The 2015 Universal Dave PEZ Dispenser Is the Despicable Me Minion Every Character Collector Wants in Their Display
Welcome to the yellow and goggle-wearing world of the Minions! If you have ever found yourself grinning at that iconic wide-eyed, denim-overalled silhouette, you already know the pull of Despicable Me characters. And when PEZ put those characters on a dispenser, collectors like me paid very close attention.
Meet the Dave PEZ Dispenser from Despicable Me (2015)
The Dave PEZ Dispenser, released in 2015 under the Universal license, is one of three Despicable Me dispensers that PEZ released as a set that year. Dave, the two-eyed Minion, is the standout of the trio - his wide-open expression and cheerful demeanor translate beautifully into the PEZ dispenser format. The set also includes Stuart (the one-eyed Minion) and Agnes (the enthusiastic little girl from the Illumination Entertainment Despicable Me films).
This was a USA release, and each dispenser came individually packaged with PEZ candy refills. The set was available through standard retail channels during 2015 and has since been retired from the official PEZ online store. That retirement status gives the set a real appeal for collectors hunting for complete character groupings from this era of Illumination releases.
Design Details: What Makes Dave Stand Out
PEZ character dispensers live or die by the sculpt, and Dave delivers. The dispenser captures the Minion's most recognizable traits with impressive clarity:
- Two oversized goggle eyes with that wide, curious expression the character is known for
- Yellow color molding consistent with screen-accurate Minion coloring
- A smooth, rounded head shape that mirrors Dave's on-screen appearance faithfully
- Clean, precise paint applications on the goggle detail
What stands out most about this sculpt is how much personality PEZ packed into such a compact form. The goggle detail - the way it wraps around the head with that distinctive circular lens look - is sharp and accurate. Dave has always been one of the more expressive Minions on screen, and the dispenser captures that openness in both the head shape and the eye design. It is a genuinely strong little sculpt for a licensed character piece from this period, and one that holds up well alongside other character PEZ from the same era.
When PEZ captures a character this accurately at this scale, you stop seeing a candy dispenser and start seeing a tiny portrait. Dave's goggle eyes read instantly across a shelf - that is the mark of a well-executed licensed sculpt.
The Full 2015 Despicable Me Set
Dave is best appreciated as part of the complete 2015 Despicable Me PEZ set. The three-piece lineup gives collectors a satisfying character range to work with:
- Dave - the two-eyed Minion, wide-eyed and full of personality
- Stuart - the one-eyed Minion, a wonderful contrast piece next to Dave
- Agnes - the little girl from the films, bringing a human character into the mix and rounding out the set with warmth
Displaying all three together makes immediate visual sense. The two Minions side by side highlight the fun contrast between one-eyed and two-eyed characters, and Agnes provides a human focal point for the trio. It is a compact, cohesive set that tells a story on a shelf without needing any extra context at all.
Collector Notes
- License: Universal / Illumination Entertainment
- Year Introduced: 2015
- Status: Retired - no longer available through the official PEZ store
- Release Region: USA release
- Set Companions: Stuart (one-eyed Minion) and Agnes
- Packaging: Individually packaged with PEZ candy refills
- Display Value: High, especially when all three set companions are displayed together
- Ideal For: Despicable Me fans, licensed character PEZ collectors, Illumination Entertainment collectors, and anyone building a movie character display shelf
I have been wanting to track down the complete set for a while now. Dave's expressive sculpt is exactly the kind of character piece that draws me in - there is something about how clearly readable his personality is, even at PEZ scale, that makes him hard to walk past. I have him on my need list in the Collectiblz app, which has made it much easier to keep track of what I am hunting for. If you are building your own want list, the app is a fantastic tool for organizing your collection and keeping your must-finds front of mind.
Display Ideas
The 2015 Despicable Me set works well across a few different display setups:
- Group all three dispensers together on a dedicated Illumination or animated film shelf
- Pair with other Universal or Illumination-licensed PEZ releases if you have them in your collection
- Use as a character accuracy spotlight - the contrast between Dave and Stuart makes for a great talking point
- Mix into a general movie character PEZ display alongside other licensed sets from the same mid-2010s era
The retired status of this set means now is a great time to track it down if the Despicable Me gang is on your list. All three dispensers together make a compact, instantly recognizable display that holds up beautifully alongside other character PEZ from this period.
🍬 Callie
