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Everyone remembers those iconic Happy Meal toys from McDonald’s. Most of the time, we were more excited for the toy than the cheeseburger or classic chicken nuggets.
The first Happy Meal made its debut back in 1979 and is still going strong today.
If you kept those toys, you could be sitting on a gold mine. Today, collectors value some of these toys at a fortune. Here are 15 old McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys that are worth a fortune today and could earn you some money.
1. 101 Dalmatians (1996)
Back in 1996, McDonald’s partnered with Disney to help promote its new live-action 101 Dalmatians films. This partnership brought out 101 unique mini-figures of each Dalmatian for fans and kids to collect.
As there are over 101 different figures to collect, finding the right Dalmatian you don’t have can be a struggle. You can purchase complete sets of the 101 Dalmatians on eBay or other sites, which come with an authenticity certificate.
2. Batman (1991)
Batman figures and toys are always popular items due to how beloved the characters in the franchise are. When the Batman Returns film was being promoted, DC and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation teamed up with McDonald’s to launch a range of toys.
The Batman 1991 McDonald’s toys include four Batman-themed vehicles, including the iconic Batmobile and three others. The full set costs around US$20.
3. Dinosaur (2000)
Dinosaur was Disney’s first full 3D film. Disney partnered with McDonald’s to promote it, and the fast food brand launched eight different toys for kids to collect when purchasing a Happy Meal.
The eight toys included four hand puppets of the heads of the dinosaurs and the other four figures. Fans of the movie can still find sealed options on eBay ranging from $7 to $15 each.
4. Fraggle Rock (1988)
The Fraggle Rock franchise features bizarre and funny-looking characters from the 1980s TV show Fraggle Rock, which was made by Jim Henson, who made the Muppets. The show was a major hit with kids, and due to its success, the company behind it parted with McDonald’s to make toys.
The set of toys included four different toys to collect, and now a full set in good condition can cost up to $200.
5. Furby (1998)
Almost anyone around in the 1990s remembers the squeaky bird-like toys that you would find in toy stores. In 1998, McDonald’s promoted the franchise by offering the toys with a Happy Meal.
Today, the complete set of 1998 McDonald Furby toys is selling on eBay for under $100, depending on the condition.
6. Hello Kitty (2000)
The Hello Kitty brand was a hit from the start, with these plushies and branded items appearing everywhere, including your Happy Meal. In 2000, McDonald’s launched a range of nine stuffed Hello Kitty figures.
Some of these figures of the Hello Kitty range are very rare, meaning fans of the franchise can expect to pay around $100 for some figures.
7. Inspector Gadget (1995)
With the release of the 1995 live-action Inspector Gadget film, it only made sense that McDonald’s joined in the fun of promoting this iconic film. The toy you got in this collection is quite valuable now.
The unique way the collection works is that you get a different body part of the Inspector Gadget figure and build him up with each Happy Meal. This means finding complete figures is quite expensive.
8. Muppet Babies (1986)
The Muppets were a craze back in the 1980s, and McDonald’s saw that. To capitalize on that fact, the Jim Henderson company and McDonald’s teamed up to create a new line of toys called the Muppet Babies in 1986.
Sealed versions of Baby Kermit and Baby Miss Piggy can be hard to find, and when they do appear, they are quite expensive.
9. Patti the Platypus (1997)
Patti the Platypus is part of the Teenie Beanie Babies series, which means this toy is a sought-after figure in the Teenie Beanie Babies collectors’ community. This Teenie Beanie Babies figure came out in 1994 with a McDonald’s Happy Meal.
This figure alone can sell for nearly $350 if it has a manufacturing defect, but it usually goes for $25.
10. Power Rangers (1994)
The original Mighty Morphin Power Ranger figures first appeared in McDonald’s Happy Meals in 1994, as the franchise’s craze was huge then. The original collection from McDonald’s contained six figures.
You can still find sealed vintage examples of the original Mighty Morphin Power Ranger figures from McDonald’s, with complete sets going for around $70.
11. Snoopy World Tour (1998)
The Snoopy character from the beloved Peanuts franchise got his very own line of mini figures with McDonald’s back in 1998. The set includes 28 different and unique figurines for fans of the character to collect.
The full set of 28 unique figures, including the box containing all the figures safely, can be purchased on eBay for $250.
12. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1989)
The craze for Nintendo game characters such as the Mario Brothers “Super Mario Bros. 3” has been popular throughout the franchise’s history, with Nintendo figures from McDonald’s always being a popular collector’s item.
The set includes four different characters for fans to collect, and the unsealed full sets cost around $30. Sealed examples of these Nintendo mini figures from McDonald’s can go for around $150 each.
13. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles massive craze of the 1990s was fun for kids, especially since the movie came out that year. To help promote the film, Hasbro, which owns the franchise, joined forces with McDonald’s to launch a promotional line of turtle toys inside the Happy Meal.
Many of the early figures of the TMNT toys are pretty expensive, including the McDonald’s version, with individual toys ranging from $12 to $15 if you can find them.
14. Transformers (1985)
Back in the 1980s, Transformers, with its transforming robots, was released to the world. These toys were a massive hit. Hasbro, the owner of Transformers, teamed up with McDonald’s to help promote the franchise with Transformer toys inside Happy Meals.
The set of four Transformers came in six different colors and featured popular characters such as BumbleBee and Cliff Jumper, including this rare purple version that is going for almost $300.
15. TY Teenie Beanie Babies
The TY Teenie Beanie Babies range of toys was a massive hit among fans. McDonald’s noticed the craze for collecting these small plush figures and promoted them by letting fans collect them by buying Happy Meals.
You can find Teenie Beanie Babies from McDonald’s, ranging from 1997 to 2000. Prices can vary, with some even reaching $400.
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