# Needs to be said again: people who collect McDonald's Monopoly pieces are sad **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 11, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022 "2006-10-11T03:27:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/61 "2006-10-13T02:17:19Z")
[QUOTE=Apos] If we are doing a strict cost benefit anaylsis based purely on time spent vs. return, then the time wasted by people collecting pieces when they are never going to win anything by FAR dwarfs the tiny amount of effort it takes to acquire the rest of the pieces if they are needed. [/QUOTE] Sure, if the opportunity cost of their time is compared to their hourly wages. But most people are probably doing this while they sit on their butt eating McDonalds or, to use your other example, socializing around the watercooler. They are not missing work at the widget factory. Also, you keep harping on the “trick” of the promotion as if you are the only one that gets it. Every promotion works this way (except for the corrupt or incompent). Most people realize the odds are slim and that there is always one key piece. I remember playing these promotions as a kid (before it was always Monopoly) and even we knew that you really only needed that one piece. The promotion appeals to people’s love of collecting and I suspect a fair number of people would do it even if there weren’t prizes. That said, it’s too bad they don’t run a different promotion every year like they did in the old days – that was more interesting. I’m tired of seeing the Monopoly game every year and I rarely even go there. ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/62 "2006-10-13T03:24:59Z")
I have what is probably a stupid question, but I am asking out of true curiosity here, not to be snarky or anything. You say it is stupid to collect the common pieces when what you really need to do is aquire a rare piece and then go after the common ones. But how does the average schlub know which pieces are rare? Is it printed on the game instructions or something? I looked at the website link in the OP to see it, but does Joe McEveryman going into McDonalds with his kids have access to this info or is he collecting the pieces because he doesn’t know which ones are rare? I haven’t eaten at McDonalds during the Monopoly promotion in a few years so I’m honestly not sure how this part works. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/63 "2006-10-13T04:58:15Z")
> [@](#): > > But how does the average schlub know which pieces are rare? Is it printed on the game instructions or something? I looked at the website link in the OP to see it, but does Joe McEveryman going into McDonalds with his kids have access to this info or is he collecting the pieces because he doesn’t know which ones are rare? They don’t necessarily know anything about this aspect of the game. Which is in part what makes it sort of sad that people are so sincere and serious about the excitement of gathering pieces when this activity is essentially meaningless in terms of winning the game. Of course, if you think about it, this is pretty much the only way the contest organizers can be sure of not overgiving on prizes. I figured that was true before I looked up the actual dope on it, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/64 "2006-10-13T06:16:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bottle of Smoke] But how does the average schlub know which pieces are rare? Is it printed on the game instructions or something? [/QUOTE] I said a few posts ago that they probably rotate them from year to year. Of course, by the time you have three Kentuckys and four Illinois, it should be clear that you’re very unlikely to get Indiana. But there is no harm in keeping one Kentucky and one Illinois once you have them. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/65 "2006-10-13T12:45:14Z")
I was at McDonald’s last night (I go out to dinner with my teenage daughter once a week; she picks the place). The lady ahead of me in line bought a supersize fry, among other things. When she got it, it was in a regular box with no game pieces, so she asked the manager about it. The manager explained that they had run out of those kind of boxes, and in fact demand had been so great that McDonald’s was issuing signs to the stores so they could indicate when they had run out. He sounded very impressed by this; I found it interesting that he did not offer the lady’s money back (nor did she demand it). I crossed paths with the lady again over near the drink station. She gave her fries to my daughter, saying that she had only wanted the game pieces. Later on, I noticed there were still game pieces on the cups! I won a McFlurry. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/66 "2006-10-13T13:14:48Z")
Is there a website that tells what the rare pieces are? I forgot my lunch today, might as well go to McD’s and win some money. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/67 "2006-10-13T13:32:57Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] That was a rather infamous debacle. McD’s got screwed by the Soviets when they announced they were boycotting the Olympics because they were in L.A. Without Soviet competition, the US practically swept the whole thing. They even referenced it on The Simpsons once. [/QUOTE] Our local McDonalds actually refused to honor the pieces, and turned away most of us kids (we were in about 10th grade then, so I guess we were at the top-range of “kids”) after it became clear what was happening. I remember the manager smugly saying “so sue us” when we complained. Then I found out that the McDonalds were honoring them for adults who came in, and not kids. In my first ever “Ms. Junior Lawyer” impersonation, I told the McDonalds that me and my mother would take them to small claims court unless they honored the prizes. They then angrily and reluctantly agreed but only if we redeemed **all** prizes at one time of their choosing, on a certain night, and no other. I’m guessing that was the night they dug out the “old meat” from the alk-in to use. Anyhow, we did redeem them, and got literally hundreds of items and had a huge party sort-of thing that one night. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/68 "2006-10-13T15:20:26Z")
