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Did you ever notice these cute dispensers when you were growing up? Amazingly, they are now collectibles! The inventor of PEZ® was Eduard Haas III. PEZ® comes from the first, middle, and last letters of the German word for peppermint, PfeffErminZ.
In 1927, PEZ® candy was created in Vienna, Austria. Then in 1948, the PEZ® dispenser was on the market. The PEZ® dispensers and candy were not available in America until 1952. Can you believe that the candy was advertised in Austria as a breath mint? With some research, I found the dispenser for this candy was designed in the shape of a cigarette lighter. Due to market research in 1952, the candy was made into fruit flavors for children and the character heads were added. PEZ® is now available in 60 countries around the world.
The candy was imported from Europe and the first United States PEZ® factory was located in New York. In 1972, the U.S. division of PEZ® Candy moved to Orange, Connecticut. PEZ® Candy, Inc. was originally Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation. This changed in the 1970’s. Their motto used to be “A Treat to Eat in a Puppet That’s Neat!” In the U.S.A. alone, there are 3 billion PEZ® candies consumed annually. PEZ® dispensers are a hot collectible for both children and adults.
There is a number on the side of the PEZ® dispenser indicating the country where it was manufactured. For example: 1 = Hungary, 5 = Slovenia or Yugoslavia, 6 = China or Hong Kong, 7 = Czechoslovakia, 3 or 7 or 8 = Austria. If you do collect PEZ® dispensers, there are a few acronyms you should know. They are: MOC = Mint on Card (this does not mean the card is not bent or torn), MIW = Mint in Wrapper, MOMC = Mint on Mint Card, MIB = Mint in Bag, and NF = No Feet.
Where can you find these sweet treats? Most of the dispensers, with the exception of the international and rare ones, can be found at your nearest grocery store or department store. The cost will vary between $2.00 to $3.00. International and rare ones are sometimes difficult to locate. A web site I would recommend is SJGlew. I’m sure there are other web sites as well, just search on PEZ® dispensers. When purchasing PEZ® make sure they are in mint condition, either MOMC, or MIB, or MIW. I would not recommend purchasing them loose. Their value is increased if left in original packaging.
There are variations of the PEZ® dispensers. Yosemite Sam decided to shave. The body parts of him did not fit the original Yosemite Sam because of his beard! Therefore, PEZ® had to give him a shave. The original was sold in the U.S., but the body parts were not. Since the body parts are now sold in the U.S., the new revised Yosemite Sam is available. The European market had the body parts so, of course, the short whiskered PEZ® was available in that market. Hopefully, your PEZ® fits in the dispenser! If you live in Hungary, this isn’t the case. Hungary has one type of PEZ® called Fizzies. Since their shape is round, they do not fit in the dispensers.
An interesting variation is Goofy. Goofy’s head was revised at the base of his hat. The variation for Austria is round at the base of the head, whereas, the variation for Hungary is flat at the base of the head. The Snowman was also revised to enlarge the nose from the original version.
Rare PEZ® Collectibles
During the 1970’s, the “PEZ® Circuit Puppets” series was produced. Mamma Giraffe, included in this series, is one of the hardest to locate. She is not known to have any variations and is very scarce. Current pricing for this item is hard to obtain because of its scarcity. The price range has been between $100 to $350.
In the mid 1960’s, an Austrian bank manufactured a hippo with the inscription of “LANDERBANK”. Believe it or not, this dispenser can also be found with the inscription of “HIPPO”. A few have been seen strutting around in the United States. They are currently selling from $800 to $1,400.
Have you seen Mr. Ugly lately? Collectors have been seeking him out for the past year. This has increased the price from $10 to more than $50, depending on color variation.
About three years ago, PEZ® Candy, Inc. placed the pilot and stewardess PEZ® at the airport vending boxes to sell to airlines. Well, you guessed it! The airline gave them to their passengers as a token of appreciation. Believe it or not, the airline’s plan failed. Therefore, PEZ® sold them on the open market. If you find these in the original vending box, the price for the pilot is $174 and the price for the stewardess is $195.
Get ready to take out your wallet. The Panther from the series of 1960 is worth from $200 to $300. With this dispenser there are not any known variations. A lot of collectors I know gave me a lesson on how to tell the age of a PEZ®. There is a patent number on the stem of the PEZ® that reflects the year span it was manufactured. If you catch yourself on the verge of purchasing a PEZ® and want to know the time it was produced, hopefully the following information will help. Pay attention to the first two numbers in the patent. The following list will help you to determine when they were produced.
2.6: between 1952 and 1968
3.4: between 1968 and 1974
3.8: between 1974 and 1976
3.9: between 1976 and 1990
4.9: 1990 to current date
If someone calls you a “Pezhead” do not be offended. It only refers to someone who collects PEZ® dispensers.
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