Where The High Values Came From
It started with resellers camping out all night for the cards, so McDonalds employees put a one-per-customer limit on the Happy Meals in order to stave off any violence should the first person in line buy everything in stock and leave everyone tired, hungry, and cardless:
But by allowing everyone a buy-in for the market, trades could be made. Value has since gone up by taking into account the sentimental value of the Pokemon, the look of the card, and the leveraging power each collector had with their own hand of four.
This left lucky owners of certain holographic cards with highly collectible McDonalds Pokemon cards on their hands.
CHECK OUT: 5 Valuable Michael Jordan Basketball Cards That Prove He Is The GOAT
The History Of Pokemon Cards And Happy Meals
Alongside the franchise’s monumental anniversary, The Pokemon Company has partnered with McDonald’s to bring children and Pokemon fans alike Pokemon-themed Happy Meals from February to March. Each Happy Meal includes the standard Happy Meal food of choice, a Pikachu-themed Happy Meal box, and a mini booster card pack of 4 Pokemon TCG cards. Happy Meal also include a mini picture frame, deck box, or sticker sheets. Unsurprisingly, the limited-time Pokemon cards have skyrocketed in both popularity and price, and while each card has the same likelihood of appearing in a pack, here are the hardest to find McDonald’s Pokemon cards.
Mcdonalds Pokmon Happy Meals: Us Shortages
Fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game will be hoping that the Pokémon Happy Meals include the special edition McDonalds 25th Anniversary Pokémon cards that were included with Happy Meals in North America in February.
This special set was exclusive to the Happy Meal range and included 25 cards covering all the Starter Pokémon from the history of the series. There are 50 cards in the set , and they each have a 25th Anniversary logo on them.
Happy Meals in North America came with packs containing four cards, which led to reports of scalpers buying Happy Meals in bulk to try and resell complete sets on eBay.
McDonalds restaurants had to place restrictions on Happy Meal sales, after they were targeted by scalpers reselling the cards on auction sites for hundreds of dollars.
According to social media reports, some collectors were even buying the Happy Meals in mass numbers, in the hopes of obtaining new cards, and throwing out the food.
McDonalds eventually released a statement acknowledging the extreme lengths customers were going to in order to obtain the Happy Meal cards.
With such significant demand for our promotional Pokémon TCG cards, and some fans even going to extreme lengths to get them, were working quickly to address shortages and also strongly encouraging restaurants to set a reasonable limit on Happy Meals sold per customer, it said.
Notice: To display this embed please allow the use of Functional Cookies in .
You May Like: Pokemon Card With Highest Hp
Holographic Bulbasaur Charmander And Squirtle
After iconic Pokemon like Pikachu and Charizard, it goes without saying that the Kanto region starters are likely some of the most recognizable monsters out there. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle made their Pokemon debut alongside Pikachu back in 1996, and have since remained some of the favorite monsters of long-time fans, particularly those who grew up playing the original Pokemon games on the Game Boy. These are the second-rarest cards from the 2021 McDonald’s promotion.
This particular Bulbasaur card featuring the classic Grass-type starter Pokemon was originally released as part of the Shining Legends Pokemon TCG expansion back in 2017. In 2019, the card appeared in General Mills Let’s Go, Kanto! Mini Packs found in General Mills cereal boxes exclusively at Walmart. The card was also part of a McDonald’s promotion in France in 2019, also with holographic and non-holographic variations.
Now, the Bulbasaur card dons the Pokemon 25th-anniversary logo and unique icon as part of the 2021 McDonald’s promotion. Today, the Shining Legends Bulbasaur card goes for around $2-5, while the 2021 McDonald’s non-holographic Bulbasaur resells for around $3-5, and the holographic version goes for $15-20.
When Does The Mcdonald’s Pokemon Card Promo End What Is The End Date
Here’s when the Pokemon Promo could end.
