Rare McDonald’s Collectible For Sale In Central New York

An extremely rare piece of fast food history is for sale in Central New York. It involves McDonald's, apple pies, and Barneveld.

Lee Broomfield on Facebook Marketplace is selling a McDonald's Apple Pie Tree:

"For your consideration a McDonald's apple pie tree Great condition for its age no cracks or major concerns. Always stored inside. This would make a great addition to anybody's collection. This tree has the removable 2 side branches. It's been well cared for since arriving in this private collection."

For the smooth price of $11,500, this piece of history could be yours. You can learn more online here.

What Was The McDonald's Apple Pie Tree?

If you're like this author, maybe you never heard of this classic character from McDonaldland. Well it dates back to the 1970's. In 1971, McDonald’s introduced the Apple Pie Tree as part of its "McDonaldland campaign." As you might remember, the colorful fantasy world featured Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and more.

This magical tree bore not apples, but hot, golden apple pies, just like the ones served in McDonald's restaurants. The Apple Pie Tree first appeared in the very first McDonaldland commercial, which aired in January 1971."

You can actually watch that original ad here:

The Apple Pie Tree also made its way into real-life McDonald’s PlayPlaces in the 1980s and 1990s. Kids could spot these giant, cheerful trees at locations across the U.S. According to Mashed.com, these play structures were designed to immerse kids in the McDonaldland universe, where pies grew on trees and burgers came from magical patches.

READ MORE- Legendary Menu Item Returns To McDonald's Menus In New York

When Did McDonald's Retire The Apple Pie Tree?

The Apple Pie Tree’s popularity was enough for McDonald's to file a trademark in April 1971. It had a really long run in America, until the whole concept of McDonaldland was set to retire. By the early 2000s, McDonald's began moving toward more modern and minimalistic marketing. The Apple Pie Tree, along with several other iconic characters, was quietly retired by 2003.

Is There A Collectors Market For The Apple Pie Tree? Is It Worth Anything?

Though the Apple Pie Tree is no longer featured in commercials or playgrounds, its memory lives on. Vintage PlayPlace elements, including pie trees, still pop up online and in nostalgia groups. The character even has its own page on the McDonald's Fandom Wiki.

The Apple Pie Tree is a charming relic of a time when fast food marketing was all about sparking imagination. While today’s campaigns may be sleeker, few can top the idea of a tree that grows actual dessert."

So yes, there is a massive collectors market. You can learn more on buying this one for sale online here.