Corinthian Headliners New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Figures Collection were released in 1996-1997 and were available at selected toy stores throughout New Zealand. These figures are now highly sought after by collectors particularly because star player Jonah Lomu is featured in the line up. Expect to pay around $20 AU for a MIP figure and more for a Lomu figure on auction sites like Ebay.
There are 14 rugby figures that make up the Corinthian Headliners set. Each figure is blister packed and comes with an information leaflet about the player along with a collector information file.
The nicely detailed figures are made from hard plastic resin. Each player is featured in an action pose. These rugby figures while not articulated still make excellent items for display.
There were a number of other releases of New Zealand rugby player figures around the same time as the Corinthians Headliners set. Caltex service stations had two promotions: one in 1995 for the Rugby World Cup and the another All Blacks Interchangeables in 1998 often dubbed Caltex Rugby Eggs. A decade later Mobil gave away rugby figures in 2007 that stand on a faux grass like base but have no name identifiers.
The Corinthians are easily identifiable as they have a superior finish and each figure stands on its own green base engraved at the front with the player surname. On the underside of the base is stamped Corinthians, Copyright New Zealand Rugby Football Union, and the number of the individual player in the figure set.
The Corinthian Headliners New Zealand Rugby Figures 1996-1997 set of 14 figures includes the following players:
#01 Jonah Lomu
#02 Zinzan Brooke
#03 Jeff Wilson
#04 Sean Fitzpatrick
#05 Andrew Mehrtens
#06 Christian Cullen
#07 Michael Jones
#08 Ian Jones
#09 Justin Marshall
#11 Frank Bunce
#12 Carlos Spencer
#13 Olo Brown
#15 Robin Brooke
#16 Glen Osborne
Summary
The Corinthian Headliners New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Figures Collection of 1997 features 14 collectible players. Each figure is nicely detailed, stands on a green base marked with the player name and comes with information about the player. These figurines are highly sought after on auction sites like Ebay and sell for around $20 AU each MIP and upwards of $35 AU for #1 in the series All Blacks star Jonah Lomu.
McDonalds Mr Men and Little Miss happy meal toys 2021 are the current promotion at McDonalds restaurants in Australia and New Zealand in March 2021. Alternatively a book instead of toy can be selected from the happy meal reader range of books which currently features McDonalds The Tiny Detectives series by Cressida Cowell.
Collectors Note
This set of the McDonalds Mr Men Little Miss happy meal cups appears to be the same as those promoted in the UK in February 2020 and Canada in 2021.
The Australia and New Zealand McDonalds Mr Men and Little Miss happy meal toys promotion for 2021 consists of 8 hard plastic cups featuring some of the most endearing Mr Men and Little Miss characters. The happy meals toys in the Mr Men and Little Miss set includes the following eight character toys:
Mr Men
Mr Bump Cup (white and blue)
Mr Strong Cup (red)
Mr Tickle Cup (orange)
Mr Happy Cup (yellow)
Little Miss
Little Miss Princess Cup (light pink body, yellow hair)
Little Miss Sunshine Cup (yellow)
Little Miss Giggles Cup (blue and red)
Little Miss Chatterbox Cup (dark pink body, yellow hair)
Summary
In line with other promotions globally the current McDonalds happy meal toy promotion for March 2021 in Australia and New Zealand is a set of 8 Mr Men Little Miss happy meal cups. The Mr Men characters featured are: Mr Bump, Mr Tickle, Mr Strong and Mr Happy. The McDonalds Little Miss cups include: Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Chatterbox, Little Miss Giggles and Little Miss Princess. The Tiny Toy Detectives book series by Cressida Cowell is being offered as an alternative to the Mr Men Little Miss happy meal toys.
McDonalds Looney Tunes happy meal toys were promoted throughout Australia and New Zealand in November 2020. The set consists of the best loved Looney Tunes characters of all time and is a nice collectible set that you won't want to miss having in your collection.
Collectors Note
This set of 15 Looney Tunes happy meal characters from McDonalds is the same set that was promoted in other countries around the world in 2020 although the packaging varies.
The Australia and New Zealand set of McDonalds Looney Tunes toys from the 2020 happy meal promotion consists of 15 hard plastic figures. All your favourite Looney Tunes characters to collect these look great on display:
Tweety
Taz
Road Runner
Wiley E Coyote
Porky Pig
Sylvester
Bugs Bunny
Lola Bunny
Marvin The Martian
Daffy Duck
Pepe Le Pew
Penelope
Foghorn Leghorn
Speedy Gonzales
Granny
The McDonalds Looney Tunes characters in this set stand approximately 100 - 120 mm tall (4-5 inches) and have no articulation. Their appeal lies in the character themselves. It was possible to swap out a happy meal toy for a happy meal reader from the McDonalds Happy Meal Reader series.
