Earlier this year, McDonald’s rolled out six limited-edition Friends figurines in Happy Meals across several countries. (Interestingly, they made it to South Africa, where I live, but not the US.) I’ve always liked Friends, but I wouldn’t exactly call myself a superfan (sorry), and yet I still found myself wanting to collect them all. Sure, they were cute, but there was something nostalgic about it, too. Happy Meal toys were probably among my first experiences with collecting things. I have no idea where those little plastic trinkets are now, but apparently, I never quite grew out of wanting to complete a set.
And it seems I’m far from alone. From cherished heirlooms and nostalgic keepsakes to some decidedly, shall we say, oddly specific objects, members of r/collectables have gathered an eclectic mix of things over the years, and they were kind enough to share them online for the rest of us to enjoy.
