No feet
No feet is a term used to refer to a dispenser that has a uniform stem with no support at the base.
Information About No Feet
Based on
The original Pez dispenser design, known as a "regular," was based on a cigarette lighter. Eduard Haas, who started Pez, intended his invention to be used as an aid to stop smoking, so this design was familiar and could easily fit into a pocket.
After character heads began to appear on dispensers and the market was geared more towards children, it was found that the dispensers would easily fall over if placed upright. In order to give the dispenser more stability and allow it to "stand up," a base was made. Since dispensers now had a character head at the top, it was only natural to call the base of the dispenser the "feet."
Fakes
Since vintage no feet dispensers generally have a higher value than those with feet, some unscrupulous people may cut the feet off footed dispensers and try to pass them off as no feet dispensers.
The way to tell true no feet dispenser from a fake is to compare the spine (protruding space at the back of the dispenser) with the channel (protruding space at the front of the dispenser). If the two are equal, it's a genuine no foot dispenser. If the spine is larger, it's a fake.
Variations
In addition to no feet, there are three variations of feet on Pez dispensers:
- Thin feet
- Thick feet
- Normal feet
Years Produced
Vintage no feet dispensers were produced from 1949 until the mid 1980's, when thin feet began to appear.
Later dispensers, such as the regular remakes (1995), Psychedelic Eye remake (2001), Valentine Hearts (1997-2009) and some crystal dispensers were made without feet, although feet had become a standard feature of Pez dispensers by the time they were released.
Due to their design, Truck dispensers also have no feet, regardless of the year they were produced.
Patents & Countries
Vintage no feet dispensers:
- Patent numbers: Box, DBP, 2.6, 3.4, 3.8, 3.9
- Countries: Austria, Germany, Hungary
Recent or remake dispensers:
- Patent numbers: 4.9, 5.9
- Countries: China, Hong Kong, Hungary, Slovenia
Stems
No feet dispensers are not limited to certain stem colors
