McDonald’s recently introduced the Collector’s Meal, featuring six collectible cups adorned with nostalgic characters such as Beanie Babies, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Shrek and more. These plastic cups, which were offered in glass in Canada at the beginning of the promotion, have quickly become sought-after items, with some sets reselling online for nearly $100. Each cup is wrapped in blue plastic, concealing its design until unwrapped, adding an element of surprise for collectors.
The Collector’s Meal is available in different variations throughout the day. During breakfast hours, it includes a sausage and egg McMuffin, hash brown and hot coffee. Later in the day, customers can choose between a 10-piece McNuggets or a Big Mac, served with fries and a soft drink. The collectible cups are available as part of these meals in-store, online and via the McDonald’s app. The meals range from $10-12, depending on location.
The nostalgic collectibles have made a splash on the secondary market, with individual cups on sale for between $11 and $50 on eBay. As of August 19, McDonald’s is still selling the Collector’s Meal Cups, but their limited-edition status — the brand has not said when the promotion will end — is likely driving up the price.
McDonald’s has a long history of offering commemorative cups. In 1977, it offered glass cups featuring Peanuts characters in a Camp Snoopy theme, and in 1992, it offered a set of six plastic collector’s cups to coincide with the release of Batman Returns.
In 2000, the brand offered glasses featuring Disney characters from popular movies, and eight years later, it offered limited-edition glasses commemorating the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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McDonald’s has been busy this summer. It dropped a new McFlurry, the Kit Kat Banana Split, earlier this month, following the nostalgic Grandma McFlurry in May. The brand also recently extended its limited-time $5 Meal Deal, which it introduced last month. The deal comes with a four-piece order of Chicken McNuggets, small fries and a drink, and the customer can choose a McChicken or a McDouble sandwich.
The brand is also testing the nearly one-pound Big Arch — the company’s biggest burger ever — in international markets this year, with plans to eventually roll it out to a larger demographic.
