Unopened Counter and Floor Stand Store Displays
jordangretzkyfan
Posts: 2,671 ✭✭✭✭✭
As you all know, I love unopened from the 1980s. After searching for nearly 25 years, I finally landed two store displays that have eluded me. There is something about unopened store counter and floor displays that speaks to the child in me. Likely stems from going into my local general store as a kid and wishing my allowance could afford me the entire display and not just the few packs I walked out with each week.
For some reason, store displays from 1985 have been impossible to find. So much that AI typically doesn’t even have historical images. One 1985 Donruss counter display case came up in an REA auction in 2023, but I did not see it before the auction closed. As for the 1985 Fleer wax rack floor display, I had never even seen one pictured, let alone available for sale. I am proud to now have both in my collection.
I would love to see any store displays this board would like to share. It is one of my favorite things to collect!
Comments
I'm guessing these are not for opening Chris?
Tho I would not have display room - I do think they're cool looking.
This would be a nice display to have.
Very nice! I've always loved floor displays, especially Donruss ones where they mixed different products. I have a 1982 Donruss floor display... it held a bunch of 3-wax pack grocery racks, still in the original case. Unfortunately, I slowly sold off all but 24 of the racks over the years. Saved those hoping I'd find an empty 82 Donruss rack box... but still never have.
love those store displays. very nostalgic for me.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
I've shared these photos previously, but posting for those who haven't viewed before.
.
Loving those Donruss cello displays. Thanks for posting here! Also, amazing to see another 1985 Donruss counter display in the wild. They are really tough to track down!
I don't recall if I've told this story here on the forum. Around 2018ish, I purchased an eBay listing for a case of 2 1986 Donruss counter displays with a broken seal. The photos showed the outside of the case, the opened flaps of the 2 box case, and the top box in the case, which was a 1986 Donruss display.
I don't recall exactly what I paid, but there was not a lot of competition. I'm guessing because of the fact that it was not sealed? I'm recall paying roughly perhaps 1.5 times what a single display cost at the time. I remember that I was ecstatic to win 2 1986 displays. I planned on ripping one and displaying the other.
The 2 box case arrived, and I immediately examined the outside for damage. Not seeing any, I opened the case and saw that the top box was a 1986 display, and remember thinking to myself, "I'm going to be a real sucker if this bottom box ends up being a 1988 display!" Lol
I picked the top display out, and I wasn't sure what I was looking at when I took the second case out and opened it...1985 packs!!! You likely know better than I do, as it's been so long since I looked at the outside, but I believe the 1986 Donruss display just reused the 1985 outside packaging and applied a 1986 sticker covering the 1985 date. It was something like that. The brown cardboard outside and printing on the outside of the 2 cases are basically the same.
Anyway, I'm guessing the seller bought a bulk collection of some sort and at some previous time the 2 displays were packaged together inside one 1986 case, and he sold it to me as 2 1986 displays, none the wiser.
I was actively looking to purchase a 1985 case at the time, too, so that made it even more awesome!
Chris, that 85F rack display is SICK! I only know one other guy who has one. I’m so jealous. Need to hear how you got it.
And you know that I love the red rack 87F display even more! Insane pickups.
If 1987 me saw any of these displays you guys are pushing out I would be in heaven.
John
Countdouglas, what a story on the 86/85 case!
I wonder if they were factory left overs and they packed it out that way??
I have a couple sealed but don’t want to open to check if I have a mistake case.
John
Countdouglas - great story and score on the mixed 1986 Donruss case containing the 1985 display. Yours and the one in the REA auction are the only other 1985 counter displays I have seen in the last 25 years of searching!
You are correct that the 1985 and 1986 outer master cases are the same graphics and case code. The only difference are the contents listed on the outer case. The 1985 master case contains (2) cases of 108 regular and 108 large packs. Retailers noticed that people preferred the regular packs which sold faster. In 1986 Donruss shifted the mix to 144 regular packs and 72 large packs per display. This is the only difference between the 1985 and 1986 master case graphics. Donruss continued the 144/72 mix in 1987 before moving to all regular packs at a 216 count in 1988 and 1989.
It is cool to see the configuration evolution when they all sit side by side.
No 85, but got the 86 and 87.
Some glossy update cases as the foundation!
Long live 1987 Fleer!
John
Awesome display, John! Looks like a baseball card shop any kid from the 80s would be proud of. Loving the Eric Davis Beckett on display between the displays.
Nice room all together!! I kind of have one of them too, but not finished. Has heat and air just not finished. Unfortunately I don't have any display cases.