Some Japanese merchant sites will not allow listings of the Chiikawa McDonald’s Happy Meal toys that will come out on May 15, 2026. This is an anti-scalping measure.
Mercari put out a statement on May 7, 2026 that it will not allow listings of the Chiikawa McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. This is to ensure that the trading environment on the site is safe and secure. Accounts that continuously put up such illegal listings will be punished. The ban on the Chiikawa toys will last until June 14, 2026, though it can last longer at Mercari’s discretion.
Yahoo Auctions will also not allow listings of the McDonald’s Chiikawa toys. Like Mercari, it will punish anyone who breaks this rule. Yahoo explains that the toys, like the similarly restricted Nintendo Switch 2 console, are items with a lot of attention on them, so there’s a lot of risk of rocketing prices or hoarding. Unlike Mercari, Yahoo Auctions did not state when it will lift the restrictions on listings of the toys.
Scalpers of limited collectible items or merchandise have been a headache for corporations and collectors alike. In 2023, The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam had to cancel a limited-edition card of Pikachu in the style of Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat. Scalpers had bought large quantities of the cards and resold them, upselling them for as much as $100 per card.
The McDonald’s Chiikawa collaboration will start in Japan on May 15, 2026, and it’ll end on June 11, 2026.