As vice president of his collectors club, David Bracken is a recognized authority with more than 9,000 items in his collection.

But instead of coins or stamps, Mr. Bracken, of Lower Burrell, collects something he says is more accessible to the average person -- McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

"Say you collect quarters," said Mr. Bracken, 43. "Most people don't know a lot about coins. And it can get expensive pretty quickly."

But with McDonald's toys, he said, "you spend $2.69, and you know what you're going to get."

He was buying Happy Meals for his three children in 1994 when he became interested in collecting the toys that came with the meals.

His interest grew after he researched the history of McDonald's collectible items, a category that includes everything from drinking glasses, tote bags and bedsheets to retired "golden arches" signs and playground equipment.

Over the past 15 years, Mr. Bracken's collection has grown to include sought-after sub-collections of the toys, such as all 100 figures from the 100th anniversary Disney line.

His collection is so extensive that he received a visit from Ronald McDonald last month to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Happy Meal, which first appeared in 1979.

"It was a really enjoyable afternoon," said Mr. Bracken of the July 21 visit, adding that he's found the appeal of McDonald's memorabilia almost universal.

"There's a childlike appeal to these toys. People like to go back to their past," he said. "When people look at my collection, they always find something that makes their eyes li ght up."

Many Happy Meal toys are from popular films and TV shows. Mr. Bracken noted that one of the first movie tie-ins to the Happy Meal was the initial "Star Trek" film.

"They had decals, communicators, rings," he said.

But his favorite piece in his collection is from long before the Happy Meal -- a 1964 Archie McDonald bag.

McDonald's produced only a few items of Archie McDonald merchandise before a lawsuit by a radio disc jockey with a similar name forced the company to retire the character.

Mr. Bracken can display only a few hundred items of his collection at a time in the family room of his home, with the rest packed in bins in his basement and storage areas.

Although Lisa, his wife of 20 years, is supportive of his collecting, she does limit how much of the home he can use for the items.

"The family room is all she allows me right now," he said, adding that she rejected the idea of hanging his 9-foot-by-4-foot McDonald's sign, retired from the Lower Burrell restaurant on a wall of their home.

"She said it was a bit much," he added.

In addition to loving the history and iconography of McDonald's collecting, Mr. Bracken has used his hobby to help him deal with ongoing health issues.

When he was 34, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery, a procedure that has left him vulnerable to stroke and with some memory problems. He is on disability.

"Instead of worrying about going for my next test," Mr. Bracken said, "I get away from it through collecting."

He is vice president of the McDonald's Collectors Club, the national group for his collecting interest. It is not affiliated with McDonald's, but Mr. Bracken said the chain has allowed the club to use its name.

He loves tracking down mint-condition toys missing from his collection -- in their original packages, of course.

"I just enjoy the chase," he said.

For those who think his hobby is odd, Mr. Bracken noted that many people aren't aware of the popularity of the McDonald's collecting world.

"People just don't realize the mass appeal of these collectors items," he said, adding that beginning collectors can find most toys from the past 15 years for just a few dollars.

"Everyone either eats at McDonald's or lives near one."

For more information on the McDonald's Collectors Club, go to www.mcdclub.com. For more information on McDonald's Happy Meals, go to www.happymeal.com.