Sometimes, news comes along that you simply don’t want to believe. News that leaves you speechless, makes you angry and sad at the same time, and makes you wonder what the future will look like for something you love so much.
For most of the European PEZ collectors, this is one of those moments.
Over the weekend, the first reports began appearing in European PEZ collector groups. The news was shocking: PEZ International would stop shipping to almost all European countries, leaving Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the only exceptions.
At first, we refused to believe it. Surely there had to be a misunderstanding? Surely something as important as the official PEZ online shop wouldn’t suddenly become inaccessible to so many loyal collectors across Europe?
But unfortunately, the news is real. PEZ International has now officially announced the change through its newsletter.
And honestly, it feels as though the rug has been pulled out from under the feet of European PEZ collectors.
More Than Just an Online Shop!
For some people, an online shop is simply a place to buy things. But for PEZ collectors, it has become so much more than that.
It’s the place where we discover the latest releases, look forward to Limited Editions, find those special dispensers we’ve been waiting for, and experience the excitement of adding something new to our collections.
We know that feeling when a new PEZ dispenser appears online. We check the pictures, look at the details, wonder how it will fit into our collections, and sometimes count the days until we can finally hold it in our hands.
For many European collectors, ordering directly from PEZ International has been an important part of that experience.
Now imagine being a collector in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, or another affected European country and suddenly discovering that you can no longer order directly from the official European PEZ online shop.
No more simply logging in, placing your order, and waiting excitedly for your package to arrive.
Let’s be honest: this is a huge disappointment for a community that has always been built around sharing our passion, no matter where in the world we live.
European PEZ collectors are not less passionate because they happen to live outside these three countries. They have the same love for PEZ, the same excitement about new releases, and the same desire to grow their collections.
Yet many of them will no longer have the same direct access to the official online shop.
And that hurts!
Why Is This Happening? A Look at the New EU Packaging Regulation
Naturally, one big question comes to mind: why would PEZ make such a decision when it means restricting access to its products for so many loyal customers?
We did some research to better understand the situation. One important factor worth examining is the European Union’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as the PPWR.
The regulation entered into force in February 2025, and its general application date was 12 August 2026. Its purpose is to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability, encourage reuse, and make packaging rules more consistent across the EU. You can find the official explanation on the European Commission’s website.
These are important environmental goals. However, implementing packaging regulations can also create additional obligations for businesses.
Depending on the countries involved, retailers may have to deal with national packaging registration systems, reporting requirements, recycling contributions, and other compliance procedures. Cross-border sales can therefore become more complicated and expensive, particularly when a business serves customers in many different countries.
For a company shipping products across Europe, the administrative workload and costs can add up quickly.
And that is where the problem lies: even when a customer simply wants to order a few PEZ dispensers, the retailer still has to manage the business obligations associated with selling and shipping those products.
The PPWR aims to harmonise packaging rules across Europe, but the practical requirements and existing national systems can still create challenges for businesses operating across borders.
We cannot say for certain which individual factors led to PEZ International’s decision, as the full reasoning has not been confirmed publicly. Nevertheless, the regulatory environment helps explain why international shipping can become more complicated for retailers.
And whatever the exact reasons, the consequences for collectors are now very real.
What Does This Mean for Our Beloved Limited Editions?
This is where our worries go beyond shipping costs and inconvenience.
Over the years, many of us have grown particularly fond of the Limited Editions and Special Editions released through the European PEZ online shop. The anticipation, the surprise releases, the regional exclusives, and the excitement of discovering something new have become an important part of modern PEZ collecting.
So naturally, we are asking ourselves some difficult questions.
Will the number of Limited Editions remain the same? Will collectors in affected countries still have a fair chance of obtaining new releases? Could the additional effort involved in distributing these dispensers lead to higher prices for collectors?
And, perhaps most importantly, could reduced access to certain markets eventually have an impact on the availability of special releases?
We sincerely hope not!
At this point, there is no official confirmation that PEZ will reduce production or discontinue Limited Editions as a result of this decision. We don’t want to fuel unnecessary fears or spread rumours among our fellow collectors.
