The 1965 Santa B PEZ Dispenser Is the Vintage Christmas Classic Every Holiday Collector Needs to Find

A Holiday Treasure From the Golden Age of PEZ

If you love vintage PEZ and you love Christmas, the 1965 Santa B dispenser is the kind of piece that makes your whole display feel more complete. Released during one of the most exciting eras in PEZ history, the Santa B is a genuine artifact from when PEZ was experimenting with character designs and producing some of the most charming dispensers the hobby has ever seen. Finding one in good shape today is a small celebration all on its own.

The Dispenser Up Close

The Santa B features the jolly, rosy-cheeked Santa Claus head that collectors have come to associate with the classic holiday PEZ look. What distinguishes the Santa B from earlier Santa releases is a slightly updated facial sculpt with more defined features. The paint applications on a well-preserved example show Santa's iconic red suit details, white beard, and cheery expression. Like many dispensers of this period, the Santa B was produced in Austria with a no-feet stem, which is one of the key identifiers for authenticating this vintage piece.

The no-feet stem design is a hallmark of dispensers made before 1987, when PEZ added the small molded feet to the base of the stem. For collectors, no-feet specimens from the 1960s carry a special weight because they represent a distinct era of the hobby. The Santa B's stem typically appears in red, and the combination of that red stem with the cheerful Santa head makes for a display piece that looks right at home in any vintage Christmas collection.

What Makes the Santa B Special

There is something about a 1965 Santa B that just feels right in December. You put it out among your other vintage pieces and it anchors the whole seasonal display. It is not flashy or rare in the way some 1960s PEZ can be, but it has a warmth to it that I think comes from how many households had one of these sitting out during the holidays. It connects you to something bigger than the hobby.

The Santa B also has collector appeal because of its documented variant landscape. Depending on the production run and market, examples show subtle differences in the sculpt, the paint tone on the face and beard, and the stem color. Serious PEZ collectors who specialize in holiday pieces often pursue multiple Santa B examples precisely to compare these production variations side by side.

Context Within the 1965 PEZ Lineup

1965 was a notable year for PEZ releases. The brand was expanding its character lineup significantly, and several pieces from that year have gone on to become beloved entries in serious vintage collections. The Santa B fits neatly into that picture as one of the holiday representatives from this era. It was produced for the Christmas market and was widely distributed, which means examples do surface in collections and on the secondary market, though pristine no-feet specimens with strong paint applications are harder to come by than you might expect.

• Year introduced: 1965
• Brand: PEZ
• Country of manufacture: Austria
• Stem type: No feet (pre-1987 style)
• Typical stem color: Red
• Character: Santa Claus B

Collector Notes and Display Ideas

The 1965 Santa B is a natural centerpiece for a vintage Christmas PEZ display. Group it alongside other holiday-themed no-feet dispensers from the 1960s and 1970s, like the Red Nose Reindeer or the Winter Witch, and you have the foundation of a seriously impressive seasonal shelf. The Santa B also pairs beautifully with later Santa variants for a chronological display that tells the story of how the character design evolved over the decades.

Condition matters a lot with pieces this old. Look for examples with clean, uncracked stems, bright paint on the head, and no significant fading to the facial detail. A Santa B in strong condition is a display piece worth showing off. One in rough shape still has its place in a reference collection, but the best examples are the ones that hold up and look the part when December comes around.

Whether you have one already and are enjoying it or you are still hunting, the 1965 Santa B is one of those dispensers that belongs on every serious vintage Christmas collector's list. 🍬