# McDonald's Pokémon 25th anniversary cards

> Happy Meal Pokémon cards sold out locally as sealed boxes were listed for over $1,500.

- Owner: McDonald's / The Pokémon Company International
- Kind: Product
- Sector: Toys & collectibles
- Seed date: 2021-02-06
- Milestone date: Week of Feb 11, 2021
- Date basis: Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak. Some dates are known only to the week, month or year.
- Spread Score: 31 (Niche), v1.3
- Mechanics: Scarcity drop, Collectible set, Controversy, Resale market, Sell-out loop

## Summary

Happy Meal packs offered anniversary cards in standard and foil versions. Bulk purchases, unboxing videos and resale listings drew criticism as restaurants sold out. McDonald’s sought more stock and urged purchase limits.

## Timeline

- 2021-01-29 — Nintendo Life (Press) — Nintendo Life reported a leaked US promotion offering Pokémon cards in February.
- 2021-02-06 — McDonald’s / The Pokémon Company International (Retail) — Anniversary card packs became available at some US McDonald’s locations before the scheduled launch.
- 2021-02-07 — professorstephen / Elite Fourum (Open web) — A forum member shared photos of a complete anniversary set before the scheduled nationwide launch.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/mcp#api).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/mcdonalds-pokemon-25th-anniversary-cards

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “McDonald's Pokémon 25th anniversary cards.” Case HIS-01707. Spread Score v1.3: 31/100. Updated 2026-10-26. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01707