Collectible McDonald's Cups Hiding In Your Cabinet That Are Worth Lots Of Money

If you've ever been excited as a kid to go to McDonald's, crossing your fingers hoping that out of the selection of Happy Meals toys or movie cups, you'll open that box and get the one you want, then you know what it's like to be an appreciator of merchandise. Although some of that memorabilia may be lost to time, others may be hidden in a drawer or cupboard somewhere. Whether you're a collector of memorabilia or your cabinets are filled with a culmination of glasses picked up from that trip there or this restaurant here, you may be sitting on a gold mine without even knowing it. 

Over the decades, McDonald's has released multiple collaborations with major franchises, ranging from movies to cartoons to sports. Many of these collaborations have released sets of cups, and if you can collect all pieces of the sets, they may be fairly valuable. There's a market for collectible McDonald's cups, both vintage and new, and they are selling for hundreds of dollars, and some for thousands. Here's a list of collectible McDonalds cups that are worth a pretty penny.

Batman, one of the highest-grossing media franchises, has been in comic books since 1939 and on the big screen for decades. The franchise has solidified Batman as a household name, a classic American superhero that both children and grandparents alike have memories of. In the late 1980s, Tim Burton stepped on to direct three Warner Bros. Batman films. The sequel film, "Batman Returns," debuted in 1992. McDonald's released a series of Happy Meal toys and collectible cups to promote the movie. 

Controversy ensued, as McDonald's received backlash from the public for promoting a film deemed too mature for kids. As to not lose a massive collaboration between Warner Bros. and McDonald's, Warner Bros. replaced Tim Burton as director of the franchise. Since then, collectors of memorabilia and admirers of history have sought out the McDonald's merchandise that was released for "Batmans Returns." Cups and Happy Meal bags have been sold for over $50. Even the cardboard display packaging of the cups, without a cup included, recently sold for $149.99.

McDonald's has implemented many different marketing tactics to draw in customers, from Happy Meals to celebrity collaborations to specialty menu items. The fast-food chain started out as a drive-through restaurant, but when Ray Krok purchased the company in 1961, the era of McDonald's advertising took off, with a heightened focus on commercials. The first commercial introduced a mascot for the brand, a clown named Ronald McDonald. This was appealing to children of the era, who had already begun watching Bozo the Clown on their televisions in the previous decade. 

Over the years, mascots became a popular medium for the fast-food company to showcase their vision. In these commercials, protagonists like Ronald McDonald fought against villains like Grimace in the fictional world of McDonaldland. A series of other characters emerged as well, like the Hamburglar, Captain Crook, Big Mac, and Mayor McCheese. The McDonaldland commercials began in 1971 and ran until 2003, but some of those original mascots are still used by McDonald's today. There is a plethora of merchandise featuring the OG mascots, but some of the older memorabilia can go for hundreds of dollars. A set of 6 glasses from 1977 featuring classic mascots like Ronald, the Hamburglar, and Grimace sold for $280.

Can you get more American than McDonald's and basketball? McDonald's is known for making collaborative meals and products with celebrities and professional athletes. In 1992, the fast-food giant released a series of commemorative cups honoring what is considered to be the best basketball team ever created. The 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, known colloquially as the 'Dream Team' was a star-studded lineup of some of the best athletes America had to offer. After the U.S. men's basketball team loss in the 1988 Olympics, the 1992 team was curated to take home the gold, and they succeeded with flying colors. 

Deemed national heroes, brand deals came flooding in, and McDonald's capitalized on the moment. 12 commemorative cups were released, each featuring a member of the team. The cups each included an individual player card with stats, a picture, and a mimeo autograph. If you happen to have a few of these cups stashed away in the cupboard, you can make a quick $20, but if you have the entire set, you can score hundreds. A vintage set of 1992 commemorative cups sold for $899.99 in July, 2024.

Over the past 84 years, McDonald's has gone through a myriad of design changes, from the bags to the cups to the logo itself. The quintessential symbol of the McDonald's empire is the Golden Arches. The bright yellow arches can be recognized almost immediately all over the world. Throughout the decades, rollouts of new specials have seen bright and innovative designs, all with the Golden Arches featured. Many of the packaged goods for McDonald's food are deemed disposable, like soda cups, burger boxes, or bags.

