McDonald's is collaborating with Pokémon once again to offer a special set of 15 trading cards in Happy Meals as part of the franchise's 30th-anniversary celebrations. This promotion, scheduled to run from November 5th to December 9th, is expected to generate significant interest from scalpers, a trend observed in previous McDonald's and Pokémon collaborations.
Each Happy Meal will include a four-card booster pack, consisting of one holographic card and three regular cards. The collection features 15 unique cards, with six special confetti holofoil cards anticipated to be the most sought-after. While details about the specific cards have not yet been fully revealed, the campaign is set to begin in early November.
This partnership is not the first between McDonald's and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, but past promotions have been marred by issues related to scalping and bulk purchasing. The current campaign, lasting over a month, provides a substantial window for fans to collect the full set. However, the expectation is that some individuals will purchase Happy Meals in large quantities to acquire cards rapidly, potentially leading to stock shortages and significant food waste.
Scalpers are predicted to buy hundreds of Happy Meals to secure rare cards for resale on platforms like eBay. To mitigate these issues, McDonald's may need to implement purchasing limits per customer to ensure fairer access for children and genuine fans aiming to complete their collections.