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10 Happy Meal Toys That Are Now Worth Serious Money
Everybody knows that the best part of a McDnnald’s Happy Meal is the toy! Those little plastic-wrapped treasures might have only seemed good for a few minutes of fun, but some are worth major cash now. It’s time to search through all those old toys, because here are 10 Happy Meal toys that are now worth serious money!
10. Super Mario Toys
Super Mario rose to fame shortly after its release in 1985. Nintendo’s game quickly became a fan favorite, and over 330 million copies have been sold of the various Mario games out there. There are Mario games available for every single game console, and they continue to develop and release new iterations. From Mario Kart to Super Smash Bros, lots of people have played some kind of Mario game at one point or another. The characters, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser, are undoubtedly recognizable. The Mario franchise has expanded beyond video games to film, television, print media, merchandise, and Happy Meal toys! It’s no shock that McDonald’s paired up with Nintendo to bring Mario-themed Happy Meals toys to life. Small figurines of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Koopa shells, and more were made to include in kid’s meals. The tiny figurines have become highly coveted in recent years, with individual pieces selling for as much as $100 each online. Seems crazy for such a little toy, right? Those who were lucky enough to collect full or partial sets could see prices close to $1000. How many gold coins is that? Video game buffs will be glad that they held onto these little toys from back in the day.
9. My Little Ponies
One of the longest-standing partnerships when it comes to Happy Meal toys is My Little Pony. These little horses came about when the franchise started in 1981, when the first toy ponies were developed. Each one features a colorful body and mane with a unique symbol on each flank, now called “cutie marks”. The original toy line ran from the early 1980s through 1992 in the United States, and then from 1995 onwards globally. The original line was discontinued in 1990 due to increased competition, but the ponies did make a comeback in the late 1990s. Subsequent redesigns of the ponies modernized the look, and the brand continually relaunched new designs and products up until recent years. The ponies grossed over $1 billion in sales in 2015 alone! Clearly, McDonald’s had to get in on the action. They’ve released several different collections of My Little Pony Happy Meal toys over the years, but the most valuable ones are definitely the older collections. While each individual pony isn’t worth a crazy amount, those with a fuller collection are potentially sitting on some major dough. A pack of 150 of the toys sells for over $100 on eBay. While that may seem like a hefty number of ponies for the price, remember that there were tons of these made. My Little Ponies from Happy Meals are everywhere, and some people have decent collections of them without even realizing it! Find a stash and it could be put some considerable change in anyone’s pocket.
8. Madame Alexander Dolls
Madame Alexander dolls were some of the most popular dolls in America back in the day. Founded in 1923, they were similar to the massively popular American Girl dolls. Madame Alexander mostly designed dolls that represented notable characters in pop culture, film, and music. By the 1980s, Madame Alexander was producing one million dolls every single year. By 2016, there had been 6,500 different Madame Alexander dolls released – including exclusive McDonald’s Happy Meal versions! And a few of these miniature versions of Madame Alexander dolls became Happy Meal collectibles. First off, a collaboration with Disney saw mini dolls dressed as popular Disney film characters in Happy Meals. Kids could get their hands on doll versions of Jasmine from Aladdin, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, Mickey and Minnie, and Pinocchio. These dolls are considered vintage, and now fetch up to $140 apiece on eBay. If you were lucky enough to collect a set, you could be looking at hundreds of dollars’ worth of miniature dolls! However, one set of Madame Alexander Happy Meal dolls is more valuable than all the rest. After the highly successful launch of the original Disney collection, Madame Alexander and McDonald’s paired up once again to create some new toys. An Alice in Wonderland collaboration saw the release of miniature Alice and Mad Hatter dolls, and anyone lucky enough to own one is looking at serious bucks. Each doll can sell for as much as $300 on eBay. $300 for a miniature doll! Coveted sets of both dolls approach $800 online, which is truly insane. Not too many of these tiny Alices were made, so they’re definitely a rare toy.
