PEZ is the brand name of an Austrian candy and associated mannual candy dispenser. The candy is a pressed, dry, straight edged, curved corner block, 5/8 inch long, 5/16 inch wide and 3/8 inch high, with each each PEZ dispenser holding 12 candies.
PEZ was invented in Austria and later exported worldwide. It was first marketed as a compressed peppermint sweet in Vienna in 1927 by Eduard Hass III. The name PEZ is an abbreviation for PfeffErminZ (German for peppermint). The original product was a round peppermint lozenge called PEZ drops. Over time, a new manufacturing process evolved and the hard pressed brick shape known today was created. The product packaging evolved from wrapped rolls to a small tin to hold the mints (similar to the modern Altoids tin). The first PEZ dispensers, known as "regulars" were similar in shape to a cigarette lighter and dispensed an adult breath mint marketed as an alternative to tobacco. The dispenser was invented by Oscar Uxa and Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation of Vienna was the first to sell PEZ products.
The first dispenser was officially introduced at the Vienna Trade Fair in 1949. In 1952, Eduard Haas introduced his product to the United States and Curtis Allena headed PEZ's U.S. business. In 1955, the PEZ Company placed heads on the dispensers and marketed them for children. Santa Claus, Popeye, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck were among the first character dispensers. Since 1950, over 1500 PEZ dispensers, including the original character dispensers, have been created.
The family of the original found owns 67.5% of the company. Their headquarters are in Traun, Austria. the PEZ mints are produced there and in Orange, Connecticut, while the dispensers are produced in China and Hungary. A PEZ Visitor Center was opened in Orange, CT in 2011 with over 4000 square feet dedicated to all things PEZ.
Some PEZ dispensers can sell for large amounts as collectibles. The highest verifiable sale of a PEZ dispenser was a private sale of a Mickey Mouse softhead at $7,000 between an Austrian dealer and a U.S. collector. The most valuable PEZ containers are three political donkeys, each valued at over $13,000, one of which was owned by John F. Kennedy.
The PEZ collecting hobby has grown to the point where several conventions are held annually around the world. The oldest convention is Pez-a-Mania, which has been held in Cleveland, Ohio since 1991.
In 2022, a documentary called The Pez Outlaw, told the story of a rural farmer who made money smuggling foreign PEZ dispensers into the United States. The film streamed on Netflix in 2023.