Summary
During 2020 the McDonalds happy meal toy promotion in Australia and New Zealand was a set of 15 hard plastic non poseable Looney Tunes characters. The set includes Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Marvin The Martian, Road Runner, Wiley E Coyote, Lola Bunny, Speedy Gonzales, Granny, Foghorn Leghorn, Taz, Sylvester, Pepe Le Pew, Penelope and Porky Pig.
McDonalds Scoob happy meal toys comes on promotion at McDonalds restaurants throughout New Zealand and Australia from mid August 2020 and in the US in 2021. Kids will be able to opt for a Scoob happy meal toy or happy meal reader with their happy meal depending on their interests.
McDonalds Scoob Happy Meal Toys 2020 - Set of 8 Toys
The McDonald's Scoob toys are a tie-in with the new Scooby-Doo movie (Hanna-Barbera) which was released in May 2020. There are 8 McDonalds Scooby-Doo figures to collect in all each depicting a character from the Scoob movie.
McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Scooby-Doo
McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Shaggy
McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Daphne Figure
The Australia and New Zealand McDonalds Scoob happy meal toy promotion for 2020 are hard plastic bobble-head toys. The #scoob happy meals toys set includes the following eight movie-inspired character toys:
Fred
Shaggy
Scooby-Doo
Muttley
Rotten
Dee Dee
Daphne
Velma
>McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Dee Dee
McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Muttley
McDonalds Scoob Toys 2020 - Velma, Deedee and Daphne
Collector Note
McDonalds Scoob Happy Meal Toys promotion from Australia and New Zealand was not going to be released in the USA but due to COVID19 creating problems with supply Scoob toys were used as filler toys in the US in 2021. Canada got only 5 out of the 8 bobblehead toys released in Australia and New Zealand and had a mystery machine themed box. The toys included in the Canadian Scoob promotion are: Fred, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Scooby-Doo. The UK also received the same set of 8 Scoob bobblehead toys as Australia and New Zealand.
Summary
There are eight toys to collect in the McDonalds Scoob happy meal toys promotion by McDonalds which began in mid August 2020. The eight toy set includes the following McDonalds Scooby-Doo toys: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Velma, Muttley, Rotten, Daphne, Dee Dee, Fred. Alternatively a happy meal reader from the Tree Tops Wilderness series can be substituted.
KFC Toy Story toys 1996 was one of the best toy promotions that KFC ever did. Released in Australia and New Zealand in 1996 and in other parts of the world as part of a movie tie-in deal with the Toy Story movie when it came out on video. I am uncertain how many other countries got this KFC Toy Story promotion beyond Asian countries that I know of.
The Toy Story toys are a nice set of figures from the Toy Story movie: Woody, buzz, Rex and Hamm. Along with the Toy Story figurines is a puzzle piece which when fitted together forms a bed. The toys are made of hard plastic and are durable enough for a reasonable level of play.
In January 2019 McDonalds released a set of Roald Dahl books in happy meals in Australia and New Zealand for kids to enjoy instead of the regular toy that comes with every happy meal sold. The set of happy meal books was limited to six books in New Zealand while Australia had two additional Roald Dahl books. The Roald Dahl book promotion was part of McDonalds happy meal readers project designed to encourage children to read.
The McDonalds promotion of Roald Dahl books was popular with children and parents alike. Some 800,000 books were given away in New Zealand over the six weeks of the promotion.
McDonalds Roald Dahl Happy Meal Readers 2019
There were six Roald Dahl books to collect in the McDonalds New Zealand promotion. Each book is a cut down version of the original from a book by Roald Dahl and illustrations by Quentin Blake. Every book also contained stickers and fun activities.
Favourite Roald Dahl Titles in the McDonalds Promotion 2019
The McDonalds happy reader promotion of the Dahl books appears to be a replica to the 2018 promotion in the UK only with fewer titles being offered in New Zealand while Australia got a complement of eight books. The McDonalds UK and McDonalds Australia release had two extra titles: Rotsome Giant and Mischievous Chocolate Factory Children.
As if the books weren't enough McDonalds went a step further offering a nice collector box at the cost of $2 to house the Roald Dahl books in the Australian promotion of eight books.
