7 Vintage Pez Dispensers That Are Worth The Most Cash

Invented in Austria in 1927 by Eduard Haas III, PEZ were originally peppermint candies that were created to help adults quit smoking. In fact, the first PEZ dispensers, which date to 1949, were in the form of lighters. Eventually, the company realized it would be more successful if it targeted kids instead of adults, so, it switched to fruit flavors and topped the dispensers with character heads. 

Today, there are 10 flavors of PEZ, although the candy's ingredients may have to change soon in order for it to continue to be sold in California. PEZ may be a classic candy, but let's face it: The dispensers are the star. 

Over the decades, the company has created more than 1,500 different PEZ dispenser heads. Typically, a dispenser is only released onto the market for a limited time, much in the same way as McDonald's Happy Meal toys, which has made them attractive to collectors. Some dispensers will remain fairly easy to find from sources like online auctions and PEZ conventions, while other dispensers are hard to come by. Some rare PEZ dispensers can even fetch thousands at auction. Whether you're fascinated by PEZ or are hoping that one you've held onto is worth a small fortune, here are seven vintage PEZ dispensers worth some serious cash.

There are lots of Disney character PEZ dispensers, but if yours has a soft, rubbery head, it could be worth a lot of money. Soft head Disney PEZ dispensers were created in the 1970s, but were discontinued due to high production costs. That means soft head PEZ Disney dispensers are rare, and pretty valuable to collectors today. Certain characters are especially sought after. A soft head Mickey Mouse, for instance, sold for a whopping $6,000 in 1998. Dumbo is another pricey soft head Disney character PEZ dispenser that sold for $2,728.00 on eBay in 2019. The Captain Hook soft head PEZ dispenser is also a treasure, with one reeling in more than $2,000 on eBay in 2019. 

If you don't have a soft head Disney cartoon character PEZ dispenser, you might be able to make a small fortune with another model, namely the Mary Poppins PEZ dispenser. Released in 1973, it's extremely rare today. There are two versions: one with normal cheeks and a rarer and thus more valuable version with painted cheeks. Today, Mary Poppins PEZ dispensers can go for as much as $1,500, which is almost as impressive as a magic carpet bag.

For most of us, the moniker "Alpine Man" doesn't mean much today, but in 1972, he was the official mascot of the Munich Olympics. Food brands and the Olympics are known to partner up on occasion, and to celebrate this mascot's glory, PEZ released a promotional dispenser with his likeness that was only given out at the Games. Alpine Man's bulbous head, prominent ears, traditional green feathered hat, and enormous black mustache add up to a lot of charm. But that's not why this PEZ dispenser is worth so much. Instead, it's due to its rarity; it was never released to a wide market outside the Olympics. 

Alpine Man may not have competed in the Olympic Games that year, but he's a champion in his own right, ranking as one of the most valuable PEZ dispensers in existence. In fact, an Alpine Man PEZ dispenser can go for as much as $1,433 in today's market.

PEZ has produced a number of dispensers featuring astronauts over the years, but one is galaxies away from the rest when it comes to value. Food and drinks go hand in hand with the World's Fair, and the 1982 celebration was no different. The 1982 World's Fair Astronaut PEZ dispenser is a special variation of the Astronaut B produced for the fair. This dispenser is the stuff of legends, especially among PEZ collectors, as there are only two of those variations still around. In fact, it's rarity makes it quite valuable, with one selling for the staggering price of $32,205 at a 2006 auction. 

But some PEZ fans and experts think it's possible that there are some other 1982 World's Fair Astronaut PEZ dispensers out there. If that's true, there's a chance you might come upon one, but you'll have to check one key detail to be sure. The 1982 World's Fair astronauts is a version of Astronaut B, but with the words "1982 World's Fair Knoxville Tennessee" inscribed on one side.

You may not be able to get your hands on your own World's Fair Astronaut PEZ dispenser, but another astronaut might also make your wallet happy: Astronaut A. Astronaut A dispensers were first released in Europe in 1962 and appeared on the US market later. They resemble a number of other 1960s PEZ astronaut dispensers, with a somewhat roughly molded head covered by a space helmet. There are several variants of Astronaut A, with differences in helmet or stem color. The most expensive version has a fuchsia stem; one of these, which also featured a silver helmet, once fetched $1,900 on eBay. 

That price is on the high end, though, as it has also sold for just over $450 and is currently valued at around $700. Still, when you consider how little the PEZ dispensers cost when they first hit the marketplace, these prices are still pretty stellar!

In 16th- to 18th-century Europe, owning a pineapple was a status symbol. Luckily, that's changed. But there's one kind of pineapple that's still a luxury: the 1979 Crazy Fruit Pineapple PEZ dispenser.

This fun dispenser is topped with a pineapple wearing a pair of white sunglasses. It's the kind of thing you might chuckle at if you saw it while waiting in line at the grocery store. But if you knew its value among collectors, your chuckle would probably change to wide-mouthed awe. In fact, one of these dispensers sold for $2,185 at a 2009 auction. The current price to snag this unique PEZ dispenser is a staggering $3,313. It's the Crazy Fruit Pineapple PEZ dispenser's rarity that makes it so valuable, a rarity that's increased by the fact that the perfect model's sunglasses should be unscratched. We're also guessing that the Crazy Fruit Pineapple's quirky charm may also have at least a little bit to do with its value, too.

Some PEZ dispensers are only available in particular countries or regions. That's the case for Sparefroh A, which was released exclusively in Europe in 1970 for World Savings Day. This elf-like figure was a mascot of Austria's Sparkasse Bank. These PEZ dispensers were given to children who visited a branch of the bank on that day. Sparefroh A PEZ dispensers have the same basic design as other PEZ dispensers of that time, but with something extra – a fake coin attached to the stem.

Sparefroh A PEZ dispensers' value can vary depending on what's inscribed on the stem. Those with the phrases, "DEINE SPARKASSE," "SPARKASSE DER STADT ENNS," or "SPARKASSE ROTTENEGG" might fetch higher prices, but you can generally find them listed for around $725. There's also a Sprefroh B PEZ dispenser, which was issued in 2010 and is far less valuable and listed for $30. Whatever they get for their Sparefroh PEZ dispenser, hopefully, the seller will put some of that money into a savings account.

Although its iconic character head dispensers are the way most of us get our PEZ fix, PEZ dispensers have also come in other forms. For instance, in 1955, the company released dispensers shaped like robot and Santa figurines. The following year, PEZ released space gun dispensers. These small, plastic toy guns resemble water pistols – but as you might have guessed, instead of water they shoot PEZ. The candies are loaded into what's essentially a PEZ dispenser located inside the handle of the gun. If you pull the trigger, a PEZ tablet shoots out.

While they might seem like ill-advised toys for a number of reasons, PEZ actually continued to make and sell space guns until the early '80s and their novelty and unusual form continue to draw collectors. The PEZ dispenser guns that are still attached to their original card backing are the most valuable, and in 2023, a three-piece set fetched $700. If you don't have a backing card or multiple dispensers, you can still hit a pretty good target. For instance, a single '50s PEZ space gun dispenser sold for more than $200  in 2017. Space guns from other eras can fetch some great prices, too. For instance, a six-piece set of PEZ Ray Gun Shooters from the '50s to the '80s sold for $750 in 2024.