What do we think about when we think of McDonald's? The golden arches? Crisp french fries? Perhaps the delectable Big Mac hamburger? Maybe you remember the commercials of the sometimes funny and often creepy Ronald McDonald. Whatever you remember, the restaurant has been a fast-food icon for decades, bringing families American-style food at reasonable prices. Their popularity has grown to the point that countries around the world have adapted the restaurant into their culture, adding their own unique twists and food items that reflect their country. However, there is one thing that represents McDonald's more than anything else on their menu: the Happy Meal.

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Ah yes, the Happy Meal. A miniaturized version of the grown-up meals served in a cardboard box with the golden arches shining brightly for all children to enjoy. What made these toys special to children was not the food itself, but rather the promise of a fun toy that came with the meal. While usually just a small piece of plastic that reflected whatever pop culture phenomenon was happening at the time, these toys have become a staple of his iconic fast-food franchise. So much so, in fact, that some of these toys are now worth a small fortune.

Updated June 30, 2022, by Gabrielle Huston: With the Happy Meal returning to Mcdonald's this summer, we figured it was about time to look back on the very best (and the very valuable) Happy Meal toys over the years!

10 Fur-Baby!

Vintage Furby Happy Meal Toy
via MoCrossCountry on Etsy

One of the most popular children's toys of the 90's was undoubtedly Furby. Despite having deadpan eyes and rock-hard bodies with matted fur, the creatures were a staple of the era. They were so popular in fact that the restaurant with the golden arches paired them with happy meals, and a collection of 8 recently sold for over $900 on eBay.

That's a lot of money for such a small and creepy toy. The toys have a tendency to creep people out with their unblinking eyes, and it's been often reported that these toys have a habit of talking in the middle of the night. Whether it's from perishing batteries or something else is up for you to determine, but the point is it's incredible to see that these toys are being sold at such a high price. It's one of the most expensive collectibles from McDonald's.

9 Beanies and Babies

Beanie Babies - Happy Meal Toy, McDonalds
via discoverqualitytoday.com

In other words, Beanie Babies! These toys are one of the most prized toys to ever come out of McDonald's. Outside of the restaurant they earned quite a reputation as being highly sought after and adorable. These bean-filled dolls were paired with happy meals in the early 2000s and, while experts predicted they'd be valuable in the future, no one could have imagined they'd be priced at over $400 for an average doll and over $750 for the rare Beary the Bear doll. You read that right. A rare beanie baby, known as Beary the Bear, is being sold online for over $750.

How on earth is that possible? It's so strange to imagine that these toys of simple cloth and beans came together to form one of the collector world's most infamous fast food collectibles. So be ready to shell out a lot of money for these incredibly rare toys.

8 A Picnic Basket!

Yogi Bear & Friends - Happy Meal Toy, McDonalds

Hello there Mr. Ranger sir! That's right everyone, the beloved Yogi Bear and his adventures in Jellystone National Park are making an appearance in the rare collectible McDonalds toys. Despite the love the original Yogi Bear show from Hannah Barbera garnered from audiences around the world, not all of Yogi Bear's adventures were so beloved. In fact, one show, in particular, proved to be kind of a hit and miss with audiences.

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Although the show was a flop, the toys in happy meals for Yo Yogi are vastly popular and can fetch for an easy $100 now online. That's right, toys from a failed show still managed to become a huge financial success for collectors and sellers. Most people either hate or ignore the shows that fail like that, but the hardcore collectors are willing to shell out some serious dough for these highly sought-after toys.

7 Despicable

Jerry the minion break dancing - Happy Meal Toy, McDonalds
via shopee.ph

When we think of collector's items being made out of old McDonald's toys, we tend to imagine toys from decades past, gathering dust in someone's garage and stumbling upon a fortune accidentally. However, some of these items are more current cash machines. That's right, toys from as early as five years ago are now worth quite a bit of money, especially when the toy in question comes from one of the world's most popular children's movies, Despicable Me.

A more modern-day fortune arrives from the minion toys McDonald's released with happy meals in 2013 for the film Despicable Me 2. The toys are so popular that the figure of Jerry the minion break dancing is worth $120. It's so strange to imagine such a relatively young toy becoming that popular, let alone garnering enough attention to give it such a huge monetary value.

