We Learned About McDonald's Rarest And Most Memorable Collectibles Straight From The Archivist

Fast food has gotten a bad rep recently due to rising prices, but McDonald's has introduced a new collectible to pull at fans' heartstrings in hopes of enticing them into the dining room or drive-thru: the Collector's Meal. The all-day menu option is available with either a Sausage McMuffin with Egg during breakfast, or a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets or Big Mac later on. Most importantly, it arrives with one of six limited-edition Collector's Meal Cups, decorated with nostalgic scenes from McDonald's history including fan-favorite Happy Meal toy releases from Beanie Babies to Barbie, as well as classic characters like Grimace. It should come as no surprise that customers are lining up outside the Golden Arches to scoop up every last cup. 

But as any longtime McDonald's patron knows, this isn't the first time the chain has generated buzz with its eye-catching collectibles — in fact, its very first character cups (adorned with Grimace and Ronald, of course) appeared in the 1970s. To learn more about the history of McDonald's memorabilia, Tasting Table spoke to McDonald's archivist Mike Bullington. "I like to say my job is to tell the story of McDonald's, but everyone has a McDonald's story, and through these cups, I'm hoping people can tell stories about dinnertimes at McDonald's," says Bullington. Whether you fondly remember the Ronald McDonald hand puppet or still drink from your McDonald's Muppets glassware at home, chances are you'll recognize some of these limited-edition items.

McDonald's has always been known for its marketing flair, but the restaurant's first collectibles didn't appear until the late 1960s. According to Mike Bullington, one of the earliest releases was known as the flying saucer. "So, they were called flying saucers. It was a round thing, [like a] flying hamburger. It had Ronald McDonald on it, and it was an early promotion that kids could toss. It was a made out of paper," he tells Tasting Table. The flying saucers were released around 1967, says Bullington, and Ronald McDonald parachutes arrived a few years later. "We had parachutes that you would blow out of a tube and then little parachutists would come down," Bullington explains.

After the success of these paper toys, McDonald's branched out into the world of puppets. "The plastic puppets of the characters, they [came] in the early to mid-1970s. The puppets were really popular — because we didn't have Happy Meals and Happy Meal toys available that early, so I think those were probably one of the favorites," says Bullington. Though it feels like it's been with us forever, the first Happy Meal didn't turn up at McDonald's restaurants until 1979. The inaugural Happy Meal toys were a bit underwhelming, with options including stencils and erasers, but by December 1979, children enjoyed the first film crossover collection at McDonald's with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"-themed toys.

Few collectibles are as coveted as McDonald's drinkware, which originated around the same time as its hand puppets, according to archivist Mike Bullington. "We had yellow cups featuring Ronald McDonald; then they went to Happy Cups. And then we had glasses in 1970 here on their Collector's Meal cup — that's one of the examples with Grimace. So the cups featured all of the characters back in 1977." The new batch of collectible McDonald's cups available in the United States includes a design with a purple Grimace printed on plastic, whereas Canadian McDonald's Collector's Meal Cups see Grimace's form sculpted on glass.

There were also some notable collaborations between the McDonald's marketing team and pop culture icons early on. In 1981, the Muppets made a splash with a series of colorful glass cups distributed from McDonald's restaurants. The set of four cups was released to promote the 1981 film "The Great Muppet Caper." Two years later, in 1983, the "Peanuts" comic strip darlings made their debut at Mickey D's with a Camp Snoopy collection. In later decades, other lovable animated characters like Shrek and Mickey Mouse would grace McDonald's glassware.

On the topic of Happy Meal toys, Mike Bullington doesn't hesitate before nominating his pick for the most sought-after collection in recent history. "The most standout [release], that's easy: In 1997, I remember, before I worked for the company, going to McDonald's with two of my daughters to try to get the Teenie Beanie Babies. That was a cultural phenomenon. I'm from Chicago, and they put out this ad that they were harder to get than Chicago Bulls tickets," Bullington tells Tasting Table. At the time, the Teenie Beanie Babies promotion led to record-breaking sales for the company, thanks to a cuddly companion in every Happy Meal from toy manufacturer Ty. "There were lines of customers waiting to get them — what a huge success. Just phenomenal. And again, with the Collector's Meal, we feature them on the cup; the various Teenie Beanie Babies," says Bullington.

