8 McDonald’s Happy Meal toys that could now be worth a small fortune

hopticsFebruary 18, 2026

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Picture; Metro — Looking to make a little money? With the cost of living crisis continuing to affect millions – and many things remaining stubbornly expensive – many of us are looking for a side hustle or quick win. Which is where the Golden Arches may come in. McDonald’s has dished up a vast range of Happy Meal toys over the decades with The Friends Meal, featuring figurines of each of the classic sitcom’s characters, being the latest. (Picture: McDonald’s/Metro)

The Friends Meal from McDonald's, with a Big Mac, fries, a drink and a Monica figurine — With six toys to collect, fans have already been questioning whether they could be worth something in the future, with some already fetching £10-£15 online, according to This Is Money, it’s certainly possible. But they’re not the only Happy Meal toys that could prove valuable, as there are others which can fetch a whole lot more. And you might just have one of those lurking in a dark corner. Read on to discover some of those which could well bring in the big bucks… (Picture: McDonald’s)

McNugget Buddies (1988)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Disney 100 Years Of Magic (2002) Picture: source: — First up, if you were a child of the 80s then a trip to McDonald’s may well have resulted in you finding one of these in your Happy Meal. McNugget Buddies, modelled on iconic menu offering, were first introduced in 1988 and have resurfaced several times since, in 1992, 1994, 1996 and more recently 2023. But if you happen to have a set of the original nugs you could well nab yourself a bit of cash. A set of the original toys recently sold for $130 (£96) on eBay. If you have other sets, such as the Halloween Buddies or the 1991 sports set, they could also net you some notes, with the latter currently going for £52 on eBay UK. (Picture: McDonald’s)

Halloween Boo Buckets (1986)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Halloween Boo Buckets (1986) Picture: McDonald's source: https://nightmarenostalgia.com/2023/09/28/celebrating-the-wonderful-history-of-mcdonalds-halloween-buckets/ — Speaking of Halloween, the McDonald’s Boo Bucket first made its appearance as a Happy Meal toy back in 1986 – although several variations have been produced over the years as October 31 rolls around. If you have a vintage set of these lurking around you could be in luck, as recently on eBay a set of original buckets sold for $75 (£55). (Picture: McDonald’s)

Disney 100 Years Of Magic (2002)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Disney 100 Years Of Magic (2002) Picture: eBay source: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144241802357 — Next up is this set from 2002 which was released by the fast food giants in conjunction with Disney to mark the 100th anniversary of the House of Mouse. Fans had a range of iconic characters to collect with their meal, from Roger Rabbit through to Mickey Mouse. If you’re that person who nabbed a full set of these then you could be sitting on a payday. Last September a complete set of these sold on eBay for $204 (£150). Picture: eBay

Transformers (1985)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Transformers (1985) Picture: Transformers Artifacts (group) source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2799321890273808&set=pcb.1793850634494682 — They might not have had the benefit of special effects-laden live action movies in the 80s, but that didn’t stop the Transformers from being super-popular – in both action figure and cartoon form. And McDonald’s did their bit by giving the robots in disguise their own happy meal and collectible figures. Bumblebee, Gears, Brawn and Cliffjumper were among the toys featured in this one, and just to add even more value to the set you could only get them at branches in St Louis. Which of course means that if you’re lucky enough to own one you might get a few quid for it. The Brawn toy recently sold on eBay for just under $80 (£59). The 1988 Transformer Hamburger box, meanwhile, could fetch you around £20 if you have it lying around somewhere. (Picture: McDonald’s)

Dukes Of Hazzard container (1982)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Dukes Of Hazzard Happy Meal Container (1982) Picture: Linda Menzies Greenstein source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9353782021351634&set=gm.9171678446277945&idorvanity=6677057475740067 — Remember The Dukes Of Hazzard? The iconic action comedy show was a staple of Saturday evening viewing (in the UK at least) in the 1980s, and proved so popular that it was no surprise to see McDonald’s get in on the act. The chain teamed up with the show in 1982, midway through its run, to produce these Happy Meal containers based on its cars – General Lee, Daisy Duke’s Jeep, Boss Hogg’s Cadillac, Uncle Jesse’s truck and Rosco P Coltrane’s police car. If these are sitting around your gaff, and they’re in mint condition, you’re potentially sitting on something valuable. Just one car, the General Lee, went on eBay last August for just under $110 (£81). Imagine if you had them all. (Picture: Facebook)

Snoopy World Tour (1999)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Snoopy World Tour Picture: etsy source: — Here’s one which could be a little harder to find than most, largely because the fast food giant’s Snoopy toys only made it to certain countries. The tiny figurines of everyone’s favourite cartoon beagle were never released in the US, showing up predominantly in Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Venezuela and New Zealand. No wonder they’re so sought after. Anyway, if you’re lucky enough to have a full set of these it’s worth noting that they’re currently on sale on eBay for $115 (£84) – and if you have them in their presentation box you could be looking at even more, with one set priced at $133 (£98.20).

Inspector Gadget (1995)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Inspector Gadget (1995) Picture: ETSY source: https://www.etsy.com/listing/992230878/vintage-inspector-gadget-mcdonalds-happy — The live-action movie of Inspector Gadget, starring Matthew Broderick as the title character, was released in a blaze of publicity in 1999 and promptly flopped – but that didn’t stop the inevitable tie-in toys with McDonald’s. If you’ve got your hands on a Gadget toy – which could be a challenge as they consisted of eight separate parts, each a separate toy in its own right – then this could be one for you. A fully-formed action figure sold on eBay in November for $30 (£22), although a full set could potentially net you quite a bit more. one of these, with all the toys still in their original bags, is currently going for £83.90 on eBay UK. Which won’t be the biggest windfall you’ll ever receive, but it’s still worth quite a bit more than it was at the time. (Picture: ETSY)

Lil McDonald’s Toy Set (2025)

The McDonald's Happy Meal toys which could now be worth a fortune Lil McDonald?s Toy Set (2025) Picture: eBay source: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/gRsAAeSwyEdoYsth/s-l1600.webp — Finally, let’s come right up to date with this sought-after 2025 set which sees Maccy’s going all meta and offering diners the chance to collect miniatures inspired by actual McDonald’s items. So everything from a tiny Happy Meal box to a mini Golden Arches, basically. It’s no surprise this was popular, and even though it’s less than a year old it’s already proving valuable. While individual toys currently start from as little as £3 on eBay, sets of toys – whether partial or complete – can fetch a lot more, such as one currently on the site for $250 (£184). (Picture: eBay)

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