6 What's In A Theme?

Madame Alexander Disney dolls - Happy Meal Toys, McDonalds
via ebay.com

It was said that, back in the day, if you couldn't get your hands on an American Girl doll, then getting a doll from Madame Alexander was the next best thing. These dolls were very popular with young children back in the day. They often came with specific themes, and this McDonald's happy meal version of the Madame Alexander Disney dolls featured their dolls dressed as various Disney characters.

From Minnie to Cinderella, these dolls showed their Disney spirit and were available in a wide range of outfits in character looks. These dolls now fetch for $130 on eBay. These are just the toys from McDonald's too. Can you imagine how much money the regular line of dolls is fetching? Especially without the old smell of fries on them.

5 Go-Go Gadget

Go Go Gadget - Happy Meal Toy, McDonald
via FastFoodToyReviews on YouTube

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, one of the most popular animated franchises was none other than Inspector Gadget. Kids loved the action and adventure of the half man half robot detective, and he subsequently had a popular line of toys kept in happy meals. If you're looking to grab one of these limited edition happy meal toys, then you better be prepared to shell out up to $350.

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This is a toy that spans decades in popularity and has had time to grow in price and fame. Whether you loved the goofball antics of the character or were fascinated with the notion of a half man half gadget-wielding robot, these toys are highly sought after and can fetch you a hefty sum if sold today. It's easy to see why people hold onto their collectibles with an iron grip. They could just end up paying your way through college or something.

4 Muppet Madness

Fraggle Rock - Happy Meal Toys, McDonalds

Sometimes toys from shows can become popular. Other times the show spawns spin-offs that become even more popular than the original franchise, and their images and likeness become so revered that they become more valuable than their predecessor. That was the case for the Muppets, when a spin-off launched that drew a huge fan base that overpowered the original show and characters.

From 1983-1987, a British and American show based on the world of the Muppets came to life and gained serious popularity. The show was Fraggle Rock, and the toys can be found in a set of four for over $200. That's right, over $200 is the price for these widely popular and rare Mcdonald's toys. The show Fraggle Rock has become a huge staple in children's programming, and iconic in its own right. It's no wonder a children's show so popular would spawn such a huge price tag on its toy line.

3 Madame Alexander Strikes Again

Madame Alexander Wonderland dolls - Happy Meal Toys, McDonalds

That's right, the popular doll line had another popular theme that now garners some big bucks. Previously, we talked about how these American Girl doll competitors had made a name for themselves with their Disney-themed happy meal toys. Yet, the toy line managed to create yet another themed toy line with McDonald's that had young children begging their parents to buy them a happy meal.

Madame Alexander's Alice in Wonderland-themed dolls can fetch for a huge price online now; 300$ or more. That's right, the story of young Alice falling through the rabbit hole straight into the multicoloured world of Wonderland became a huge inspiration for the Madame Alexander doll line, and the dolls individually are worth quite a small fortune to whoever was lucky or smart enough to collect them.

2 Mystery Toy

Diener Keshi Figures - Happy Meal Toys, McDonalds
via ebay.com

Another prime example of McDonald's branching out with their own unique toys comes in the form of a mystery. Most toys come with simple yet enjoyable tales for children to follow. A line of robots fighting one another. Cowboys fighting off the law. Police officers chasing would-be hamburger robbers.

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These children's tales drive their imagination and help them be creative going forward in life.

However, what happens when the toy in question has no origin and wasn't quite explained to the public for consumption? This next toy is something no one quite knows about. Rumor has it they are meant to be underwater aliens, but the Deiner Keshi toys in happy meals in the 70's now can be found being sold for $400 on YouTube. The mystery of the toy no doubt added to the monetary value of the toys, and whoever was smart enough not to throw out the toys can now make a pretty penny.

1 Classics Gone Wrong

Hunchback of Notre Dame characters - Happy Meal Toys, McDonalds
via Yorkshire Toy Reviewer on YouTube

While Disney has been known to adapt several classic stories, Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame definitely doesn't have the same child-like appeal of say Beauty and the Beast. The story of Quasimodo, the hunchback child taken in by a power-hungry religious fanatic and forced to live in the bell tower of the infamous Notre Dame in Paris has been one of the most iconic pieces of literature in our culture.

Disney's version took this story, and added talking gargoyles, a tragic love story that failed to give the main character the romantic ending he deserved, and brought about one of the most visually compelling films that Disney had made up until that point. Yet, the villain was haunting, and his actions deplorable. Despite it being a little too scary at times for children, the collectible set of the film at McDonald's fetches for nearly $200 online these days.

NEXT: Toys From The 90s That Are Impossible To Find (And How Much They’re Worth)