Pez dispensers have come a long way. The original 1930s versions looked like a metal lighter and came only with peppermint candy, a flavor harkening back to Pez’s inception a decade before when the candy was sold as a smoking cessation aid. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s that Pez, an Austrian company, opened up shop in America.
From its operations in New York City, Pez invented a new type of dispenser — a space gun that shot out (well, more like plopped out) Pez candies in 1956. The following year, someone had the bright idea to pop plastic heads on the dispensers. Licensing opportunities, with Popeye as the first, were licenses to print money. From there, the rest was history.
Hundreds of unique Pez dispensers have been produced, with thousands of variations, and some of these tiny little plastic boxes are worth a small fortune. So check your attics and basements. You might own a Pez dispenser that can make a Pezhead dispense some serious cash. These are the most valuable Pez dispensers in the world.
Landerbank Hippo A
Year: 1971
Price: $900
Note: We combed through the Pez Price Guide and other sources to find the most expensive Pez dispensers in the world.
Bottom Line: Landerbank Hippo A
This Hippo dispenser is part of the Animals series and has "Landerbank" (a European bank) on the right side of the stem.
We found one that went for $658 in December 2018, but ones in better condition may be worth more, according to the Pez Price Guide.
The A denotes the series. In this case, this Hippo is from the first series of Hippos produced.
Captain Hook (Soft Head)
Year: 1979
Price: $1,000
Bottom Line: Captain Hook (Soft Head)
Everyone’s favorite hook-handed pirate molded after Disney’s 1953 "Peter Pan" film can catch a pretty penny at auction.
The "soft head" refers to a select number of Pez dispenses that were made during the late 1970s. They were supposed to be easier to manufacture and cheaper to produce, but the oil crisis of 1979 made them prohibitively expensive to make. They were quickly discontinued.
Some soft head superhero and Erie Specter dispensers made it to retail, while the Disney series was never sold to the public, according to "Pez: From Austrian Invention to American Icon."
Donald Duck (Soft Head)
Year: 1979
Price: $1,000
Bottom Line: Donald Duck (Soft Head)
The Pez Book / YouTube
There are about 10 Donald Duck Pez dispenser models in existence, but only the soft head version from 1979 is worth a good deal of money.
The next most expensive Donald Duck is one from 1961 with Huey, Dewey and Louie die cut into the stem. He’s worth around $150, according to the guide.
Dumbo (Soft Head)
Year: 1979
Price: $1,000
Bottom Line: Dumbo (Soft Head)
Like Donald Duck, there have been several Dumbo Pez dispenser iterations, but none are worth much — some go for about $35 — but the soft head from 1979 is worth around $1,000.
Alpine Man with Mustache
Year: 1972
Price: $1,024
Bottom Line: Alpine Man with Mustache
This Alpine Man — not to be confused with the 5,000-year-old mummified corpse found in the Alps in 1991 — is worth quite a bit if he has his mustache.
But even if you find a clean-faced version of him, the sans-mustache dispenser is worth $675.
It has to be those two versions, though. Other Alpine Man versions are worth very little.
Merry Music Maker Parrot With Yellow Head
Year: 1990
Price: $1,200
Bottom Line: Merry Music Maker Parrot With Yellow Head
The Merry Music Maker had a whistle on the back of the head so children could fill themselves with sugar before attempting to damage their parents' eardrums.
There seems to be a rare coloring or misprint for one of the Parrot models. Common Parrots have a red head with blue or red stems and are worth a few bucks.
But one variation has a blue stem and a yellow head, and it’s worth around $1,200.
Mary Poppins with Painted Cheeks
Year: 1973
Price: $1,250
Bottom Line: Mary Poppins with Painted Cheeks
One of the rarest of all Pez Disney dispensers is Mary Poppins, which released in 1973 and has no "feet." There are two variants, one with painted cheeks and one without.
The non-painted version is worth around $750, while the model with some blush will put some more green in (or out of) your pocket.
Sparefroh
Year: 1970
Price: $1,340
Bottom Line: Sparefroh
Sparefroh is a mascot used by Austrian savings banks, and the ones that are given out as promotional items are worth a small fortune.
The most expensive was given out by an Austrian bank for its 110th anniversary in 1959 and is worth $1,340.
The other, with "Deine Sparkasse" inscribed on its stem, is worth around $750, according to the guide.
Lions Club
Year: 1962
Price: $1,600-$2,800
Bottom Line: Lions Club
The Lions Club dispensers were made for the 1962 International Lions Club convention in France.
According to the price guide, those with inscribed stems fetch a higher price — one sold for $1,800 in 2009.