Indeed, Beanie Babies are displayed prominently on one of the six new McDonald's Collector's Meal Cups. However, the soft toys have made several appearances at the chain since their rise to fame in McDonald's Happy Meals during the late 1990s. Between the 1990s and 2010s, dozens of new Teenie Beanies — including a miniature Ronald McDonald toy — were distributed through McDonald's chains and corporate events. And in 2021, Teenie Beanie Boos, an offshoot of the original Teenie Beanie Babies, hit McDonald's restaurants just in time for Halloween.

You've probably heard about McDonald's global menu offerings, which can look drastically different from what's available here in the West. Though one Chicago McDonald's near the company's headquarters offers international delicacies like Canadian donuts and Spanish Biscoff McPops, you'll have to look elsewhere to obtain the chain's international collectibles. Each region varies in terms of its Happy Meal toy releases, though the international frenzy all started with an iconic Disney princess. "Mulan was our first global Happy Meal. We've had lots of those since," Mike Bullington tells Tasting Table. In Japanese McDonald's restaurants, for example, recent Happy Meal toys have included characters from popular anime shows like "Demon Slayer" and "One Piece."

And though Happy Meal toys are among the most sought-after collectibles globally, there's always room for exceptions. "Most recently it was the Cybertruck McFlurry Spoon in China. That's a pretty unique piece. When I heard about it, I was like, wow," Bullington says. If you can't quite picture a Cybertruck McFlurry Spoon, allow Bullington to explain. "It is a stainless steel spoon that resembles a Cybertruck. People used it to eat a McFlurry in China." Naturally, the archivist had to have one for his historical collection. "I reached out to some colleagues in China, and they sent me some for the archives. I was blown away. When people come, I share that and show them the spoon and they're also blown away," adds Bullington.

Inside the official McDonald's archives, you'll find one-of-a-kind pieces marking momentous occasions in the restaurant's history. "We had the original Ronald McDonald costume, worn by Willard Scott, that's unique," says archivist Mike Bullington. Scott, the entertainer who played Ronald McDonald from 1963 to 1964, wore a bright yellow jumpsuit with red and white striped sleeves. "And [there are] documents to discuss the evolution of the corporation. Those are really neat," says Bullington. After McDonald's founded by the McDonald brothers, businessman Ray Kroc led efforts to franchise the restaurant, later purchasing it from the siblings in 1961. "I have things from Ray Kroc that of course no one else is going to have. In the archives, we have Ray Kroc's service ring," Bullington tells Tasting Table.

But don't fret if you're hoping to score some lesser-known McDonald's collectibles. Though plenty of McDonald's memorabilia was never made available to the public, you can find some of it today if you know where to look. "We have cups from conventions specifically made for our crew, the attendees, from 1969," Bullington explains. "Those are some of my favorite pieces. It's amazing, the people that'll come, they [also] have crew uniforms throughout the years." At the McDonald's National Operators Convention in 1971, attendees received printed shirts and dresses with McDonald's arches dotted throughout.

If you're the type of collector who seeks out rare and obscure McDonald's memorabilia, you may be interested to hear about Mike Bullington's most-wanted items. The archivist has been on the hunt for a particular late-'60s McDonald's outfit — "the Harlequin crew uniform," says Bullington — though there are a few more gems he's still trying to track down. "For me in the archives, that [uniform] is one of the rarest pieces. That, and a 1983 nine-piece McNugget box," he says. A McNugget box? Yes, to the untrained eye, it may seem like refuse — but old fast food packaging is a collector's treasure. "I don't have one of those. It was made of paper. So our operators would sell the product, they didn't keep things, but I'm still looking for one of those. I'll get one eventually."

We've seen the return of classic characters from McDonald's past like Grimace — who had a moment in the spotlight in 2023 with his birthday celebration and the wildly popular Grimace Shake. (Said dessert was a big success for McDonald's.) Yet one of the restaurant chain's most recognizable relics, Ronald McDonald, is noticeably absent from McDonaldland these days. When asked if the famous clown might ever reappear in McDonald's marketing, Bullington could neither confirm nor deny. "I don't know. I can tell you about the past, but I don't know anything about the future," he says. Considering his absence from the team as of late, it might be wise to hold onto your Ronald McDonald pieces if you want collectibles that appreciate in value.