But it is understandable that collectors are worried.
Our PEZ Community Will Be More Important Than Ever!
For collectors outside Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, finding a reliable PEZ buddy in one of these countries could become essential.
A trusted friend who can place an order, receive the package, and forward the dispensers may become the only practical way for some collectors to access certain online exclusives.
This is where the wonderful spirit of our collecting community can make a real difference.
PEZ collecting has never been only about plastic dispensers. It is about friendships, trading, helping one another, sharing discoveries, and connecting with people who understand why a tiny new dispenser can make our day.
Many of us have made friends across borders through PEZ. We have exchanged packages, helped each other complete collections, and celebrated new releases together.
Now, those friendships may become more important than ever.
However, we must also acknowledge that not everyone has these connections. Not everyone knows a collector in one of the three countries that will remain eligible for direct delivery. And not everyone can afford the additional postage and handling costs that forwarding packages may involve.
For these collectors, the change could represent a genuine barrier to continuing their hobby in the way they are used to.
American Collectors Could Feel the Impact, Too!
Although this announcement primarily affects European customers, the consequences may reach further.
Many American collectors have relied on their European PEZ friends to obtain European releases and online exclusives. These international connections have helped dispensers travel across the Atlantic and brought collectors closer together.
With fewer European countries able to order directly, obtaining certain releases could become more difficult for some American collectors as well.
And if more orders have to be placed through intermediaries, additional costs could become part of the process.
The result could be a more complicated and expensive collecting experience for people far beyond Europe’s borders.
A Black Day in Our Colourful Collecting World!
Perhaps what makes this news particularly painful is the timing.
PEZ’s 100th anniversary is approaching in 2027. A century of dispensers, memories, innovation, and collecting history deserves to be celebrated by the entire PEZ community around the world.
European collectors should be looking forward to that milestone with excitement, wondering what special releases, surprises, and celebrations might be waiting for us.
Instead, many are now wondering whether they will even be able to order directly from the official European online shop.
That is a difficult feeling to accept.
A Decision That Surely Wasn’t Made Lightly!
We can only imagine that this decision was an incredibly difficult one for PEZ International. We sincerely hope that every possible option was carefully considered and explored before such a significant step was taken. A decision that affects so many loyal collectors across Europe is certainly not one that would have been made lightly.
But Please, Let’s Not Lose Hope!
Despite all the disappointment, we don’t want to end this story on a negative note.
The PEZ community has always found ways to overcome challenges. Collectors help collectors. Friends support friends. Dispensers find their way into collections through trades, conventions, personal connections, and the generosity of people who share the same passion.
This situation may force us to rethink how we obtain certain releases, but it does not take away our love for PEZ.
We sincerely hope that solutions will emerge, that the situation may become easier to manage in the future, and that collectors across Europe will continue to have opportunities to enjoy new releases.
Until then, let’s stay connected. Let’s help one another where we can. And let’s remember that being part of the PEZ community means much more than being able to click the checkout button on an online shop.
We are collectors. We are friends. And we share a passion that has lasted for generations.
One difficult announcement cannot erase that.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Let’s keep our spirits up, support one another, and see what the future brings. We still have so many PEZ stories to share, so many dispensers to discover, and a very special 100th anniversary to look forward to.
For now, we stand together as a community.
Happy Collecting!
October 27, 2026
Bonjour Pezpals,
J’ai appris cette très triste nouvelle hier 😭😱 Je suis en France, et la livraison est malheureusement finie, comment allons-nous faire maintenant ? Cette journée proche des 100 ans de PEZ est pire qu’un deuil national 😱😭😢 Merci beaucoup si quelqu’un avait une solution pour recevoir en France, une bonne journée à vous tous.
Anthony, nous t’entendons et nous compatissons !
Mais les choses sont ce qu’elles sont ; je peux d’ailleurs te dire que, sur Facebook par exemple, plusieurs collectionneurs autrichiens ont déjà proposé leur aide.
Le mieux est de faire un tour sur le groupe « PEZ Info Austria » ou sur le groupe « PEZ Collectors of the World » ; tu y trouveras certainement de l’aide.