Fast Food Toys

I used to collect fast food toys. The most famous of which are Happy Meal toys, but I didn’t limit my collecting to just McDonalds. I’d go to any fast food joint that had toys, order the kids’ meal, and be delighted with the cheap piece of plastic that came with it.

My collecting started in high school. It was a byproduct of not wanting to eat a lot or spend a lot of money. And it started at McDonalds. My friends and I would go there, and the Happy Meal was both the smallest thing on the menu and the cheapest thing on the menu. Those were the days when a Happy Meal consisted of a cheeseburger, fries, a soda, and cookies. Thankfully, there were no apples or juice or anything. I’d scrape the pickles and onions off the cheeseburger, then eat everything, and be satisfied.

I didn’t even consider the toy at first, but they gave me a toy with each order. I’d play with it a little bit and then just toss it in my room when I got home. It was only after I’d amassed 15-20 toys that something flipped. I started going for the toys and the food was secondary.

It was only when I went away to college that I realized how many of these toys I had. I decided to display them all over my room. They were on the desks, the speakers, the fridge, and pretty much any flat surface. I used to sit and read with the door open a lot. The toys drew people in. They’d be walking by, notice all the toys, and stop in to play for a little bit. I met a lot of people that way.

I didn’t actively collect many toys while at college. I was far too broke to eat at fast food places. But when I graduated, I got a retail job. There was a McDonalds across the street and a Burger King across the parking lot. My collection grew substantially during this time.

When I left that job, my collecting tapered off again. I just don’t go to fast food places much anymore. When I do, though, I still get a toy. Now, most of the toys are stored in my basement or my parents’ basement. It’s too bad. Those toys have brought me a lot of joy over the years. They deserve better. Maybe I’ll redecorate and see if I can find room for them. I’m sure they’d bring up a lot of happy memories.