Chances are good at one time or another you owned a little plastic candy dispenser called PEZ. You may wish you saved some of those cute faced candy containers from your youth.
People across the country are searching for older pieces many of us have thrown away.
PEZ dispensers came into existence in 1948. They look like a disposable lighter with a character head you lift up to have the candy come out.
Early PEZ featured heads of Donald Duck, Popeye and Mickey Mouse.
Dispensers are more valuable in their original plastic, but unless most are new, don’t expect to find many in that condition. They are too much fun not to remove the packaging. And, if displaying them, the package is just in the way.
The color of the stem usually matters very little. But, whether or not it has feet is important.
PEZ dispensers before 1987 had no feet and are considered valuable. One problem does exist. Some molds without feet are still made today because of their popularity. Get a guide book if you want to know more specifics and beware of dispensers whose feet have been cut off.
If you want to start a PEZ collection, start with ones you may find at a store. Don’t worry; it will easily grow from there.
There are several types of dispensers to start collecting. Most have heads. Some have advertising logos. It really depends on your preference to which is best.
So which ones should you keep an eye out to get? Monsters are always big, especially those from the “Eerie Spectres” series like Diabolic, Vamp, Zombie, Spook and Scarewolf. They can be worth $100-$300 each.
A PEZ featuring a witch on the side is worth $3,000. A vintage elephant goes for over $3,000 and a bride as much as $2,000.
Has collecting PEZ peaked your interest yet?
A cowboy with no feet, human head and brown hat is worth $300. Certain astronauts go for $400. A vintage no feet pineapple PEZ was for sale on eBay for over $3,800. A yellow face, no feet Jiminy Cricket is valued over $600. Original Star Wars character PEZ dispensers are worth $400-$500 each.
Many early Superheroes go for $200-$400. A red or green space gun dispenser is valued around $300. Vintage sports PEZ in box go for around $300.
Even PEZ display boxes are valuable with some going over $1,000.
There are tons of price guide books out there so look them over for one that fits your taste. It should not be more than two years old.
Once you’ve purchased all available PEZ containers in the stores, remember new ones are always being produced, I recommend you go to flea markets. Older ones often sell for $1 each and many dealers do not realize their value.
You can buy a big lot of dispensers on eBay, although that is for collecting purposes only. Their value is probably not too high. But individual valuable ones are available.
Go online and search for PEZ shows. They are held all over the country. Buying and selling PEZ dispensers are a huge deal.
Legend has it that eBay began because the founders wife wanted to sell her PEZ collection.
I think her hubby made more on selling the eBay site than she did on her PEZ, but who knows what PEZ can bring you. Hopefully, it will be a little candy, a valuable collection and a lot of joy!
