Adults are hoarding Happy Meals to get Pokemon cards — and some people are angry
A promotion meant to celebrate Pokémon’s 25th anniversary has turned sour for some who say scalpers are ruining a trading card release for kids.
On Feb. 9, Pokémon announced it was teaming with McDonald’s to release four-card packs of special edition Pokémon trading cards exclusively in Happy Meals.
The release boasts 50 cards featuring 25 Pokémon — including Pikachu — with a standard and holographic version of each. The Happy Meals also include Pokémon stickers.
After news of the release, people flocked to their nearest McDonald’s hoping to get their hands on the cards, even begging restaurant staff to keep the food and sell the cards only.
For others, including Texas resident Michael Basaldua, the process was a sentimental one. He enjoyed his first Happy Meal in years after filming his Tuesday trip to McDonald’s.
Basaldua had hoped to score a holographic Pikachu card.
“I was excited because it brought back memories from my adolescence. I’m now 34 but still love and appreciate Pokémon and anime shows in general,” he told KVEO.
Basaldua took the Happy Meal home and filmed himself unboxing it. He netted a holographic Grookey card and three standard cards, but no Pikachu.
Still, he said it was “pretty awesome.”
But others didn’t take as kindly to the lottery-like process. Reports of people hoarding Happy Meals and discarding food spread on social media and cards started popping up for sale online.
Unopened packs are going for about $10. At least one 10-pack lot has a starting price of $79.99.
But more concerning to some are the boxes of cards appearing for sale on eBay, some with listing prices between $1,000 and $2,000.
Some are questioning how sealed boxes could end up on eBay at all.
@McDonalds @Pokemon @eBay this is not cool, your employees scalping these while my kids can't get them with a paid meal pic.twitter.com/P2KXYV0otR
— jimmy bond (@jimmybond613) February 9, 2021
@McDonalds @Pokemon I sure hope you do some form of inventory control for your promo Pokémon cards as some of your stock is being sold in sealed boxes which means they’re not even making it to your stores Though same thing happened with Tim Hortons Hockey too. Retail $1.99 pic.twitter.com/kX8qZyRX2V
— redphoenixsportscards (@redphoenixcards) February 9, 2021
Regardless, many people are not happy to see cards — presumably meant for kids — being snatched up by adults and sold online for profit.
Some are calling on McDonald’s to limit how many Happy Meals people can purchase per visit.
@McDonalds stop letting places sell the cases of Pokémon happy meal toys! My kids were looking forward to these toys and I’m seeing that a bunch of restaurants have already sold their cases to people driving around buying them all up! Ridiculous!
— Ian Love (@Darthlain018) February 8, 2021
Hate to say it but I don’t think adults should be able to buy hundreds of the Pokémon McDonald’s cards that are meant for happy meals. Idk it feels selfish. Like why do you do that just to sell them for $30 a card when those are meant for the kids
— cupid / jeanne ⚢ (@demifiendhater) February 9, 2021
The amount of people scalping these McDonald's Pokemon cards is out of hand. People buying cases and trying to sell them for $800! Like boy stop, imma bout to get me a pack and a cheeseburger for $5
— Its_Trout (@troutttv) February 9, 2021
It’s awful - and sad part is the people with the @McDonalds Pokemon cases will sell them at markup because parents want to get them for their kids but can’t find.
The photos of any boxes of cards in someone’s front seat as soon as they leave the store is rediculously annoying.— Brian D. Stanchak (@BDStan) February 11, 2021
Isn’t that something, adults are buying out happy meals for Pokémon cards while kids are in school, causing a sell out before kids get out of school. Sorry kids, no happy meal for you. @McDonalds probably could have done some limiting on this like they limit sauces for nuggets
— Mark-Anthony Padua (@FreakinKram88) February 9, 2021
The point was greedy adults ruining it for the kids, and being willing to buy and waste food to do so. Not that McDonald's should cater to greedy adults and sell the cards made specifically to come in happy meals separately.
— Marie Deschamps (@itsMarie87) February 10, 2021
Buying and selling Pokemon cards is far from uncommon and can be lucrative for fans with the right cards in the right conditions.
Earlier this month, a box of unopened first-edition Pokémon cards netted a whopping $408,000 at auction — a record high, according to Polygon.
Last year, rapper Logic dropped a cool $183,000 on a gem mint 10 Charizard card and not long after, YouTuber Logan Paul paid about $150,000 for a similar card, according to the outlet.
