Smoking Prohibited-Pezzing Allowed
Austrian Edward Haas III was avidly anti-smoking, and invented the first ever breath mint as an alternative to cigarettes in 1927. The lozenge-shaped mints were made of compressed sugar and peppermint oil, and were sold in pocket sized tins. Haas named them PEZ, derived from pfefferminz. In 1947, a mechanical dispenser that resembled a lighter was added, like the mints themselves, targeted to adult consumers. The new packaging achieved moderate success in Europe, and Haas decided to take his product to the US where it failed to sell. Haas didn’t give up.
Candy + Toy = Success!
For the US market, Haas added fruity flavors to the lozenges, and character heads to the dispensers, and the combination of toy and candy proved irresistible to the kiddies. PEZ dispensers still sell in the millions, (although the privately held company does not publish its sales figures), a remarkable achievement considering that the company does little advertising. PEZ may well be the most successful impulse buy ever.
Collecting PEZ
In 1993, Christie’s Auction House successfully included PEZ dispensers in a Pop Culture auction. PEZ has appeared on the cover of Forbes Magazine, and a Tweety Bird PEZ had a supporting role in an episode of Seinfeld. Collectors gather at annual conventions, and there’s even a PEZ Museum in Burlingame, California. It is uncertain exactly how many different dispensers there are, but estimates put that number at between 400-450. These include many dispensers made and sold overseas that were never available in stores in the U.S. At any given time, there may be as many as 60 or 70 different varieties available at local retailers.
PEZ Facts
Until recently, PEZ heads have never been produced in the likeness of living people because people rarely have interestingly shaped heads and the company doesn’t want to risk a product recall when the character on its product goes to rehab or prison. However, that policy changed in 2006 when a limited edition series of the Teutul Family, Paul Sr, Paul Jr, and Mikey of Orange County Choppers was issued, and one has to wonder why. Before the OCC set, the only real people immortalized on PEZ Dispensers were Betsy Ross, Paul Revere, and Daniel Boone, although these were generic not actual likenesses accessorized in historical garb. The Star Wars collection features 15 characters including Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, but Han Solo is conspicuously absent.
Finally! Elvis Pez!
The long awaited Elvis Pez was introduced in March 2007, in a special series of 3 dispensers that really do look like the King. These include armed forces Elvis, 1968 Elvis and 1973 Elvis in a collector tin. Also included are an Elvis facsimile autograph, and a three-track sampler CD as well as two packs of delicious Pez candy. This “special edition” set (mine is #342,266 of 400,000) was purchased at Meijer for $14.99, and based on the quantity in which it was produced, won’t be particularly valuable for at least another 50 years. You can find single Elvis dispensers on eBay for $1-2 plus shipping.
Dating Pez Dispensers
The dispensers haven’t changed much in fifty years except that in the 1980’s; feet were added for greater stability. Pre-1980 dispensers without feet command the highest prices. The stems are stamped with a patent number, which can be used to determine age and the country of origin, which can be Hong Kong, Austria, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, or the US.
PEZ Values
As with most collectibles, the value is based on rarity and condition. Collectors place the most importance on the condition of the head. If the paint is intact, and the spring still snappy, prices can be high even if the stem is damaged. Common and current PEZ Dispensers will bring from $1-$6 in good condition, but the older ones go for considerably more.
The highest prized PEZ Dispensers are rare, such as the Admiral (only one known to exist!) and the Alpine Man which was produced for the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 2006, the PEZ Dispenser known as Astronaut B, produced for the 1982 World’s Fair brought $32,000 at auction.