The McDonald's Happy Meal Toys That Capitalized On A Popular '90s Collectible Fad

Did you grow up in the '90s? If so, you remember the countless fads, from Pogs to Polly Pockets. This era was all about collecting sets, and kids loved gathering to compare their stashes, trade with friends, and brag about that one rare find. McDonald's noticed this trend and, being the marketing mastermind that it is, decided to capitalize on it. In 1997, the fast food chain partnered with Ty to introduce Teenie Beanies. 

The miniature Beanie Babies included everything from cats and dogs to koalas and crabs. They became so popular that people started lining up for Beanies rather than burgers. Some fans even tossed the food to keep the toy, while others froze entire Happy Meals for months. The toys caused such a frenzy that McDonald's started selling certain Teenie Beanies separately just to keep up with demand.

Chief Marketer reports that the fast-food chain sold out of 100 million Teenie Beanies in just 10 days, and it wasn't just kids getting giddy for these collectibles — but fans of all ages. What was meant to be a four-week promo turned into five, and the company ran three additional Teenie Beanie releases over the next few years. It's safe to say the marketing strategy worked, and Teenie Beanies became one of many epic vintage McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

McDonald's Happy Meal history is full of childhood nostalgia, which you can view firsthand at a vintage McDonald's location that turned into a museum. But spoiler alert: Beanie Babies weren't the first toy to become a Happy Meal obsession. While McDonald's has created plenty of original toys throughout the years, the chain is not above capitalizing on fads — and looking back at its '90s lineup feels like a cultural time capsule.

Every year throughout the '90s, McDonald's dished out Hot Wheels and Barbie toys, letting kids choose between speed and style. Although these Mattel favorites weren't invented in the '90s, they were huge during this decade. Other popular toys included Potato Heads, Cabbage Patch Kids, Tamagotchis, and LEGOs. 

Aside from classic toys, McDonald's frequently pulls from popular media, whether that be TV series, movies, or books. The Bernstein Bears got their own mini figurines in 1990, while Disney classics like "The Jungle Book," "101 Dalmatians," and "The Little Mermaid" followed soon after. And though Pokémon fever first struck in the '90s, it didn't officially hit McDonald's Happy Meals until 2011. However, the Pokémon frenzy is still so intense that Japan recently had to change its Happy Meal rules, limiting Happy Meal purchases to three per customer.