In the bustling streets of Japan, fast food aficionados were sent into a frenzy on the 26th of December when renowned chains unveiled their “lucky grab bags” adorned with a variety of treasures and surprises. The tantalizing twist? These sought-after bags quickly found their way onto online resale platforms, sparking a whirlwind of buying and selling that captivated a nation.
Curious about the allure of these “lucky grab bags”? Allow me to paint a picture for you. A beloved tradition in Japan, especially as the year draws to a close and the New Year beckons, fast food establishments pack these bags with an assortment of their prized offerings. Here’s the twist – hidden within these bags are valuable gems, turning the act of purchasing them into a game of chance.
Take, for instance, Mister Donut, lovingly referred to as “misdo,” which unveiled three variations of these grab bags priced between 2,400 yen to 5,900 yen (equivalent to $17 to $41). Nestled within these bags were coveted donut vouchers, delightful Pokemon towels, and charming calendars. It comes as no surprise that these bags set social media abuzz. To add an extra layer of intrigue, contents from these bags began popping up on flea market apps shortly after their release, with many vouchers flying off the virtual shelves at discounted prices.
Other fast food giants such as Lotteria, Curry House CoCo Ichibanya, and Subway eagerly jumped into the grab bag phenomenon. Lotteria’s offerings, for instance, boasted meal tickets of equal value to the bag’s cost and adorable Rilakkuma character goods. However, much like the others, the allure of these items did not escape the clutches of online resale platforms.
Even the iconic golden arches of McDonald’s couldn’t resist the allure of the grab bag trend, choosing to distribute their bags through a lottery system. Winners, lucky enough to be notified on the 25th of December, were slated to collect their prizes after the turn of the year. Intriguingly, many of the “redeemable rights” were immediately thrust into the resale market, even if the bags themselves were not yet in the seller’s possession.
This sparked some controversy as certain resales were deemed to violate the terms and conditions outlined by popular resale platforms such as Mercari and Yahoo Japan Corp.’s auction site. These guidelines explicitly state that items not in the physical possession of the seller cannot be sold, and those found in breach of these regulations risk having their listings swiftly removed.
What was initially a whimsical and thrilling tradition for fast food aficionados took a chaotic turn as bags and their contents exchanged hands in the resale market. But let’s not forget the true purpose behind these grab bags – a gesture of gratitude towards loyal patrons for their unwavering support throughout the year. Here’s hoping that the next time these bags make their debut, everyone will get to revel in the magic held within, without any need for ensuing resale dramas.