By Sam Woods
The McDonalds Pokemon Card promotion whipped the US into a frenzy. Celebrating 25 years of everybodys favourite Pocket Monsters, the two companies teamed up to release a special set of Pokemon Cards that were given out free with Happy Meals. With the Pokemon Trading Card market at an all-time high, collectors and scalpers alike rushed down to the Golden Arches to grab some cards. The set was available from the start of February, but many people have asked When Does the Mcdonalds Pokemon Card Promo End? Lets investigate.
Recommended Reading: Sprint Promo Code Pokemon Go
Another Atelier Ryza Figure From Good Smile Is Coming In March 2022
If youre a hardcore Atelier Ryza collector who already has their eyes on Good Smile Companys previous Reisalin Stout figure from September, youll need more than a Perfect Guard for the hit your wallet may be taking once you the companys latest Ryza figure. Previously seen at WonHobby 34 as
It seems Australians are being spoiled with Pokemon-themed food promotions this week, as following our earlier report on Krispy Kremes new Pokemon Dozen pack, McDonalds 25th-Anniversary Pokémon Happy Meal promotion, which appeared across the US and UK earlier this year, is headed to Australian restaurants starting from Thursday, September 9th.
Confirmed on the Australian McDonalds website, these Happy Meals are identical to the ones previously distributed in other territories, with each Happy Meal including a pack of four exclusive trading cards, as well as either one of two sticker activity sets, a Pokémon TCG display frame, or a Pokémon TCG holder box. The cards feature all 24 starter Pokémon across the franchise as well as Pikachu, and with foil variants of each of the 25 cards, this makes for a total of 50 different collectible cards.
What You Need To Know About Mcdonalds Pokemon Cards
Earlier this year, McDonalds stores announced the Pokemon Happy Meal in celebration of the Nintendo propertys 25th anniversary.
The meals came in a specially designed yellow box with Pikachus smiling face on the front that opened to reveal the fixings of a Happy Meal and a future gold mine for any lucky resellers that managed to get their hands on the meal.
Four Pokemon cards were included inside each box, mixed and matched from a pool of 24 starter Pokemon cards. They came in blind packs of four, with one holographic card in each. Those holographic cards are now going for upwards of $200 on the resale market.
CHECK OUT: 5 Most Expensive Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards On The Market Right Now
Don’t Miss: Pictures Of All The Pokemon Cards In The World
Full List Of Card Prices For Mcdonalds 25th Anniversary Pokmon Tcg Happy Meal Packs
The prices vary a lot, but most are about where you would expect.
As part of a promotion for the Pokémon franchises 25th anniversary, The Pokémon Company once again partnered with fast-food giant McDonalds to distribute cards in Happy Meals until March 8.
Each Happy Meal is supposed to come with a four-card promo pack that features reprinted art of all 24 starter Pokémon and Pikachu with a special 25th-anniversary stamp on the card. In total, there are 50 cards in this limited-edition set because all 25 Pokémon have a holo and non-holo variant.
Just like with every other Happy Meal promotion, customers can purchase the featured items separately, though this policy depends on the individual McDonalds store and management. This has led to locations being bought out of the cards entirely, leading to scalpers re-selling the limited-edition Pokémon cards online.
Because the cards are a limited-edition run tied into the Pokémon franchises 25th anniversary, there is an inherent collectibility factor playing into the price of the cards. Some sealed boxes listed for resale can go for between $600 to $1,000, while individual packs are going up to anywhere from $4 to $20.
Here is a list of average costs for every Pokémon card featured in this McDonalds 25th anniversary set, listed by generation and with holo and non-holo pricings form current and historic price database, PriceCharting. None of these listings are using PSA graded examples.
How To Get Mcdonalds Pokemon Cards
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Pokémonfranchise, with the ongoing celebration officially known as Pokémon25.
The Pokémon Company has teamed up with McDonalds for a Pokémon-themed Happy Meal.
The McDonalds Pokémon Happy Meal includes the following:
- 4 Pokémon Trading Game Cards in one pack
- A Pokémon-themed toy
Read Also: New Eevee Evolution Pokemon Sun And Moon
Mcdonalds Pokmon Toys 2021
Each McDonalds Pokémon Happy Meal also includes a Pokémon toy. There are 4 types:
Pokemon Card Holder
This is a cardboard frame to hold your Pokémon card.
