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 manyTinyTANfigures 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: 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: Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoodie by Jimin

The Artist-Made Collection by BTS was a curation of items designed by each of the seven BTS members from concept to execution. Each member created two unique items, of which the processes are documented here. This collection was originally launched in January 2022 — each members' items had a staggered release over the course of three weeks. I wrote about how much frustration occurred in trying to acquire any of the pieces from BTS' Artist-Made Collection back then, but last December (nearly two years after their initial releases), BigHit decided to release all members' items for this collection for a 4th round of pre-orders. Not sure why they made this decision — maybe too many ARMY complained, maybe it was a money-grab — but I was finally able to order the pieces that I had wanted back then but wasn't able to get, including the With You Hoody by Jimin.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Dust Bag
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Plastic Zip Bag
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Front

As with all the clothing items from the Artist-Made Collection by BTS, Jimin's With You Hoody comes in a cream-coloured dust bag which have the words, "Artist-Made Collection by BTS: JIMIN" on the front printed in black. The hoodie is folded neatly inside a large PVC pouch. Unlike the other clothing items from this collection, the With You Hoody only came in one colour wave: a deep violet purple. The hoodie is made in a thicker fabric that is lined with fleece for "maximum warmth" — basically, this is a fluffy, ultra-cozy, winter-ready sweatshirt. As with all BTS products, this hoodie was designed to be unisex. The fit of this hoodie is not too tight or oversized, the shoulders are not too wide or narrow, the sleeves are not too short or long, and the hood should fit all head sizes (even when wearing hair up in a bun or ponytail).

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Front + Hood Details
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Hood String + Back Details
Like Jimin's Red Carving Earrings, what sets this hoodie apart is in the details, all of which are coloured in a bright golden yellow to contrast against the deep purple. On the front of the hoodie is the word, "YOU," while on the back are the words, "NEVER WALK ALONE" (an homage to BTS' song of the same name). The phrase, "SEVEN WITH YOU," is embroidered on the hood (a shout-out to BTS' song, "We are Bulletproof: The Eternal"), and Jimin's favourite number 13 is printed on the tips of the hoodie strings.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by Jimin
Envelope
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — With You Hoody by JiminJimin Photocard (Front + Back)
The hoodie also comes with a single brown paper envelope that has Jimin's name written in his handwriting on the front. The first item in this envelope is a fold-out "Making Log," which shows the entire process of making the hoodie in sketches and photos, from product planning to final review. The second item is a Polaroid-style photocard of Jimin wearing the final hoodie design, with the words, "With You Hoody by JIMIN" on the back. 

On that note, none of the Artist-Made Collection items are available anymore — and if you wanted any of them, you had ample time to get them this time around because they were made on consignment — but I'm really glad they made all the items available again for those of us who couldn't get them due to selling out so fast. Sadly, I'll have to wait another four months for the weather to get cold enough to wear this hoodie. But on the bright side, I live in Canada, where it's cold for at least half a year, so I expect cost per use to be quite low on this one.

Unboxing: Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin

The Artist-Made Collection by BTS was a curation of items designed by each of the seven BTS members from concept to execution. Each member created two unique items, of which the processes are documented here. This collection was originally launched in January 2022 — each members' items had a staggered release over the course of three weeks. I wrote about how much frustration occurred in trying to acquire any of the pieces from BTS' Artist-Made Collection back then, but last December (yes, nearly two years after their initial releases), BigHit decided to release all members' items for this collection for a 4th round of pre-orders. Not sure why they made this decision — maybe too many ARMY complained, maybe it was a money-grab — but I was finally able to order the pieces that I had wanted back then but wasn't able to get, starting with the Red Carving Earrings by Jimin.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Outer Box
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Slide Out Compartment
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Pouch with Earrings

Like Suga's Guitar Pick Necklace (which I have worn every single day since I got it), Jimin's Red Carving Earrings are packaged in a sliding white paperboard box. The outer box has the words "Artist-Made Collection by BTS: JIMIN" on the top in black, as well as images of earrings embossed on the top and the words, "Artist-Made Collection" embossed around the side. Inside the box contains a fabric pouch, also with the words, "Artist-Made Collection by BTS" printed on the front flap. In the pouch is, of course, the earrings designed by Jimin. 

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
The earrings are a hoop style that are 3cm in diameter made in 925 silver plated with platinum. (This means that those of us who are allergic to nickel — which is very commonly found in jewelry — can wear these.) Each earring is comprised of two hoops that are joined at at the clasp and the tip. There is a small carving on each hoop that is coloured in a dark red as well as a very tiny "13" (Jimin's favourite number, as his birthday is October 13) engraved at the tips of each earring. My favourite thing about these earrings is the sophistication in its simplicity. The subtle details set them apart from other hoop earrings, but they're incredibly wearable for everyday — which is exactly what I want in a pair of earrings.

Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by Jimin
Envelope
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminMaking Log
Artist-Made Collection by BTS — Red Carving Earrings by JiminJimin Photocard (Front + Back)
The earrings also come with a single brown paper envelope that has Jimin's name written in his handwriting on the front. The first item in this envelope is a fold-out "Making Log," which shows the entire process of making the earrings in sketches and photos, from product planning to final review. The second item is a Polaroid-style photocard of Jimin wearing the final earrings design, with the words, "Red Carving Earring by JIMIN" on the back. 

On that note, none of the Artist-Made Collection items are available anymore — and if you wanted any of them, you had ample time to get them this time around because they were made on consignment — but I'm really glad they made all the items available again for those of us who couldn't get them due to selling out so fast.