With the recent release of the adult Happy Meal, we couldn’t help but find ourselves feeling nostalgic and wondering just how much our old fast-food favorites might now be these days.
With this in mind, we’ve partnered with a leading toy and game expert, Peter Jenkinson (aka The Toyologist) to uncover some of the ‘McToys’ that could fetch a pretty penny for those with some former Happy Meal freebies lying around at home.
So, without further ado…
The top 15 most valuable McDonald’s Happy Meal toys:
Hot Wheels were originally introduced to the market in 1968 to compete with Matchbox branded miniature cars and quickly gained popularity. McDonald’s released a set of 14 with the iconic brand, and they’re likely to fetch up to £40 each – or £900 for a full set.
McDonald’s literally released 101 of these Disney doggies to the general public in the mid 1990s, and anyone lucky enough to have kept a full set should not let it go for anything less than £500.
The mighty Power Rangers have entertained kids for over 30 years, with a franchise of films, television series and a wide variety of toys – including a massive hit in McDonald’s Happy Meals! Find yourself a complete set of these heroes and vehicles and you can easily command £450 or more.
You know you’ve made it when you’ve reached the Happy Meal! Inspector Gadget’s action-packed adventures were a hit in the 70s, 80s and 90s, and now this toy is worth a cool £450 in his original bag.
Movie fans and collectors with a full set of these Happy Meal figures – including Tarzan, Jane, Terk, Tantor, Porter, Kala, Clayton, and Sabor – will truly be “lovin’ it” with a valuation of £400.
The original Happy Meal set included Gobo, Red, Mokey and Wembley Fraggle in different cars, in addition to two other toys without cars aimed at children under the age of three. A set of the original four sold last year (2021) for £380.
7. Mario (1994 and 1998)
The 90s saw Happy Meals featuring the world’s most famous plumbers – Mario and Luigi – plus Princess Peach, Yoshi, Bowser, and some items from the iconic franchise. The full set of eight could earn you £350+.
8. TY’s Teenie Beanie Boos (2000)
Despite being far rarer than their toy shop counterpart, these cuddly bears aren’t worth too much individually. However, a full set could earn you up to £340.
9. Underwater Monsters by Diener Keshi (1979)
Keshi’s figures are some of the earliest Happy Meal toys ever produced after McDonald’s launched its children’s meal in 1979. These days, the strange monster toys can earn £300+ for a full set of seven.
10. Robots by Diener Keshi (1979)
This set, by the same manufacturer as the Underwater Monsters, can also earn collectors £300 for a full set. Keshi’s Robots were also some of the first toys ever to be included in Happy Meals and were actually the first Japanese-style keshigomu or erasers made for a US market.
11. General Lee, Dukes of Hazzard (1982)
This sticker and car set can bring home an impressive £120 if assembled or £250 in its original condition. Happy Meals were actually served inside of these flimsy, plastic, ‘toy cars’ and mostly thrown away with food wrappers, so it really is impressive if one of these is found in mint condition.
12. Clone Wars Happy Meal Box (2008)
Star Wars fanatics were always bound to love this collectible item – even the bags the toys came in had branding from a galaxy far, far away! The Happy Meal with its contents can earn £240+, with the box alone worth an impressive £40.
13. LEGO Bionicle 2001
The Bionicle was a rarity for Happy Meals, due to the smaller LEGO parts posing a choking risk to young McDonald’s diners. However, a full set of the six Matoran figures could easily fetch £200.
14. Snoopy (2000)
Released to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary, a full set of the eight toys featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown are certainly not worth peanuts at £150+.
15. Astrosniks (1984)
These cute Smurf-like creatures – also known as ‘Sniks’ – were first created in 1975. These toys, depicting Sniks enjoying items from the fast food restaurant, could earn £150 for the full set of 14.
How can I make sure I get the best price for my old toys, we hear you ask?
Along with the list above, Jenkinson has also offered some helpful tips and guidance for prospective toy collectors on what to look out for when buying a toy – either as a collectible item or an investment.
Expert tips and tricks for caring for your toys and games:
Quality items over uncommon items – You won’t get the best prices for items with damaged or missing parts. Collectors are obviously always looking for rarity, but there is absolutely a market for more common items that are in pristine condition.
No full set doesn’t mean full stop – Collectors seek out completed sets, so these are much more valuable than individual items. However, if you have a single toy that could complete their collection, then you’re bound to strike gold.
You can bet on blockbusters – Anything related to huge TV or film franchises are more likely to earn you cash, as you automatically cast your net of potential buyers wider to fans of the show or film, collectors of that specific toy, and general collectors too.
Display with diligence – If you intend on displaying your finds, then be sure to store them somewhere dustproof and away from direct sunlight to keep them in the best condition and out of reach from anyone (or anything!) that might find themselves curious about your items.
Why not take a trip down Memory lane? Check the attic or at the back of the garage and see if you could make some pre-Christmas cash, and if you have any of these Happy Meal toys, be sure to let us know!
