McSnoopy fever failed to take off yesterday, a year after it caused near-riots and long queues across the SAR. McDonald's reintroduced the promotional campaign but sales of the models were slow. Modest queues were reported on the first day of the month-long drive. Just 30 people queued quietly outside the Quarry Bay branch as the figures went on sale for $6 each for every $15 spent. All secured their Snoopys within 10 minutes of the promotion's start. Communications manager for McDonald's Mayee Tang denied the slow start to the campaign meant that interest had faded. She said the lower turnout was due to an improved distribution method under which four new figures are released each Monday and Friday. Last year's chaos was sparked by the release of a new Snoopy figure wearing a different national costume every day. 'If the stock is running out, customers can still buy coupons and collect their desired figures in January,' Ms Tang said. The four Snoopys on offer yesterday sported costumes from the mainland, Hong Kong, Argentina and Hawaii. The remaining 24 will be released in batches from Monday to October 22. Student Steven Chow, 16, who queued at the Quarry Bay branch for two hours before sales began at 11am, said he was not disappointed to be missing the National Day celebrations on television. 'I can watch all that on video later on. I'm here to buy two sets - one for me and one for my girlfriend.' Housewife Noel Chung, 40, queued for an hour to buy a set of four figures for her sons aged seven and 14. 'We are not going to resell them. My children love the figures very much. The most important thing is to make my children happy,' she said. Last October, people queued overnight and figures sold out within hours amid angry scenes at the restaurants. People tried to sell collections of the figures at vastly inflated prices and one set was reported to have fetched $1,000.