King Louie With Red or Light Brown Hair
Year: 1967
Price: $1,750
Bottom Line: King Louie With Red or Light Brown Hair
There are 19 King Louie dispensers, and nearly all of them are worth a good amount of money. The "Jungle Book" character in Pez form ranges from around $400 to $1,000 or more, depending on the type of variant.
The cheapest is the King Louie with feet, a brown head, a red stem and brown hair, which has an estimated value of $30. The most expensive variants have no feet, a blue head, a red stem and light brown or red hair.
If you have a King Louie, go get it appraised.
Asterix A With Blue Hat
Year: 1974
Price: $1,800
Bottom Line: Asterix A With Blue Hat
The Asterix series was based on a popular French cartoon of the same name.
An original dispenser of the titular character, the one with the winged blue hat, is worth quite a lot.
Purple-Headed Cow
Vinny's Blast from the Past Collectibles / ebay.com
Year: 1973
Price: $2,000
Bottom Line: Purple-Headed Cow
crystalhea-97 / eBay
This purple-headed variant of the Cow dispenser from the Pez Animals series is extremely rare and very valuable.
The price guide says these can go for as high as $2,000, and we found one that sold for $1,336 on eBay in September 2019.
Other, non-purple Cows can go for $100 to $550, according to the price guide.
Pony-Go-Round Variants
Year: 1970
Price: $2,000
Bottom Line: Pony-Go-Round Variants
The Pony-Go-Round from Pez’s 1970s Circus series is a favorite (or most-wanted) among Pez collecting connoisseurs.
The Pony comes in a variety of colors and a bunch of variations. You can read all about that here. Prices range from the low price of $80 all the way up to $2,000.
According to the guide, these $2,000 variants (which may be the prototypes) are:
- Light blue head with white mane with red reins variant
- Tab head with white rubber mane, red reins and foreign card
- Tan head with black rubber mane, white reins and foreign card
Psychedelic Flower
Year: 1968
Price: $2,000
Bottom Line: Psychedelic Flower
Including variants, there are 80 Psychedelic Flower dispensers.
All of the original series from 1968 are worth either approximately $400 or $2,000, while the 1999 reissue is worth less than $10.
How much those original ones are worth depends on the stickers used to decorate these flower-powered candy poppers.
Obelix A
Year: 1974
Price: $2,000
Bottom Line: Obelix A
From the Asterix series, Obelix is Asterix’s red-headed best buddy.
He’s worth about $2,000 according to the guide.
Merry Music Maker Owl
Year: 1981
Price: $2,100
Bottom Line: Merry Music Maker Owl
The Owl from the 1981 Merry Music Maker is exceedingly rare.
Variants don’t affect the price of this one.
If you have it, it’s going to fetch a good amount at auction.
Bride and Groom
Year: 1975
Price: $2,000
Bottom Line: Bride and Groom
Created only for a Pez employee in 1978, these two are now worth well over the average price of a wedding band (about $1,100, according to The Knot).
They sold at auction for $2,000 in 2012.
Pineapple Crazy Fruit
Year: 1979
Price: $2,250-$3,000
Bottom Line: Pineapple Crazy Fruit
The Pineapple dispenser of the Crazy Fruit series from the late 1970s is crazy rare.
This little sunglass-wearing pineapple sold for $2,250 10 years ago at auction while another eBay sale went for $3,150 in 2013.
Only a few were made.
Indian Brave
Year: 1971
Price: $2,500
Bottom Line: Indian Brave
nuggetbug / eBay
This Indian Brave with a brown or black one-piece head with a plastic or rubber feather is listed at a whopping $2,500 in the price guide.
It’s likely a prototype as other Indian Braves are worth around $124.
Muselix
Year: 1974
Price: $2,750
Bottom Line: Muselix
equipliquidation / eBay
The Muselix is the most expensive of the Asterix set.
Finding a complete one may be difficult because his beard and eyebrows can pop off.
Make-A-Face
Year: 1972
Price: $2,500-$3,250
Bottom Line: Make-A-Face
sambucadog / eBay.com
Pez introduced this Mr. Potato Head-like dispenser in 1972. The dispenser comes with 17 face pieces to make your own unique Pez dispenser.
It’s quite rare, especially for one in good condition with all pieces intact. One mint condition Make-A-Face still in its original packaging fetched $3,250 at auction in 2012.
Witch Regular
Year: 1956
Price: $4,000
Bottom Line: Witch Regular
This regular Pez dispenser, made before the company started topping the stems with heads, is one of the rarest dispensers in the world.
According to Pez, very few examples exist.
Witch B
Year: 1950s
Price: $2,900
Bottom Line: Witch B
The Witch was the first traditional character head dispenser. The A version was the most common one and can fetch around $180 today.
