I’m old enough to remember when the Big Mac came wrapped in paper, surrounded by a cardboard support ring and packed in a cardboard box. Maybe it was because I was a kid, but I’m sure they were a lot bigger when introduced - otherwise why did they require so much in supporting materials?
Interestingly, my dad was a Ronald McDonald. He did openings and special events for McDonald’s restaurants in and around Kansas City. Back then, they did local commercials as well, and I was in several of them. The best part of his job was when he was Ringmaster of the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus on McDonald’s Night and I got to go backstage and meet people like Emmett Kelly and Gunther Gebel-Williams.
Dad was offered a McDonald’s franchise, but we didn’t have the money for it.
hamburger 0.89
cheeseburger 0.99
double w/1 slice of cheese $1.19
double w/ 2 slices cheese $1.49
double w/ 2 slices of cheese and bacon $2.00
They also added Dollar Menu items so there are now burgers with different sauces and things for $1. The Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, topped Quarter Pounders, Bacon whatevers, and all the other “premium” burgers start at $4.
For us, the Big Mac originally came with the sleeve and wrapped in foil-lined blue and silver paper. No box. Those came much later. I think the sleeve was more for keeping it together during wrapping than for transport or eating. (After all, you had to remove the ring to eat it.) It might have also prevented “squishing” so it looked taller.