As always the hunt for items continues - I may not have as much time as I used to for finding bits and pieces on eBay however when I do find an item I want I make sure there is a reminder in my calendar to pick it up.

This was the case with a recent purchase which saw me acquire an item I had never seen before - a display from the Back to the Future Happy Meal series (including toys).

McDonalds Happy Meals are a great collecting area with demand on popular lines on eBay seeing top prices - Despicable Me Minions and Smurfs are recent examples of lines that people want.

In 1992 McDonalds decided to launch a collection which tied in with the animated series of the classic movie Back to the Future.

Marty, Doc, Jules, Vern and Einstein all got the Happy Meal treatment.

Interestingly the Doc toy actually got pulled from the line due to the fact the wheels could come off the DeLorean easily and thus was classed as a choking hazard - this however didn't stop thousands of these already being sold so they don't prove too hard to find even now.  

Anyway.....

Picking up this item saw me get into a slight bidding war - and there is no denying its seen better days however regardless my plan will be to put it into a display case and keep safe from further damage.

A few close up shots from the item are below -

These toys can be picked up on auction sites and at car boots even now - the Happy Meal boxes from them can also be found - however I haven't seen a display like this sold before - I am not even sure if any others even exist?

Sometimes, even if the item is a bit beat up, it has to be brought.

These kind of things don't show up too often, and I have learnt from past experience don't regret on missing out for the sake of a couple of pounds!

I'd love to hear from other McDonalds Happy Meal collectors about what lines they collect and if they have been able to obtain ex-display models at all......

Back at the tail end of September 2013 Premiere Props held one of their regular auctions through ICollector - and included within this sat some Back to the Future lots, which, needless to say caught my attention.

Back to the Future props always demand top dollar - screen matched items can sell for massive figures and as much as I would love to sink every penny I have into owning items from the film it simply can't happen!

I was fortunate enough to win some Cafe 80's slides a few years back - and also own a couple of Biff Co items too however unless I win the lottery the big pieces aren't going to be coming my way.

So it was with a careless bid on the off chance I may win something I went after the above item - 'A Ford Sign' - I put in a bottom bid - and somehow won it!

Sure I know its not screen matched (although part of the fun will be rewatching the movie in the hope it fleetingly appears) 

My plans for it? Simple - frame the COA - and hang the item in my man cave - it makes for cool viewing and is a great conversation piece.

There is something genuinely cool about owning something from your favorite film - big or small - and for now its small things like this that will keep me entertained.

Of course if any eagle eyed BTTF fan out there can spot if this does show in the film at all let me know. 

Its another Back to the Future piece for my collection.

2015 looks set to be a bumper year for BTTF fans with the 30th Anniversary, The Musical and Self Tying Laces set to make it a year to remember. 

Who knows - maybe we will get a working hoverboard by then too........
 

Any story behind it?
You'll know by now my favorite film trilogy is Back to the Future - and when I heard there was a movie props and wardrobe auction taking place that featured items from the film, the chance to bid was too good to turn down. So I set myself up with a plan to bid on 3 of the items - and if I won excellent - if not I would have to wait and see if any items ever surfaced again......


What exactly is it?
You know that scene in Back to the Future 2 where Marty McFly goes to the future to stop his son ruining his life and enters Cafe 80's? Well the folks that made the film made sure every detail was covered - including the menu at Cafe 80's itself. I ended up winning 1 of my 3 planned bids - missing out on a Hill Valley Police Car Door Emblem and Biff money. The auction I did win was for 34 production made slides from the dishes served at Cafe 80's - all based around 80's icons - example dishes are 'Reagan Scramble' & 'Gorbachev Goulash'.
The slides come with a Cetificate of Authenticity.

Is it Rare?
Collecting Back to the Future props and wardrobe can be a very expensive - and the price certainly reflects the rarity. Before this auction I have never seen anything like these - and I don't think I will anytime soon. Chances are others exist - but I doubt very much if they will surface.

Will it be back?
It was never out there to begin with - the items aren't sold in shops or online - these are rare and limited production items.

Where can I get one now?
As it turns out there were duplicates of the slides I won - so - I will be listing the duplicates via a well known auction site in due course.

And Finally
The slides are date stamped 'April 89' - pretty cool given the fact it shows their time in history.

My plans for the ones I own are to frame them - with a photo of the slide in its 'blown up' form next to it.