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Halloween

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Restaurant Promotion Collector consensus Photo Needed

McDonald’s Halloween Pumpkin Happy Meal pails (1987 return)

Year
1987 Community consensus
Restaurant
McDonald's
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About this item

The orange McBoo, McPunk'n and McGoblin pumpkin pails came back for a second Halloween in 1987, apparently unchanged from 1986.

Details

Holiday
Halloween
Archive type
Restaurant Promotion
Packaging
Pail used as the Happy Meal container, with black handle and snap-on lid.
Country
US

Promotion details

Restaurant
McDonald's
When
October 16-30, 1987 according to a collector site citing a McDonald's operator information sheet. · Oct 16, 1987 – Oct 30, 1987
Country
United States
Promotion type
Kids' meal toy
Known set size
3 (Same three faces as 1986.)
Documented here
3 pieces
Data quality
Collector consensus: Collector references agree; no primary source yet.

The set

U.S. set (3)

Packaging & bags

Pail used as the Happy Meal container, with black handle and snap-on lid.

Commercials, ads & store materials

  • Commercial 1987 Halloween pail TV commercial — Described as featuring the McNuggets.

Documented as text only. We don’t host copyrighted commercials or ad scans without permission.

Research notes

Collectors cannot tell 1987 pails from 1986 pails, because both carry the 1986 mold mark. Several sources agree there were no pails in 1988; Euclid Boo's page title ('1987/1988') is ambiguous but describes no 1988 pails. Food Republic (2025) calls 1987 the first nationwide year, which contradicts the other sources.

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Research

Questions about this item

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Includes

More Halloween restaurant promotions

Sources & verification

Community Identified
  • SydLexia.com - McDonald's Halloween Pails Collector Reference Supports: First-hand recollection of a 1985 test market; names McPunky, McBoo, McJack; 1985 copyright and larger faces. No citations. Reference only: cited, never auto-verified. View source
  • A Brief History of McDonald's Halloween Buckets Press Release / Official Announcement Supports: 1986 original release; McPunk'n, McBoo and McGoblin face descriptions. View source
  • McDonald's Halloween Happy Meal 1987/1988 Halloween Pails Collector Reference Supports: Run dates October 16-30, 1987; same three pails; mentions an 'Invasion of the Halloween Pumpkin Happy Meal' information sheet. Reference only: cited, never auto-verified. View source
  • Retro Commercials: McDonald's Halloween Boo Buckets Video Supports: 1987 pail commercial featuring McNuggets; no pails in 1988. View source

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