The cardboard deck box can hold your Pokémon cards.
Small Sticker Set
The small sticker set comes with 26 stickers, two for each starter Pokémon and two for Pikachu.
Large Sticker Set
The large sticker includes 4 Pokémon.
How Much Did The Cards Sell For
At their peak, the limited Pokemon Trading Cards sold for huge sums of money. Sales of full cases of 150 packs sold for over $1,100 on auction site eBay, with complete sets topping $400 and shiny Pikachus topping $100. Prices levelled out a little after The Pokemon Company increased production, but single cards can still sell for upwards of $40-$50.
Were aware that some fans are experiencing difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon TCG products due to very high demand. In response, we are reprinting impacted products at maximum capacity to ensure more fans can enjoy the Pokémon TCG.
More info here:
Also Check: Sword And Shield Card List
Mcdonalds Pokemon Card Rules For Happy Meals
Not only is it a nightmare for the restaurant, it literally snatches toys from kids hands. Fortunately, though, the UK chain has come up with a host of rules to ensure things dont go awry.
- Customers will be unable to purchase extra toys.
- Limits may be set on the number of Happy Meals customers can purchase.
What Is The Pokemon Cards Happy Meal Promotion
PSA Pokémon cards are in happy meals now.. I know where I’m going after work
Lady Venom | Twitch Affiliate May 19, 2021
Just like years gone by, the Happy Meal Pokemon cards come in a pack of four. Like the American release, fans will be given four cards out of a possible 50. In the USA, the selection honoured the 25 starter Pokemon and included another 25 foil variants. The McDonald’s UK site confirms Happy Meals will include “one pack of 4 trading cards including one holographic card, plus either stickers, a trading card box or frame”.
Be warned though, stocks are already said to be “extremely limited”, meaning gamers and collectors alike are getting up early and dashing to their local Golden Arches to chow down on Happy Meals. We just hope people take the latest release sensibly and don’t simply chuck their food away to nab a pack of cards. A whole 25 years after the Pokemon craze first beeped its way onto the Game Boy, it’s mad that the franchise is still going strong.
When it comes to Pokemon cards, there’s been a recent resurgence in popularity thanks to big streamers buying up rare boxes and opening them during streams. The US Happy Meal promotion also saw a massive rise in this kind of video, so look out for your favourite Brits doing the same. Let the hunt for the Pokemon card Happy Meals begin!
Images via The Pokemon Company | McDonald’s
Read Also: Desmume Pokemon Soulsilver Black Screen
Which Mcdonalds Cards Are The Most Valuable
The Pikachu holo variant is the most valuable card, which doesnt come as a surprise. Pikachu has been the face of Pokemon for all of its 25 years and remains one of the most popular to this day. The second most valuable are the Kanto starters, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Sadly, the set doesn’t include a holographic Charizard card. In general, the holographic variants are more valuable than their normal counterparts for all the Pokemon. After the Kanto starters, though, value starts to dwindle. Full sets have sold from $50 to several hundred dollars, but many of the individual cards are available for around $2.
Currently, thePokemon cards are still available at McDonalds or through sites like Ebay and Mercari. When speaking of monetary value, it would be a drastic understatement to call sales inconsistent. One holographic Pikachu card supposedly sold for an exorbitant amount on Ebay, but the exact same card can also be purchased for less than $5. At first, Pikachu cards were regularly selling for $80, which is a solid profit depending on the initial time and price sink, but the market has now become oversaturated with people trying to sell them and value seems to be decreasing every day. In other words, if the price is depreciating so quickly, fans who haven’t already cashed in and out aren’t likely to do so anymore.
The Pokemon TCG 25th anniversary cards are available with the purchase of a McDonald’s Happy Meal for a limited time.
So Many Adults Swarmed For Mcdonalds Happy Meal Pokmon Cards Kids Cant Even Find Them
Because of collectors and scalpers, the chain is hilariously limiting purchases per customer.
