If you grew up in the late ’70s or the ’80s, chances are you drank your juice, milk, or Kool-Aid (I ain’t have Kool-Aid, but that’s another episode) out of a McDonald’s glass—and not just any glass. I’m talking about the ones with Grimace, or the Hamburglar mid-scheme with a burger in hand. They were bright, bold, and made drinking anything feel like a treat. I felt fancy for real. I was drinking from the glass off the TV!
These glasses weren’t fancy, but to ME, they were fine glassware. They were part of McDonald’s promotional giveaways—buy a meal, pay a little extra, get a glass. But somehow, they became family treasures. We didn’t call it “merch” back then, but that’s exactly what it was, and it worked. We begged our parents to go back week after week to collect them all.
The Characters That Made Us Smile (and creeped us out)
The designs were… something.
- Ronald McDonald was front and center, of course—our red-nosed host in striped socks.
- Grimace was the big purple blob of joy who didn’t do much but smile and eat.
- Hamburglar—Don’s favorite—was always up to something shady with those black and white stripes. And say Robble, Robble.
- And Mayor McCheese with his cheeseburger head and tiny sash? Iconic.
I remember the kitchen cabinet that held our promotional glasses. Some had McDonald’s characters, and then we had the occasional Looney Tunes or Smurfs glasses, but you knew exactly which one was yours. It was a whole thing if my brother drank out of mine.
These were MUST HAVES.
Back then, I think they were $2.99 or $3.99 with a meal. Today? Some of those same glasses are hot collector’s items. A full set of the 1977 McDonaldland character glasses in good condition can sell for over $250. Single glasses range anywhere from $10 to $30, depending on the character and how pristine it is.
Wild, right? Who knew our “special to us” dinnerware would one day become vintage gold?
Me and my older brother at McDonald’s circa 1978. Yes, I had on his hand-me-downs (another episode), and I was young enough to have my own bib… but old enough to be sitting at McDonald’s…
Why We Love Them, Even Now
For me, these glasses are tied to memories—Saturday morning cartoons, the excitement of not going through the McDonald’s drive-thru, but going INSIDE. They’re a little piece of childhood you can hold in your hand. Something that Don and I had in common before we ever met.
Related: Do You Have McDonald’s Money?
And in a world that changes fast, there’s something comforting about that. Something nostalgic. Something warm.
So if you spot one in a thrift shop or hiding in the back your mom’s kitchen cabinet, don’t pass it by. That glass probably saw a lot of laughter, sibling squabbles, and cereal and milk mornings. It’s part of the story of growing up Gen X.
And if you still have your original set? You’re basically sitting on a small fortune—and happiness.
Hear more about the stuff that shaped our childhoods in this episode: Thirteen CDs for a Penny? Was Gen X the MOST Advertised to Generation?