There’s another, rarer version of the Witch dispenser from the 1950s, which had a larger head and a different flying witch on the stem.
She can fetch up to $2,900. One sold in 2012 for $2,000.
Regular Folding
Year: 1940s
Price: $2,750-$5,000
Bottom Line: Regular Folding Pez
This dispenser is a prototype for a new kind of Pez dispenser that was never put on the market.
The curious white-and-clear design folds like a comb, and only a few were made.
One went for $2,750 in 2012, and the price guide currently estimates its worth at $5,000.
Panther with Black Nose and Green Eyes
Year: 1978
Price: $4,000
Bottom Line: Panther with Black Nose and Green Eyes
One variation of the Panther from Pez’s Animals series has green eyes and a black nose, as opposed to its regular yellow eyes and pink nose.
The black-nosed Panther is exceedingly rare and is valued at a staggering $4,000.
We couldn't even find a picture of one.
Mickey Mouse (Soft Head)
Year: 1979
Price: $7,500
Bottom Line: Mickey Mouse (Soft Head)
The Mickey Mouse soft head is just a prototype for a dispenser line that never went into production.
There is only one known to exist.
Talk about rare.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Pez International / AP Photo
Year: 2018
Price: $9,866
Bottom Line: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Pez teamed up with Make-A-Wish UK to create these two unique dispensers to celebrate the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
The one-of-a-kind pair was auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to charity.
The winning bid came to £7,300, or $9,866 at the time.
Political Elephant
Year: 1961
Price: $10,000+
Bottom Line: Political Elephant
Pez made two political Pez dispensers in 1961, one of a donkey and one of an elephant.
It’s hard to judge the value of them because they are both incredibly rare and most likely only sold in private auctions if they even do trade hands.
The political elephant has a worth of at least $10,000.
1950s Clear Space Gun
Year: 1956
Price: $11,211
Bottom Line: 1950s Clear Space Gun
The Space Guns from the 1950s are amazing collectibles for any Pezhead. Not only are they rare, but they also look great, too. Unfortunately, the highest price recorded for a Pez Space Gun doesn’t end well. One went up for sale on eBay in 2006, and the highest bidder paid $11,211.
Except the gun was a fake. The fraudster had possibly used a real Pez space gun to make the molds, but the fakes were of poor quality, and the gun started to warp.
Only two of these clear guns are known to exist.
1982 World’s Fair Astronaut B
Year: 1982
Price: $12,000
Bottom Line: 1982 World's Fair Astronaut B
This dispenser is frequently cited as the most expensive Pez dispenser ever sold at $32,205. But is it really?
This Astronaut dispenser is inscribed with "1982 World’s Fair, Knoxville, Tennesse," (Tennessee is misspelled) and went up for sale in 2006 on eBay with a starting bid of $500, a $30,000 reserve and a $100,000 "Buy It Now" option. The winning bid reached $32,205, but when the seller went to collect the cash, the buyer went silent, according to Antique Week. So no, it looks like this dispenser never sold at that price.
The true value of 1982 World’s Fair Astronaut B is frequently debated within the Pez community, with some putting the value at around $10,000 in 2006. The Pez Price guide pegs its value at $12,000.
Prince William and Duchess Kate
Year: 2011
Price: $13,360
Bottom Line: Prince William and Duchess Kate
John Baloney / Twitter
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren’t the first royal Pez dispensers to be sold at auction, nor were they the most expensive. In 2011, Pez made two unique dispensers to commemorate the marriage of Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton.
The royal pair was put up for auction on eBay, with all proceeds being donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which was chosen because Middleton was and is a supporter of the charity. The winning bidder picked them up for £8,200, which converted to $13,360 at the time of the sale in 2011.
While these Pez dispensers might not be the most sought-after or revered in the Pez world, they are currently the most expensive dispensers ever sold at auction. However, they were sold as a pair.
What's the most expensive Pez dispenser? The 'Political Donkey'
What's the most expensive Pez dispenser? The 'Political Donkey' Pez.com
Year: 1961
Price: $12,000-$15,000
Bottom Line: Political Donkey
The Political Donkey appears to be worth even more than the Political Elephant. Only two or three are known to exist, and one of them was a gift to President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, where it was presented to him during his visit to Austria.
A 2012 press release from Pez states that the Political Donkey would be held in the Pez Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut, before it was put up for auction. However, there’s no evidence we could find that the dispenser was ever put up for a public bid.
The company stated that the dispenser had a pre-auction estimate of $12,000-$15,000. The dispenser owned by JFK is probably the single most coveted Pez dispenser ever made.