7. Disney Toys
Who doesn’t love Disney? The iconic brand has been making dreams come true since 1923, when the original cartoon studio was founded by brothers Walt and Roy Disney. The company is the leader in American animation and Disney movies are some of the most treasured films worldwide. Of course, Disney diversified into live-action productions, theme parks, television, and… toys! Disney characters are some of the most recognizable characters in the entire world. In fact, Mickey Mouse is ranked as the most recognizable animated character ever. With that kind of notoriety, it’s no shock that the McDonald’s Disney toys make it onto this list. Now, there have been multiple collections of Disney-related Happy Meals toys over the years, but the ones that top the charts when it comes to resale are the ones released to commemorate Disney’s 100th anniversary. Now, since it isn’t 2023 just yet, it’s worth clarifying that the 100 Years of Magic Celebration marks 100 years since the birth of Walt Disney – not the company. The celebration began in December 2001, and the toys were released shortly thereafter. Figurines from all of Disney’s classic films were made, from The Little Mermaid to The Lion King to Alice in Wonderland. There were nearly 200 individual pieces in the collection, and each piece sells on eBay for about $5. While that might seem like a measly price, it means that a full set could bring in nearly $1000! That’s no chump change. While complete sets are rare and hard to piece together, there are enough figurines out there that any McDonald’s die-hard could have a few bucks’ worth without even realizing it.
6. Finger Puppets
These are, without a doubt, the creepiest looking toys on the list. McDonald’s created their own line of finger puppets back in 1993, and the Ronald McDonald one has been nightmare fuel ever since. Scary appearance aside, these miniature puppets have become seriously collectable. There were only two made – Ronald and the Hamburglar, and each was 6 inches in height. They weren’t sold for all that long, but it was long enough for a few lucky folks to get their hands – er, fingers – on them. The finger puppets now sell online for up to $40 apiece! For such a tiny, simple toy, that’s a hefty sum. Selling two finger puppets for $80 is a pretty sweet deal, that’s for sure. Not very many were released as the toys weren’t part of a collaboration with another well-known company, which usually leads to the most popular Happy Meals toys. Because of that, they’re harder to track down than many other vintage Happy Meals toys, which makes them all the more valuable online today. It’s worth noting that the “used” puppets do sell for a bit less than those still in the packaging, but they still sell for way more than any other “used” finger puppet out there! Time to dig in all those old boxes and see if forgotten Ronalds or Hamburglars are hiding in there. You could snatch a pretty penny!
5. Power Rangers
Back in 1993, the first Power Rangers series hit the television. The show was based on the Japanese franchise Super Sentai, and the live-action show and subsequent merchandise eventually led to over $6 billion in toy sales. The first line of action figures was produced by Bandai in the 1990s, and they’re now sold under the Hasbro brand. Power Rangers became a household name and one of the most successful franchises of the decade, leading to tons of spinoff shows and a whole selection of related toys. Plenty of 90s kids will recall Power Rangers as a part of their childhood, and they might have even snagged a Power Rangers action figure in their Happy Meal! McDonald’s released a whole line of Power Rangers toys in their meals, and anyone holding onto some of them now could be looking forward to a nice payday. Each individual figurine can sell on eBay for as much as $35, so even a small set can add up to big bucks. Anyone out there sitting on a full set could net several thousand dollars! Now that’s serious dough for some McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. Got any Power Rangers kicking around?
4. Teenie Beanie Boos
One of the Happy Meal toys worth the most these days is actually pretty surprising! It’s not a vintage toy, and it doesn’t have any special features. It’s the Teenie Beanie Boo! These little plush toys hit Happy Meals in 2017, so they’re not worth the big bucks because of how old they are. It’s because these little guys are Beanie Babies, and they’re seriously collectable. Anyone who had a stash of Beanie Babies back in the day knows how fun it is to collect as many of the soft critters as possible. Plenty of kids from decades past had piles and piles of Beanie Babies at home, and serious collectors were found all over the world. McDonald’s paired up with Beanie Babies to offer these smaller, cuter creatures in their Happy Meals, and collectors went absolutely crazy. Some Teenie Beanie Boos can sell on eBay for as much as $50 a pop! That’s serious money for a tiny plush toy, but Beanie Baby collectors don’t mess around. Maybe they should’ve just gone and ordered a Happy Meal? Or ten? Either way, anyone sitting on a few of these little guys might want to consider selling, because they’re one of the most valuable Happy Meal toys out there right now. It does still pale in comparison to the most valuable Beanie Baby out there: Perry the Platypus, who once sold in auction for $9000. Even the priciest Happy Meal toys can’t touch that.
