible for you! It’s a 1967 retired dispenser based on the popular Disney character, Dopey, that sold for $175 on eBay recently in March.
15. 1966 Pez Batman with Cape No Feet Dispenser (Sold for $195)
After the Batman series 1966 Batman series came out, Pez Candy Company released the Batman dispenser. Since Batman is still one of the most loved superheroes, the original Batman dispenser with no feet fetches good returns today. I found a Pez blue Batman on eBay that sold for an above-average price of $195!
Finding the Value of Vintage Pez Dispensers
As you can see, rare Pez dispenser models can be worth big bucks! But how would you know which model is valuable and which isn’t? Well, there are six important factors that determine dispenser’s worth!
Original Box & Pamphlets
Old Pez dispensers with their original boxes and packages are more valuable than those without. The original manuals, paperwork (special permits), and pamphlets that come with the box also increase the value.
Rarity & Desirability
Limited edition or retired Pez Dispensers, which are usually hard to find, are highly desirable and fetch hefty returns today. Similarly, sample or prototype Pez dispensers, which weren’t made available in markets for public sales, can sell for a few hundred or even thousands, depending on the character.
Age
You can calculate the estimated manufacturing year of a vintage Pez dispenser by the patent number marked on the side of its stem. You can date your old Pez dispenser using the following patent number and year table.
| United States Patent Numbers | Manufacturing Year |
| 2,620,061 – 3,410,455 | 1952 to 1968 |
| 3,845,882 – 3,942,683 | 1974 to 1976 |
| 4,966,305 – 5,984,285 | 1990 to 1999 |
Besides, a small number of Pez dispensers produced in the late 1970s were made as ‘soft heads.’ However, these were soon discontinued due to high production expenses after the 1979 oil crisis.
Since they are made in limited numbers, the ‘soft heads’ dispensers can be worth a pretty penny today. A 1979 Zombie Soft Head dispenser sold for $344 on eBay, but soft head dispensers with popular characters can sell for over a thousand dollars.
Stem Feet
The feet of a dispenser is another significant factor to assess its value. Since the Pez company began adding the feet only in the 1980s, dispensers without the feet are generally older and more valuable than the ones with feet, such as this 1960s Medic nurse Pez dispenser with no feet that sold for $728 on eBay.
Special Characters
Pez dispensers modeled on popular film, cartoon, or fairy tale characters are generally worth more. For example, a Mickey Mouse softhead prototype was sold for a mindboggling price of $7,000 via a private sale.
Here are the most notable special character series released by Pez that are generally worth more:
- Star Wars Series
- Disney Pez Dispenser Series
- Animal Series
- Circus Pez Dispensers
- Psychedelic Flowers Dispensers
- Psychedelic Hands Series
- Peanuts Pez Dispensers
Condition
Mostly, vintage Pez dispensers that are in mint condition and don’t have any severe cracks, chips, or discoloration are worth the money. Broken dispensers or ones with missing heads or stems aren’t valued too much.
Whether a Pez enthusiast or not, you must be on the lookout for the above rare dispensers and know how to ensure that one is valuable or not. I’m sure you won’t want to miss out on a hidden gem. Another common collectible that gets overlooked as a regular toy is Funko Pop, which could be worth a fortune, too!