[QUOTE=Una Persson] Our local McDonalds actually refused to honor the pieces, and turned away most of us kids (we were in about 10th grade then, so I guess we were at the top-range of “kids”) after it became clear what was happening. I remember the manager smugly saying “so sue us” when we complained. [/QUOTE] Holy crap. Glad that never happened to me, or I would have had a juvie record for sure like my brother. At that time, McDonald’s was (and still is, AFAIK) a huge sponsor of US Swimming – they gave away game pieces to _everyone_ in swim meets, more if you won a heat, and even more if you placed. But all the McDonalds reps I remember giving them out just cheerfully acknowledged that McD’s was losing its hide on the game giveaways, but was so thrilled with the publicity that corporate was okay with it all. I don’t understand why local smugmanager had a problem (other than being an idiot, obviously); they’d still’ve gotten reinbursed by corporate for the free items. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/69 "2006-10-13T17:23:59Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray] I don’t understand why local smugmanager had a problem (other than being an idiot, obviously); they’d still’ve gotten reinbursed by corporate for the free items. [/QUOTE] It could have just been because we were kids, and poor, and looked it. There was also a Dairy Queen in the area that eventually stopped honoring free hot fudge sundae coupons printed in the local paper. We would keep coming by in the Summer to redeem the coupons, and they finally said we were “abusing the offers” (the offer was “one sundae per visit, no purchase necessary”) and told us one day to “get lost”. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/70 "2006-10-13T17:55:03Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] Do you have an old game board perchance? The rules this year are that the Best Buy Bucks come in either $1 or $5 denominations, and you can use a maximum of $200 worth during any one transaction. Last year I saved up about $20 and got a flash drive for $10. I had something like 10 bucks the poor girl had to scan through. 😛 Course, this year they’re only putting the bucks on the chicken products, where last year they put the bucks on most of the entrees and the large fries. :mad: I’m not willing to eat at McD’s _that_ often. [/QUOTE] In moderation, though, not very filling, McDonald’s food isn’t that bad for you. You just have to be super selective about what you eat, and don’t eat fries. However, I love fries, so I will go against my own advice. I actually came to post because I wanted to say that the only time I eat at McDonald’s is for 1) Monopoly; and 2) 2 for $2 Big Macs/Qtr Pounders (but I’ll only take advantage of this offer once or twice). I’m surprisingly lucky at Monopoly. I bought a tv with $200 worth of Best Buy Bucks. I also won what seemed to be a literal ton of food. Surprisingly, I haven’t actually completed a Monopoly set (though, to this day, I think I threw away a set piece three years ago). However, I’ve won a ton of instant win cash prizes. And, I was average $4 a visit in best buy bucks. My best haggled purchase was for my 63" dlp tv from Best Buy. I actually had $250 worth of Best Buy Bucks. It’s been three years, but I forgot what the max use was. I also talked the manager down something like 20%. I actually had a competing ad that was cheaper, but Best Buy wouldn’t match it because it was from a store in Maine. However, Best Buy did throw in free shipping, free set up, free cables. The only thing I didn’t get was the stand. When they saw how many best buy bucks I had, they were shocked and angered in disbelief. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/71 "2006-10-13T18:46:09Z")
[QUOTE=BayleDomon] Do you have an old game board perchance? The rules this year are that the Best Buy Bucks come in either $1 or $5 denominations, and you can use a maximum of $200 worth during any one transaction. Last year I saved up about $20 and got a flash drive for $10. I had something like 10 bucks the poor girl had to scan through. 😛 Course, this year they’re only putting the bucks on the chicken products, where last year they put the bucks on most of the entrees and the large fries. :mad: I’m not willing to eat at McD’s _that_ often. [/QUOTE] Er, duh. I just realized the rules are probably different here in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/72 "2006-10-13T18:59:42Z")
I started playing this again, today. Sorry, Apos. I really like the online thing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022/73 "2006-10-13T23:39:21Z")
Well this thread inspired me to go get McDonalds. Anybody need a Connecticut Ave? 😃 I’m keeping the free Cheeseburger though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/needs-to-be-said-again-people-who-collect-mcdonalds-monopoly-pieces-are-sad/376022.md?page=3)