McDonald’s Happy Meals are a big part of the childhood of many kids. Their immense popularity is not just because of the food; rather, it is due to the Happy Meal toys that come along with the meal.
Happy Meal toys have come in a wide variety of styles, sizes, and colors over the years, from toys based on popular movies and tv shows, to Madam Alexander dolls, to Barbies, to toy cars, to miniature Beanie Babies, and much, much more! These toys have become a cultural phenomenon in their own right, and many of them fetch a pretty penny as collectors’ items on the secondary market.
Which McDonald’s Happy Meal toys have become valuable collectors’ items? Which will fetch the highest price in an online auction? In this blog post, we will explore the wide variety of valuable Happy Meal toys that have been produced over the years, their popularity, and their current market value.
A Brief History of Happy Meals and the Happy Meal Toy
The original McDonald’s Happy Meal was part of a marketing effort to win over children. In the 1970s, the fast food restaurant changed its store designs from red and white tiled buildings to brick. This change was not popular with children. Furthermore, competitors were appealing to children with gifts and special kids characters.
McDonald’s hired Bob Bernstein to help them win back the endorsem*nt of kids. Bernstein was inspired by watching his child read the cereal box each morning while he ate his breakfast. He realized that kids enjoyed being occupied while they ate.
From this revelation, Bernstein and his team created a kids’ meal box for McDonald’s. The golden arches were the handles of the box, and there were puzzles, riddles, games, and comics on the outside of the box to engage kids. A surprise toy was also included in this meal box, which was dubbed the Happy Meal. After several successful test runs, McDonald’s introduced the Happy Meal nationally in 1979.
Eventually, the primary appeal of the Happy Meal was the toy. Over the years, McDonald’s partnered with Hollywood studios and major toy manufacturers to provide exciting toy options for children. Over the years, toys have included Beanie Babies, Transformers, Power Rangers, and many Disney characters. Today, many of these vintage Happy Meal toys are valuable and sought after as collectibles.
Top 15 Expensive McDonald’s Toys Worth Money
Vintage McDonald’s toys can fetch a high price on the market today. Here is a list of the top fifteen most valuable Happy Meal toys.
Hot Wheels
McDonald’s partnered with toy car giant Hot Wheels in the early 80s to provide the toy cars in their Happy Meals. Today, these McDonald’s Hot Wheels cars are a popular collectible, selling for around $50 each.
101 Dalmatians
In 1996, McDonald’s released 101 Disney dog figurines based on the popular Disney movie. A full set is worth at least $600.
Power Rangers
The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers were a cultural phenomenon in their own right, and McDonald’s capitalized on this by including them in the Happy Meals. A complete set of the Power Rangers toys is worth at least $500.
Inspector Gadget
This toy based on the popular character Inspector Gadget was a hit in the mid 90s. Today, it is worth around $500.
Tarzan Set
The full set of these figures, based on the Disney movie Tarzan, included Tarzan, Jane, Terk, Tantor, Porter, Kala, Clayton, and Sabor. The set is worth around $500.
Fraggle Rock
This set originally included Gobo, Red, Mokey, and Wembley Fraggle, all riding different cars. A set of these four sold in 2021 for around $460.
Mario
Some Happy Meals featured the popular video game characters Mario and Luigi, as well as Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, and more. The full set of eight is worth around $430 or more.
TY’s Teenie Beanie Boos
This set of TY Teenie Beanie Boos isn’t worth as much individually, but a full set of these bears is worth over $400.
Underwater Monsters by Diener Keshi
These are some of the earliest Happy Meal toys ever made, and the full set of seven is worth around $370 or more.
Robots by Diener Keshi
Another earlier Happy Meal set, these robots are worth around $370 for the full set.
General Lee, Dukes of Hazzard
This set of stickers and cars is worth around $150 assembled and over $300 in its original condition.
Clone Wars Happy Meal Box
Star Wars fans enjoyed this collectible Happy Meal box, introduced in 2008. The box alone is worth about $50.
LEGO Bionicle
A full set of these six plastic figurines is worth around $250.
Snoopy
The classic Snoopy toys were released to celebrate McDonald’s 50th anniversary. The set included eight characters and is worth around $185.
Astroniks
The creatures are similar to Smurfs, and they were first introduced in 1975. The full set of 14 is worth around $185.
Where to Buy and Sell Old McDonald’s Toys That Have High Value?
If you are looking to buy vintage McDonald’s toys, you may have good luck at vintage toy stores, antique stores, and thrift stores. If you are looking for something specific, you can always search online on auction sites such as eBay for that item.
When looking to sell, your best bet is to sell your toys yourself on eBay, or even Etsy. Selling the toys yourself is the best way to obtain their full value. If you sell to a vintage toy store or another type of seller, they will undercut you on price because they are looking to make a profit by reselling your toy.
FAQs
What McDonald’s toy is worth the most?
Among the most valuable McDonald’s Happy Meal toys are the Hot Wheels cars that were introduced in 1983. The full set is worth around $875.
How much do McDonald’s toys sell for?
McDonald’s Happy Meal toys can sell for anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. It really depends on the toy, its age, its condition, and the demand for that particular toy. You can look up your specific toy of interest on an auction site such as eBay to see what it is currently selling for.
How much does a McDonald’s toy cost?
A brand new McDonald’s Happy Meal toy comes free with the purchase of a Happy Meal, but as these toys age they can become popular collectible items, and therefore worth much more.
Sources
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/29/business/mcdonalds-happy-meal-history-trnd/index.html
https://www.fandomspot.com/valuable-happy-meal-mcdonalds-toys/
https://www.yahoo.com/video/20-most-valuable-happy-meal-160300379.html
