Kids in 1987 collected the same pails as those they received in 1986 – the classics! The 1987 McDonald’s Halloween Pails are McBoo, McPunk’n, and McGoblin. There may be experts out there who can tell 1986 from 1987 buckets, although I cannot. Copyrights on subsequent buckets, even way past 1987, are stamped for 1986. This results in witches and ghosts (McWitch and McBoo) being sold as “from 1986”. Clearly this is a copyright for the plastic bucket unit itself, and not the design printed upon it. I don’t know if there’s a way to tell the difference between a 1986 and a 1987 bucket. Perhaps a small difference in the lids?

This information sheet is titled “Invasion of the Halloween Pumpkin Happy Meal”. Featuring the run dates for this kids meal premium and how to sell them are inside a box with the three 1987 pails on top in front of a blue sky and full moon. For the second year, all three pails were pumpkins. McBoo looks shocked, McPunk’n is a happy pumpkin, and McGoblin looks mischievous. Black handles and snap-on lids included. I was 7 and I remember quite vividly receiving my Happy Meal in these pumpkin buckets.

Running from October 16th, 1987 through October 30, 1987, kids could get 1 of 3 pumpkin happy meals. Are you one of those kids who went trick-or-treating with these? I used these buckets to decorate mostly outdoors. Never for trick-or-treating though, as I used either my huge plastic pumpkin or later on, a pillow case to collect candy. I still love these guys but let’s be honest. They didn’t hold a serious amount of candy for any child over the age of four.

McDonald’s would go on to have many more years of holiday promotions like this, mostly Halloween, but even Easter one year.

Now you know about the 1987 McDonald’s Halloween Pails. How about the other years?