After much speculation, McDonalds launched a special promotion in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Pokémon. As part of the promo, which began Tuesday, the fast-food giant has released a special-edition Happy Meal box designed to look like Pokémon-favorite Pikachu.
The little yellow box, which even boasts Pikachus pointy ears, includes a kid-friendly meal as well as a special booster pack of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards. Each card package includes four collectable cards and consumers can collect 50 cards in all 25 standard cards featuring individual Pokémon characters and 25 foil versions of the same cards.
And thats where things get messy. According to numerous reports, a certain sect of Pokémon-loving adults across the country have been scooping up these special-edition Happy Meals in order to collect as many Pokémon cards as they can and then resell them for lots of money.
The result? People are buying dozens of Happy Meals at a time and the coveted Pokémon cards are now for sale on sites like Twitter and eBay. At the same time, many parents have had trouble finding the Pokémon-themed meals for their excited kiddos.
Whats more? Some McDonalds outposts are apparently letting customers purchase a pack of cards as a side order without also ordering a meal, so the special-edition items are disappearing at a rapid rate.
Related Content:
Also Check: Pokemon Go Freebies
Mcdonalds Is Reportedly Adding Pokemon Cards To Happy Meals
5th Jun 2021 17:01
“Ronald McDonald, I choose you”. “Quick Grimace, use your Big Mac attack”. With the Pokemon Company promising the franchise’s 25th Anniversary would be one to watch, the gaming giant might be putting the big in Big Mac, thanks to rumours McDonald’s is going to start adding Pokemon cards to Happy Meals. Question, is 31 too old to try and order a Happy Meal? Even 25 years after we first put on our caps and stepped out into Pallet Town on a mission to topple the Elite Four, the Pokemon name is arguably stronger than ever.
Branching out from those pixelated days on the Game Boy, Pokemon has gone on to spread into anime, trading cards, console games, stores, and even a live-action movie. Much like Team Rocket’s ability to constantly come back, the name “Pokemon” is one that refuses to go away. To be honest, we’re totally here for it. While Pokemon Cards first launched in Japan in 1996, they hit the rest of the world with the iconic Wizards of the Coast version in 1999. Those of a certain age will remember spending every hard-earned penny and bit of Tooth Fairy money on Pokemon Cards – hoping to get an elusive shiny Charizard.
Pokmon Happy Meal Will Be Restricted At Uk Mcdonalds To Fight Scalpers
The sales of Pokémon Happy Meals in the UK will be restricted, following scalpers spoiling the same event in other countries due to the free cards.
The Pokémon Happy Meal promotion at UK McDonald’s stores will face extra restrictions, in order to stop scalpers from buying up all of the stock. The Pokémon Happy Meal event is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series and it will include special cards.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is almost as old as the video games, and the cards have appeared as part of promotions before. The Pokémon Happy Meal promotion involves a collection of 25 cards, based on the different starter Pokémon that have appeared over the years. There are also two versions of each card, as foil variants can also be found in Happy Meals. The promotion started in North America in February, but it won’t begin in the UK until May 19.
Related: Among Us Happy Meal Explained: Is It Real Or Fake?
The Pokémon Happy Meal promotion was ruined by scalpers in the past. A complete set can sell for hundreds of dollars online. This has led to scalpers buying as many Happy Meals as possible in search of the cards, which not only stopped kids from being able to receive them, but has also led to the food being wasted. According to Video Games Chronicle, measures are already being put into place to prevent scalpers from ruining the event when it starts in the UK.
Also Check: Pokemon Sword And Shield Ditto Den
Pokemon Tcg In The News
Recent months have seen YouTubers, influencers, Twitch streamers, and even average fans going all-out on purchasing Pokemon cards, spending upwards of thousands of dollars for Pokemon Trading Card Game booster boxes, and in some cases, just as much for a single card. The monster-catching franchise’s 25th anniversary has brought along with it a virtual concert with Post Malone, new game announcements, and a plethora of commemorative merchandise, but by far the most viral part of the celebration has been Pokemon‘s collaboration with McDonald’s.
RELATED: Pokemon TCG Shining Fates: Best Shiny Vault Cards