If you’re ordering a McDonald’s Happy Meal, chances are, you’re most excited about the McDonald’s Happy Meal toys inside. These toys are themed differently from month to month and are based on everything from current movies to top-selling dolls. And coming up this summer, you'll get a Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sanrio collab — called Yu-Gi-Oh! X Hello Kitty and Friends.
Below find out how much each individual Happy Meal toy costs, what the most expensive Happy Meal toys are on the resale market, and how to determine which Happy Meal toys might be worth more in the future.
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The McDonald’s Yu-Gi-Oh! X Hello Kitty and Friends toys arrive this summer.
While a firm launch date hasn't been released yet, we don't think you'll see these until August at the earliest. The Happy Meal toys are scheduled out through July 22, 2024 with no Saniro characters in sight. Since they're touted as 'summer' arrivals, we think that means you'll see them in August or early September at the latest.
There are 10 new collectible toys in this series.
This collection features well-known Sanrio characters dressed as Yu-Gi-Oh! monsters.
Here are the mash ups you can expect this summer:
Hello Kitty x Dark Magician
Cinnamoroll x Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Badtz-maru x Red-Eyes Black Dragon
Pompompurin x Exodia the Forbidden One
My Melody x Dark Magician Girl
Keroppi x Kuriboh
Pochacco x Time Wizard
Kuromi x Slifer the Sky Dragon
Tuxedosam x Obelisk the Tormentor
Chococat x The Winged Dragon of Ra
Grab a free Happy Meal with the McDonald’s Rewards program.
With the McDonald’s Rewards program, you will earn 100 points for every $1 spent. Once you earn 6,000 points (or $60 spent), you can exchange your points for a free Happy Meal (up to $4.59 value).
You could start collecting rewards points now — they don't expired for six months after you've earned them. So any points collected in May are valid through October and can be used on the summer toys in August or September.
You can purchase McDonald’s Happy Meal toys for $1.59 – $1.69.
McDonald’s Happy Meal toys come with the purchase of a Happy Meal (duh). But did you know you can get the toy without buying a Happy Meal? You can usually purchase the toys separately for $1.59 – $1.69 each, depending on your McDonald’s location.
If your store has them in stock, this is a great value. Essentially you can get at least two of the toys for the price of a Happy Meal.
Prices vary by location and sales are subject to availability.
Not all McDonald’s toys are going to be valuable, but certain characteristics improve the likelihood.
Since these new Yu-Gi-Oh! X Hello Kitty and Friends have been released in other countries, we've already seen some resale prices on eBay. The full set of 10 toys is selling for around $100. Sets of nine are selling at $70.
When we compare the new toys to the Squshmallow toys from December 2023 — which are selling for around $22 for a set of 12 — the newer collab could have a higher resale value. It would make sense to check when they arrive in the U.S. and aren't as limited.
Typically, there are two different criteria that can make a McDonald’s toy an expensive collectible.
They use the original McDonald’s characters or designs.
They are a riff on an item that’s already a popular collectible (such as Beanie Babies in the early 2000s).
It’s not always easy to know in advance which toys will be sought-after collectibles in the future, but those criteria point you in the right direction. Don’t expect your Sing 2 toys from late 2021 to fetch a pretty penny; not all toys are created (and collected) equally.
Cactus Plant toys are the most valuable in recent history.
Many of us can remember the hysteria that surrounded the Teenie Beanie Babies in the early 2000s, some of which are still being sold for $8,000 each on eBay. That being said, here are the most expensive McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. Keep in mind that these are estimations based on the resale market, so prices can change:
NeoPets (2004): A set of 16 NeoPet plushes sold for $59.99 on eBay.
Lego Bionicle (2001): A collection of six McDonald’s Bionicle sets sold for $100.99 on eBay.
Halloween McNuggets (1992): All six McNugget characters sold for $110.50 on eBay.
Pokemon Battle Match Cards (2021): A set of unopened Pokemon Battle Match Cards from 2021 specifically can sell for $202.50 or more on eBay.
Cactus Plant (Adult Happy Meal) figures (2022): Just one of these figures can sell for up to $2,000 on eBay, but the average we’ve seen is around $159.
The next Happy Meal Toys of 2024 are Inside Out 2 coming on May 28, 2024.
According to rumors online, the next set of Happy Meal Toys are going to be the Inside Out 2 toys. We’ll be updating you with more information once the toys are leaked online.
Here are the Happy Meal Toys you can expect to see in 2024 according to the kids’ meal wiki on Fandom:
Captain America: April 30 - May 27
Inside Out 2: May 28 - June 24
Despicable Me: June 25 - July 22
Note that these are rumored predictions, but have been accurate in the past.
You can always opt for ice cream instead of a Happy Meal toy.
If you don’t want a toy with your Happy Meal, you can ask for an ice cream cone instead (valued at $1.69). This is an easy way to get a dessert if you aren’t excited about the current Happy Meal toys. This option is not available through the McDonald’s Rewards app, so you’ll have to be in store or in the drive-thru to ask an employee directly.
Kids can find free games and activities at the Happy Meal website.
If you want to know which Happy Meal toys are available now, all the info on the current items are on the Happy Meal website. It’ll let you know every McDonald’s toy available during each weeks-long promotion. They even include free activity sheets that you can print from your personal computer.
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