Unboxing: McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys — Encore Edition

Back in August, McDonald's announced its second collaboration with BTS (the first being the BTS Meal that launched in 2021). This time, it's with TinyTAN, which are the insanely adorable characters based on the BTS members, and whose collectible toy figures are available through their Happy Meals. There are two editions of TinyTAN Happy Meal toys to be collected — the Throwback Edition and the Encore Edition, which launched three weeks apart. Both editions have 7 BTS/TinyTAN member toys — and matching photocards! — to collect. As you may know, I collect BTS toy figures, including all the TinyTAN ones since its inception. So, I was determined to get all of these. However, after my friend and I bought 28 Happy Meals (of which I ate at least 14) to get all the Throwback Edition figures, I could not eat any more McDonald's. For the sake of my health. And wallet. So, I cheated and turned to eBay.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toy Boxes (Encore Editon)
The TinyTAN Happy Meals launched across 70+ countries, with the roll-out of the Encore Edition starting on September 23. In Canada, it was announced that the Encore Edition would launch on October 3, although locations that ran out of the Throwback Edition toys early started giving out the Encore Edition ones. That having been said, I knew by the end of September that there would be a lot of Americans that would have the whole set of the Encore Edition toys already. So on my eBay search, I came across a seller from Georgia who was selling the whole set, brand new and unopened, for about the same price per figure as a Happy Meal in Canada. (Let's not talk about the shipping.) Either way, it was less than the amount Minji and I spent on Happy Meals for the Throwback Edition, so no regrets.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Photocards

Each TinyTAN Encore Edition Happy Meal Toy comes in a red box with the McDonald's x TinyTAN logo on it (which is the TinyTAN logo imprinted on the McDonald's Happy Meal box logo), and comes with the corresponding member's photocard, which features the member's profile on the back. While the Throwback Edition cards have purple backgrounds, the Encore Edition ones have golden yellow ones. The outfits featured on the Encore Edition toys are the same as BTS' "MIC Drop" MV outfits (which have been featured on many TinyTAN figures before), except with little McDonald's logos on them. Each toy measures approximately 10cm H x 4cm W x 4cm D, and seem to be made of PVC/ABS plastics or something similar. The only difference I found between the American and Canadian versions is that the Height on the member photocards is listed in inches in the US (4 inches) rather than centimetres in Canada (10 cm).

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — RM
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Suga
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — J-Hope
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jimin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — V
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Jungkook
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Encore Edition) — Full Set

And with that, my McDonald's x TinyTAN toy collections are complete! And at least this time, I'm not stuck with an extra 21 figures that I still don't know what to do with because I am way too lazy to list them on eBay...

Unboxing: McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys — Throwback Edition

Back in August, McDonald's announced its second collaboration with BTS (the first being, of course, the BTS Meal that launched in 2021, during which I ate so many McNuggets that I almost became one myself, and then spent way too much money on the official merch). This time, it's with TinyTAN, which are the insanely adorable characters based on the BTS members, and whose collectible toy figures are available through their Happy Meals. There are two editions of TinyTAN Happy Meal toys to be collected — the Throwback Edition and the Encore Edition, which launched three weeks apart. Both editions have 7 BTS member toys — and matching photocards! — to collect. As you may know, I collect BTS toy figures, including all the TinyTAN ones since its inception. So, I was determined to get all of these.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Box
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Box
The TinyTAN Happy Meals launched across 70+ countries, with the roll-out starting on September 3 in the U.S. It was finally released in Canada on September 16, and thus I began my hunt (a.k.a. Happy Meal binging). Between my friend Minji (who, bless her heart, was determined to help me hunt down all 7 figures even though she's not an ARMY) and I, we bought over 28 Happy Meals from 10 different locations across the Greater Toronto Area. And finally — FINALLY!!! — I have collected all 7 Throwback Edition TinyTAN figures.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toy Boxes (Throwback Edition)
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Photocards
Each TinyTAN Throwback Edition Happy Meal Toy comes in a purple box with the McDonald's x TinyTAN logo on it (which is the TinyTAN logo imprinted on the McDonald's Happy Meal box logo), and comes with the corresponding member's photocard, which features the member's profile on the back. Each toy measures approximately 10cm H x 4cm W x 4cm D, and seem to be made of PVC/ABS plastics or something similar.

McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — RM
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Suga
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — J-Hope
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jimin
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — V
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Jungkook
McDonald's x BTS TinyTAN Happy Meal Toys (Throwback Edition) — Full Set

A few tips I've picked up along the way with collecting these Happy Meals toys (which, by the way, is significantly harder now than when I was collecting the Teenie Beanie Babies back in 1997...):

• Call a McDonald's location ahead of time before heading there or ordering online from there to check which toy they have available. However, many locations don't pick up the phone unless it's really late at night, so...
• Go into physical McDonald's locations and simply ask which toy they have available that day. If you order through the app or a food delivery service, you obviously won't know which toy you get. And if you order multiple Happy Meals from the same location, you'll likely get multiples of the same toy because each location tends to release one member at a time.  The TinyTAN figures are numbered (there's a tiny number on the back of the toy boxes from 1 to 7) in fan chant order (RM and then oldest to youngest). The employees usually don't know the names of the members, but will know the toy by number. 
• Go to multiple locations, not just the one you live near. Depending on how many Happy Meals they sell, many of the less busy locations have the same toy for a few days.
• Prepare your stomach (or someone else's) for the onslaught of cheeseburgers and McNuggets. (Or, similarly, make friends with people who take their kids to McDonald's.) All the locations I went to do not allow you to buy the toys outright. (Back in the day — at least, in the '90s — you could just pay for an extra toy.) You have to order a Happy Meal to get the toy. (At my local McDonald's, they literally have a sign up at the cashier that says, "TOYS COME WITH HAPPY MEALS ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS.")

Anyway, now that the Encore Edition is being released, that's another 7 figures to hunt down. But if I eat anymore McDonald's, I will turn into a cheeseburger. So, I am going to hunt eBay instead. (Surprisingly, many sellers are selling each of the figures for around the price of a Happy Meal. Even with shipping, it's certainly less than the total amount Minji and I spent on Happy Meals in the last 2 weeks.) Now, what to do with the extra 13 J-Hopes, 3 Jimins, 3 Sugas, 2 Jungkooks I've acquired? Maybe I will have to sell on eBay, too.

Unboxing: Summer 2024 Skincare Haul

As my skincare stash from Hong Kong is dwindling now, I decided to scope out some new products. But between summer sales, late-night T&T runs, and Amazon Prime Day, it got a little out of hand:

Fresh x Juno Shen Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence in Juno Purple, Lotus Youth Preserve Resurfacing Dream Serum, and Sugar Roll-On Deodorant Antiperspirant

Kumano Hatomugi Lotion and Etude House Soonjung pH 5.5 Relief Toner

Curel Japan Intensive Moisture Care Moisture Facial Lotion II, Moisture Facial Milk, and Moisture Facial Cream

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum, Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer, Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Intensive Moisturizer, Water Sleeping Mask, and Pink Lemonade Lip Sleeping Mask

Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer and Mango Lip Smoothie

Kracie Naive Face Wash in Peach Leaf and Yuzu Ceramide and Shiseido Super Mild Green Citrus Body Soap

Off & Relax Refresh Spa Shampoo and Spa Treatment

Kracie Limited Edition Ichikami Moonlight Beauty Shampoo and Conditioner Set

BTS TinyTan x Toy Story Shu Shu & Sassy Hand Cream in Jin as Alien, Suga as Hamm, J-Hope as Forky, Jimin as Rex, and Jungkook as Buzz Lightyear

BTS TinyTan x Toy Story Shu Shu & Sassy Hand Cream in Jin as Alien, Suga as Hamm, J-Hope as Forky, Jimin as Rex, and Jungkook as Buzz Lightyear

But this should last me until next year, right?

Unboxing: BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figures

My BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story figures arrived last week!

This marks the fourth official TinyTAN figure set by HYBE/BigHit, with the "Butter" set from 2022 preceding it, and is the first TinyTAN collaboration with a movie franchise. 

BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figures — Outer Boxes

Each BTS TinyTAN member has his own distinct cellophane windowed box with his name and his own illustration based on the Toy Story character he represents. Each figure comes with a stand colour-matched to his character with the name of the respective member and character on the base and one matching sticker each to decorate the stand. The figures measure anywhere from 7.1 to 8.2 cm in height, with all stands measuring 9cm in height, and are made of PVC and ABS plastics. Each figure retails for ₩29,000 or $23.78 USD on Weverse Shop Global. As of the date of this post, each figure is sold out with no updates as to whether they'll be restocked, but there are some non-official merchandise websites that are selling them at inflated prices.

BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figures — RM as Woody, Jin as Alien, and Suga as Hamm
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figures — J-Hope as Forky, Jimin as Rex, V as Lotso, and Jungkook and Buzz Lightyear

This collaboration features each BTS TinyTAN member dressed up in a costume of a specific Toy Story character:

• RM as Woody (Brown)
• Jin as Alien (Green)
• Suga as Hamm (Navy)
• J-Hope as Forky (Aqua)
• Jimin as Rex (Yellow)
• V as Lotso (Pink)
• Jungkook as Buzz Lightyear (Purple)

BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — RM as Woody
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — Jin as Alien
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — Suga as Hamm
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — J-Hope as Forky
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — Jimin as Rex
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — V as Lotso
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figure — Jungkook as Buzz Lightyear
BTS TinyTAN x Toy Story Figures(Top row, left to right: RM as Woody, Jin as Alien, and Suga as Hamm
Bottom row, left to right: J-Hope as Forky, Jimin as Rex, V as Lotso, and Jungkook as Buzz Lightyear)

As if the BTS members as TinyTAN weren't adorable enough, they had to go and collaborate with Toy Story and make them DEVASTATINGLY ADORABLE. This collaboration actually features a plethora of products (they even opened up a pop-up store for it in Seoul), but the only items that were absolute must-haves to me were the figures. Because what is more essential to any Toy Story collaboration than THE TOYS? 

Unboxing: Banpresto BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures

My BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket figures have arrived!

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures — Outer Box (Front)(Top: Jimin, V, and JungkookBottom: RM, Jin, Suga, and J-Hope)
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures — Outer Box (Back)(Top: Jimin, V, and JungkookBottom: RM, Jin, Suga, and J-Hope)
Q Posket figures come in two types: Version A and Version B. I had to really stare at online photos to see what the difference is because at first glance, they look exactly the same. But Version A is actually brighter and more vivid in colour, whereas Version B is darker and less saturated, so as with the "Dynamite" figures, I went with Version A. (For the "MIC Drop" figures, I didn't realize there were two versions and there was no choice in the listing I found on Amazon, so I ended up getting Version B. But based on photos I've seen online, it looks like it's the opposite for the "MIC Drop" set: Version B is actually the more vivid one. So I still ended up getting the version I wanted, anyway.)

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures(Left to right: RM, Jin, and Suga)
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures(Left to right: J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook)
On top of having the same outfit and hairstyles as the original figures, I realized that they also have the exact same poses as well, so these are a great option if you missed out on getting the original TinyTAN figure sets (which were only sold on Weverse Shop). 

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — RM

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — Jin
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — Suga

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — J-Hope
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — Jimin
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — V

BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figure — Jungkook
BTS TinyTAN "Butter" Q Posket Figures(Top, left to right: RM, Jin, and SugaBottom, left to right: J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook)

I got these from a Japanese vendor on eBay who sells brand new Q Posket figures for significantly less than Amazon or Walmart (approximately $22 CAD per figure vs. $33+ CAD per figure, and with FREE international shipping!), so if you're interested in these figure sets and are willing to wait a little bit longer for shipping (about 2 weeks), I would highly recommend checking out the listings on eBay first to save some money. Of course, now I wish TinyTAN and Banpresto made figures for "DNA," "IDOL," and "Boy With Luv" because the outfits from those MVs are ICONIC. Such a missed opportunity.