Most of these items have ended up tossed out after a meal. However, people have managed to hold on to unused packaging over the years — and there's a market for it Some would look at it as trash, but others see treasure. One such set of 10 wax-coated paper soda cups from the 1970s sold for $75. Vintage packaged items showcase moments in the franchise's design history, a history fascinating for those interested in the marketing legacy that McDonald's has created. 

The early 1990s were huge for McDonald's commemorative cups. The "Batman Returns" and Dream Team cups weren't the only ones released that have fetched hundreds. McDonald's also released a set of six different Jurassic Park-inspired cups that anyone could take home with the purchase of a large soft drink or "dino-sized" extra value meal, as promoted in commercials from 1993. The Jurassic Park films have evolved into a massive media franchise, with a film being released as recently as 2022 and a new film coming out in 2025. Universal Orlando Resort even has a theme park section dedicated to the franchise. 

The original "Jurassic Park," directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1993 to critical acclaim. A beloved saga, fans were eager to get their hands on these collectible cups that featured different dinosaurs from the film, like velociraptors and the infamous tyrannosaurus rex. The backside of the cups included references to scenes from the film along with facts about each species. Individual cups from the set have sold for as high as $30, and full sets have sold for as high as $200.

With so many different McDonald's merchandise out there, sometimes the most iconic pieces are the classics themselves. Whether you want a piece of nostalgia for your home kitchen or bar, or you just enjoy vintage glassware, McDonald's Good Morning mugs have that cool vintage look that brings you back in time. Designed by Anchor Hocking, an American glassware company founded in 1905, the mugs, made in a brand of glass Anchor Hocking called Fire-King, are durable glassware opaque in color with a decal on the front. 

The decal depicts the classic Golden Arches, the company name in black, and an orange sun with a smiley face and speech bubble with the words, "Good morning." They were oven-proof, so they could handle a hot cup of coffee as intended. In 1976, these mugs were given out for free to customers who ordered coffee and breakfast. Individual mugs can be found for as low as $10, but sets have sold for upwards of $100.

Earlier this year, McDonald's released a Collector's Meal, a meal deal that comes with one collectible cup each. With a total of six cups released, the goal is to collect each unique cup to complete the set. The Collector's Meal is inspired by nostalgia, featuring familiar and iconic brands like Barbie, Minions, Hot Wheels, Beanie Babies, Shrek, Hello Kitty, and Coca-Cola. In a contemporary twist, the cups can be scanned via Snapchat for an immersive digital experience. McDonald's also hosted in-person fan events in Los Angeles and New York with live music, food, and activities for those looking to increase their collections.

 Each cup is inspired by previous collaborations that McDonald's has had over the years and is meant to be a chance for fans to look back on the company's legacy and their own memories attached to it. These plastic collectible cups have already popped up on reseller sites. Those looking to complete their sets, or just a fan of a specific brand, have purchased individual cups for upwards of $89. Some sets have sold for $300, and an entire case of unopened cups even sold for $1,500.

McDonald's and Coca-Cola have had an illustrious relationship dating all the way back to 1955. When the two companies made a deal with one another, a mutually beneficial partnership emerged that would take them both to global heights. All McDonald's locations serve Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola refuses to sell their product for less than the price that McDonald's pays. This long-held relationship has led to multiple advertising collaborations over the years, including multiple Coca-Cola glasses and cups. In 2023, the franchise released limited edition color-changing aluminum cups. 

The cups are temperature reactive, so when a cold drink is poured into them, their appearance changes. This is due to thermodynamic microcapsule pigments. The cups ranged in colors and included pink, blue, green, charcoal, yellow, and red. The cups gained interest from collectors and consumers because they were initially only offered in the Philippines. Due to interest in the cups, many began popping up on reseller sites. A full set of all six cups sold for $100, and individual cups have sold for $39.99.

