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The Popular '90s Collectibles That Were Once Part Of McDonald's Happy Meal By Alexa Valme Oct. 6, 2025 11:39 am EST
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For kids of the '90s, a trip to McDonald's meant more than burgers and fries — it meant cracking open a Happy Meal box to see which toy was tucked inside. The promotion had been around since the late '70s, but by the mid-1990s, it was at the peak of its cultural power. What started as a way to keep kids entertained at the table evolved into a phenomenon that could send parents racing across state lines in search of the latest release.
Nothing captured that mania quite like the Teenie Beanie Baby craze of 1997. McDonald's partnered with Ty to release miniature versions of the wildly popular stuffed animals