3. Peanuts World Tour
Peanuts was iconic. Charles Shultz’s comic strip and the shows that came from it are still household favorites to this day, with the characters easily recognizable and often beloved across several generations. the first Peanuts comic strip debuted in October 1950 and ran right up until February 2000. By then, thousands of people new and loved sad little Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, Linus and his blanket, Lucy and her psychiatrist stand, and the rest of the iconic characters. In 1998, McDonald’s decided to capitalize on the popularity of the series, and they created Peanuts Happy Meal toys. It was called Snoopy World Tour, and featured a little Snoopy dressed up in the native clothing of different groups around the world. The figurines have hit it big with collectors, and anyone sitting on a complete Snoopy World Tour figurine set (which would be one of each of the 28 created) could sell it for as much as $315! That’s right, the most expensive Snoopy World Tour figurine set to sell online yet went for $315 on eBay. That’s for the full set, but individual figurines can still pull considerable cash on their own from devoted collectors. While it’s serious dough for some little guys, it goes to show that anything can hit it big with collectors, especially if it’s based on a well-known, well-loved cartoon. Anyone got any Happy Meal Snoopys hiding in their basement somewhere?
2. Minions
Minions were all the craze for a few years after the release of Despicable Me. The sidekick characters ended up being one of the most successful aspects of the film, and the little yellow dudes eventually took the world by storm. Ever since the original release of Despicable Me in 2010, Minions have been captivating people with their cuteness and making appearances in spinoff programs, on merchandise, and toys across the world. Of course, McDonald’s wasn’t going to let the Minion craze pass them by without making a Happy Meal minion toy. In fact, they made several entire collections – all based around Minions! After the film’s release, McDonald’s began giving out 1 of 12 Minion figurines in Happy Meals, revamping the toys with each new related movie release. Each Minion was doing something different – one was playing guitar, one was dressed in a hula skirt, and so on. Anyone who collected a few of the Minion toys should definitely check eBay, because full sets of all 12 Minions have sold for up to $399! Those with multiple complete sets or rare figurines could net even more for their little yellow guys. Even partial sets can bring in major cash, which isn’t shocking given the sweeping popularity of the character. Anyone big into the Minion craze (or McDonald’s) should check their old toys – they could be sitting on a goldmine!
1. McDonald’s Furbies
Furbies, some love them and some hate them. The robotic furry critters were all the rage back in the 1990s, despite some people thinking they were more than a touch terrifying. Furbies were flying off the shelves for the entire decade, with 1.8 million of the toys sold in 1998 and a staggering 14 million of them sold in 1999. Over 40 million Furbies were sold in the first three years of their original production, and McDonald’s knew it was time to jump on the bandwagon. They released a line of mini Furby toys with Happy Meals, and these Furbies raked it in big on eBay. While individual McDonald’s Furbies are somewhat reasonably priced, it’s the full sets that are truly insane. While someone could pay anywhere from $5-$15 for one lone Furby, a larger set can sell for as much as $1000. That’s right, a grand for an army of mini Furbies. Some collectors don’t even remove them from their packaging before buying or selling them, because mint condition Furbies can net more cash than open and played with ones, of course. The full sets that sell for the most can contain as many as 90 mini Furbies, so it’s definitely hard work to build up a top-dollar collection. At least the Happy Meal Furbies aren’t robotic, so they won’t come back to life on their own in the basement after five years of peace and quiet like the full-sized ones. Phew. Maybe it’s time to start keeping those little figurines and trinkets in case they become the next major collector’s item someday! Time to go grab a Happy Meal.