The McDonald's collaboration with the Batman films didn't end with "Batman Returns." A few years after the "Batman Returns" collectible cups, McDonald's released a set of glass mugs for the 1995 Batman Forever film. There were four mugs, each sold for only 99 cents with the purchase of any McDonald's food item. The glass mugs had carved depictions of Batman, Robin, the Riddler, and Two-Face. Each of these protagonists and villains were featured in the film. 

The collaboration was advertised in a commercial, depicting a McDonald's in Gotham City with Batman himself, along with the Riddler, who grabbed a Batman mug from a McDonald's server and exclaimed, "Now I've got him!" These mugs were described as high-quality glass and were made to last. These glass mugs pop up often on reseller sites, but a full set is always worth a bit more. In regards to the Batman Forever mugs, a full set sold in July, 2024 for $70.

A massive global success, the Shrek cinematic universe is one of the most popular animated franchises in history. A unique departure from the traditional fairy tale tropes, "Shrek" the movie offers satire and humor that is refreshing to audiences around the world. The original film debuted in 2001, and since then, sequels, musicals, video games, and an abundance of merchandise have followed. 

McDonald's has released many Shrek Happy Meal toys over the years, and in 2010 they released a series of Shrek-themed glasses for the rollout of the franchise's fourth feature film, "Shrek Forever After." It is important to note that many of the original glasses were recalled at the time because the paint on the glasses contained the toxic metal cadmium. The series of glasses released states the film on the glass and depicts many of the well-known characters of the animation like Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey. The glasses are quite small in size, but full sets have sold for $65.

The Muppets were created in 1955, and their legacy has grown since. Puppets, or characters, like Kermit the Frog, were initially featured on shows like "Sesame Street". Eventually "The Muppet Show" was developed in the 1970s, and Muppet films were subsequently released. The Muppets became household names for families across the U.S. known and loved by generation after generation with shows like "Muppets Now" released as recently as 2020. 

A child-friendly collection of characters, the franchise gained popularity, and McDonald's capitalized, releasing merchandise in collaboration with the Muppets. In 1981, the movie, "The Great Muppet Caper," was released, making it the second live-action film of the franchise. The film features Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear as both newspaper reporters and brothers. Gonzo, Scooter, and Miss Piggy make appearances along with other classic Muppets characters. McDonald's released a series of glasses featuring these iconic figures. Vintage sets recently sold for $65.99.

Peanuts, the comic strip featuring iconic characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy, was first published in 1950. It has since evolved into animated television shows, movies, and even an amusement park. Camp Snoopy is a Peanuts-themed park that features characters and interactive activities inspired by the comic. The park first opened in 1983 and is still open today for families to enjoy. Camp Snoopy was a part of what is known as Knott's Berry Farm, the first amusement park in America. Baked goods and chicken dinners were served, and children could enjoy themselves with a variety of rides and entertainment options. 

In 1983, to celebrate the opening of the park, McDonald's released a series of Camp Snoopy-themed 16-ounce glasses. Each glass had a character from the comic in a camp setting with quotes accompanying the characters. Snoopy is depicted tucked into a sleeping bag saying, "Morning people are hard to love." Lucy can be seen in a chair with shades and a drink saying, "There's no excuse for not being properly prepared." Similar to other vintage collaborative glassware sets, the 1983 Camp Snoopy drinking glasses have sold in sets for around $70.

Originally seen in American newspaper comic strips starting in 1978, Garfield gained popularity amongst Americans. What's not to love about a fat, sarcastic orange cat? An animated television series came shortly after the comic strip's success, in 1983. After crossing into the television sphere, live-action movies followed suit along with merchandise. The Garfield franchise became a massive success and is estimated to sell over $500 million in merchandise each year. 

McDonald's released Garfield-themed mugs before the comic veered into television. The mugs were released in 1978 and feature Garfield in various, often lazy situations, along with a dog character named Odie. The mugs are glass coffee mugs with Garfield scenes painted onto the exterior in various colors. With a beloved fanbase, Garfield fans or memorabilia collectors can find these vintage mugs on most resale websites. Individual mugs are typically listed for as low as $5, but some full sets have sold for over $50.