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How to Identify Pez Dispensers

A PEZ dispenser is a candy holder/dispenser toy made of plastic. Although PEZ dispensers have certain traditional features such as the PEZ candy holder--known as the "stem" or "body"--and a top or character-style head that flips up, other designs also exist. These include candy shooters and body/head dispensers that double as working toy vehicles or music makers. Other variations include stems with and without feet and special logos and plastic colors. Typically, the best method to identify a dispenser is to try to determine the year of the stem design issuance and then sight-match it to an image.

Instructions

- 1
  Make a description list of the main design characteristics of your PEZ dispenser. For example, write down any words or numbers molded into the stem, the type of top, the color of the stem (translucent, solid or marbleized) and any special designs or logos printed on the stem.
- 2
  Pay close attention to any numbers that you find--especially if the stem has the words "U.S. Patent" followed by numbers. The first two digits of the patent number typically indicate the original issue year of a major PEZ dispenser design change. In general, patent number years are as follows: "2.6" introduced around and after 1952, "3.4" 1968, "3.8" 1974, "3.9" 1976, "4.9" 1990 and "5.9" patented 1999 and sold in 2004.
- 3
  Click the "PEZ Collector's Corner" web page link in the Resources section.
- 4
  Select a year from the "Dispenser Archive by Year" tab drop-down list based on the information that you've written down or simply click each year and compare your dispenser to the photos to try to identify it. For example, if your dispenser has the words "BOX Trademark" or "BOX Patent" on the stem, PEZ introduced the dispenser around 1949. Another example: your dispenser has a U.S. patent number beginning with "3.9", check each year link from 1976 on.
- 5
  Email PEZ Candy Inc for assistance with identifying of your PEZ dispenser if you can't identify it via a picture. Additionally, compare your dispenser to photographs and descriptions in PEZ collector and price books such as "Warman's PEZ Field Guide" or "The Collector's Guide to PEZ Identification and Price Guide" by Shawn Peterson or "PEZ Collectibles" or "More PEZ for Collectors" by Richard Geary.

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