McDonalds Roald Dahl Books Collector Box Australia
The Australia and New Zealand full set of McDonalds Roald Dahl happy meal books included the following titles along with their respective release dates:
Fantabuluos BFG (24 - 30 Jan)
Amazing Matilda (31 Jan - 6 Feb)
Lucky Charlie Bucket (7 Feb - 13 Feb)
Brave Little Sophie (14 - 20 Feb)
Wonderful Mr Willy Wonka (21 - 27 Feb)
Marvellous Miss Honey (28 Feb - 6 Mar)
Rotsome Giants (Australia only)
Mischievous Chocolate Factory Children (Australia only)
McDonalds Roald Dahl Books Promotion Happy Meal Box with books
Summary
In a bid to encourage children to read in New Zealand McDonalds promoted happy meal readers by Roald Dahl with illustrations by Quentin Blake. There were eight McDonalds Roald books to collect in Australia and six in New Zealand, each an abridged version of the original book.
Z Energy (formerly Shell) petrol stations in New Zealand gave away collectible Blokhedz DC Super Heroes toys with a $40 petrol purchase from Friday 24 October 2014 until Tuesday 9 December 2014. The Blokhedz figures promotion encouraged collectors to swap their double up toys through the Z Energy Facebook page.
Z Energy Blokhedz DC Super Heroes Promotion 2014
The Blokhedz toys are stackable toys and feature different characters: superheros (11) and super-villains (5) alike from DC Comics Justice League series. Each Super Heroes Blokhedz toy came in a sealed teal blue package labelled "Justice League" Blokhedz and had the Z Energy logo in the top left-hand corner and the DC Comics logo in the bottom right corner.
The Blokhedz DC Super Heroes stand 3cms high and are suitable for children 3 years and above. The Blokhedz toys are well finished and the paint job appears to be pretty good. Playing with them is likely to cause paint chipping and scratching though. The toys have no articulation and the fun comes in the collecting and the stacking as you can see in the short 15 second video below.
Along with the Blokhedz toy promotion a limited edition collector case for the Justice League Blokhedz Super Heroes was sold at Z Service Stations for $3.00 each. The album had specially named slots to display each of the toys. There are a couple of different battle games that can be played with the Blokhedz and a dice for this purpose is included in the collector box.
Blokhedz DC Superheroes Collector Album 2014
Z Energy Blokhedz DC Superheroes Set of 16 inside album
The full set of 16 toys in the Blokhedz DC Comics Super heroes set are as follows:
Aquaman
Batman
Black Canary
Darkseid
Doctor Destiny
Green Lantern
Hawkgirl
Lex Luther
Z Energy Blokhedz DC Superheroes 16 Toy Set
Martian Manhunter
Sinestro
Supergirl
Superman
The Atom
The Flash
The Joker
Wonder Woman
Summary
From around 24 October 2014 to 9 December 2014 Z Energy gave away Justice League Blokhedz DC Comics Super Heroes toys which are stackable toys and are playable in a #blokhedz game. Also available was a colourful limited edition album to house the DC Super Heroes Justice League Blokhedz figures.
McDonalds Fast and Furious Spy Racers and Spirit Riding Free happy meal toys are the next toy to be promoted at McDonalds restaurants in Australia and New Zealand starting early July 2020. McDonalds are giving away six Netflix inspired Fast and Furious Spy Racers targeting boys and six Netflix Spirit Riding Free toys for girls. Customers also have the option to choose a happy meal reader from the McDonalds Treetop Twins Wilderness Adventures series by Cressida Cowell as an alternative to a happy meal toy.
McDonalds Fast and Furious Spy Racers
and Spirit Riding Free toys 2020
McDonalds Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) and Pikmi Pops Surprise Happy Meal Toys are being promoted at McDonalds restaurants in Australia in April and May 2020 and in New Zealand during May and June 2020. McDonalds are giving away Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles targeted towards boys and Pikmi Pops Surprise for girls.
With every happy meal sold McDonalds customers can choose between one of the Rise of the Teenage Ninja Turtle character toys inspired by the Nickelodeon TV series or go with a Pikmi Pops Surprise happy meal toy. Books from the Treetop Twins Wilderness Adventures book range by Cressida Cowell can be substituted for the promoted happy meal toy.
McDonalds Trolls World Tour Happy Meal toys were available at McDonalds restaurants in Australia and New Zealand during April and May 2020. McDonalds gave away 14 Trolls World Tour character toys inspired by the Dreamworks Trolls World Tour (2020) movie with every McDonalds happy meal sold in Australia. Due to the epidemic, supplies in New Zealand of all toys was disrupted resulting in fewer toys being given away in the promotion.
