McDonald’s Pokémon Card Price Guide 2022

It’s that time of year again, the McDonald’s Pokémon cards are here. It’s a pleasant surprise since we were sure if they would be back for 2022, but they’re back and in booster packs again! You’re probably wondering if the cards are with anything. 

Release Date

The 2022 McDonald’s Pokémon cards were released on August 9th in the UK and Canada and will release on August 16 in the US.

How Much are the Cards Worth? 

The Pokémon Company purposefully only issues reprints as McDonald’s toys. Because of this, most of the cards are worth less than $1. However, the 2022 Pokémon set includes Pikachu, and the holofoil version of Pikachu is the most valuable card of the set, currently selling for around $20 USD. This price will drop as more cards are distributed.

Booster Pack Value 

Some people like to collect the booster packs and keep them sealed. Right now, an unopened booster back from the 2022 McDonald’s set sells for around $4-5 USD.

How Much is a Complete set worth? 

If you are keen on collecting the entire set, it is almost always cheaper to just purchase the completed set off of eBay. Unlike last year, the holo cards cannot be pulled as non-holos. This means that a full set is, in fact, 15 cards.  

The 6 cards that are holo are Pikachu, Rowlet, Growlithe, Victini, Smeargle, and Gossifleur. This means you have a 1/6 chance of pulling the holo Pikachu.

At the moment, a complete set is selling in the $40-$60 price range on eBay. Again, this price will fall as more cards are distributed. 

The Setlist

• Ledyba- 1/15
• Rowlet- 2/15 (holo)
• Gossifleur- 3/15 (holo)
• Growlithe- 4/15 (holo)
• Victini- 5/15 (holo)
• Lapras- 6/15
• Pikachu- 7/15 (holo)
• Chinchou- 8/15
• Flaffy- 9/15
• Tynamo- 10/15
• Cutiefly- 11/15
• Bewear- 12/15
• Pangoro- 13/15
• Drampa- 14/15
• Smeargle- 15/15 (holo)

Will the McDonald’s 2022 Pokémon Cards Increase in Value? 

Almost all Pokémon cards increase in value. However, most will only increase a little bit, and over a long period of time. In this case, all we have to do is look at the McDonald’s sets from the past years. 

Last year’s 2021 set of McDonald’s Pokémon card price guide has already risen in value. But that set was a special anniversary set and contained a total of 50 cards when you include the holo variants.

Other McDonald’s sets from past years have gone up in value, but not by much. You can pick up most of the cards from 2014-2018 for just a couple of bucks. In short, yes, the 2022 set will increase in value, but not by very much.

How Long will McDonald’s Have Pokémon Cards for?

McDonald’s will continue to include Pokémon cards with a purchase of a Happy Meal while supplies last. Even though the campaign states that it will run from August 9- September 26 (UK and Canada), the cards usually sell out early.

This means that each restaurant typically receives one shipment of toys and they distribute that toy until the stock is exhausted. In this case, the Pokémon cards do not usually last more than a month. However, this year is a little different as each week had its own variant of toys to distribute. For example, Week 1 is the “Purple” toy featuring Rowlet. This has absolutely no impact on the cards or which cards are in the booster packs. It only affects the spinner and coin included with the toy. This is only notable because the toy supply for week 1 can be exhausted before week 2 comes around. In this scenario, it is up to the restaurant to begin distribution the next week or to hold off. 

The Secret Pack Trick

Now, there is a secret to these McDonald’s Pokémon booster packs. 

Last year was the introduction of McDonald’s Pokémon booster packs, and you’ll probably notice that the packs are made of paper, not foil like most trading card packs are. This means that you can shine a light through the booster pack and see which holo card is inside. It’s best if you go into a dark room to do this, as it can be difficult to see.

This can be useful if you are chasing after a certain holo card but also want to keep some booster packs sealed for your collection.

You’re welcome. 

Final Thoughts 

Promotional Pokémon cards are way cool. In fact, some collectors go crazy for promo cards. While McDonald’s doesn’t do the Pokémon collaboration every year, it is still fun and exciting when they do. Unfortunately, the cards sell out fast as everyone and their mother is scrambling to get some. The cards typically aren’t worth very much, and this is probably done on purpose by The Pokémon Company. After all, they are meant for kids.