There’s no debate about it: trading cards and card-based games are a big deal right now. Ask any Pokémon fan whose stood in line to get the latest drop. Now, McDonald’s is getting in on the action with their own trading card game launch — and it’s already not only a massive hit, but some of the rarest cards to date are already popping up on eBay with sellers asking some prices that are definitely higher than what you’d find on the Value Menu.
Earlier this month, McDonald’s UK launched the new game, which will run through April 27th. The game features a total of 24 cards across four categories (Characters, Fans, Retro, and Legendary) as well as a special chase chard, the Ronald Card. Packs of four cards come with select meal deals but already, some of the harder to acquire cards are selling for big bucks, according to MSN. For example, a “McDonald’s 2026 TCG Promo Card Multimixer (legendary rarity) London Card Show’ card is listed for £177.50 (approximately $234.97 USD). Other cards in the Legendary category have starting list prices of around £40 ($52.95 USD approximately).
While the cards are quickly becoming hot commodities for collectors online, the cards also have actual, real-world value as well. With the purchase of each meal deal specified for the promotion, the customer gets a pack of four cards with each pack including a Character card. Each Character card earns the customer a specific reward. The Fry Girl card wins the bearer free fries, a Birdie card gets a free McMuffin, etc. Looking at the listings on eBay, some of the cards listed appear to have an increased resale price based on whether their prize has been redeemed or not. Additionally, if a customer completes the set and logs them in the McDonald’s app, there are additional rewards available.
Additionally, the Ronald Card — the rare chase chard that is the 25th in the game — is the most sought-after because of its cash prize. That card, of which there are only 10 in total, earns the bearer £10,000 (approximately $13,237.60 USD.) As of this article’s writing, four of the Ronald Cards have been found. There do not currently appear to be any Ronald Cards available on eBay.
With the popularity (and apparent lucrative nature) of the UK’s McDonald’s trading cards, the natural question is whether the game will make the leap to the United States and other parts of the world as well. At this time, that’s unclear, but US McDonald’s has been in on the trading cards. McDonald’s previously teamed up with Pokémon and some of those cards and packs have also ended up on online auction sites. There is also their current promotion for Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. That promotion features a special KPop Demon Hunters meal that offers character cards from HUNTR/X and the Saja Boys and some of the rarest cards from that promotion have also been spotted on eBay with prices of $100 or more.
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