TSR Adventure Gaming Display Shelf Questions • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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TSR Adventure Gaming Display Shelf Questions
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Author

sheafoehammer
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Last Visit: Jun 10, 2026

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 5:19 pm

Hello,

Recently I was able to snag this beauty from a old hobby shop. Was wondering how rare they are and interested in other members showing pics of their old TSR display shelves or cardboard display stands.

This one is about 48x52x20 inches and is made out of wood particle board and metal. Curious as where and when it was made. Did the shops have to buy them or were they given to certain shops to help sell/display TSR product? Any insight would be appreciated. If I go by the logo I would place somewhere in the middle to late 80's?
Going to fill it with TSR product released around that time.
Regards,
Sheafoehammer

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shelf 1.jpg

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shelf 2.jpg

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sheafoehammer
Active Collector

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Joined: Sep 09, 2020
Last Visit: Jun 10, 2026

Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 5:44 pm

Items currently in shelf. Will probably replace 2nd edition with more 1st edition as I acquire them. Maybe a few dragon magazines. Also interested in what your suggestions would be

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shelf 3.jpg

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stratochamp
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 6:47 pm

Mine does not have the module dividers in it. They were sent out to stores that would order a full display of product, i.e. order the rack (with 3 PH, 3 DMG, 3 MM etc.) for $1000 and get the display rack for free.

Shrink is not a condition

for_the_love_of_the_stuff
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:08 pm

Looks really cool, man!

Chucho68
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Posted: Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:25 pm

That is a thing of beauty...

Héctor.

Habent sua fata libelli

aia
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 12:39 am

Iirc, Mars recently posted some pic of this gem... I'd love to have both one of this and enough room at home for it (and the permission of my wife, useless to say...)

ashmire13
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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 2:37 pm

That’s very nice

Rolls a '3'

"Did I hit.....?"

sheafoehammer
Active Collector

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Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:31 pm

Getting it home was quite the adventure. Strapped to the roof of the SUV traveling home though Wisconsin about 200 miles in a rain storm. Doing about 30-40 mph so it wouldn't get damaged. Good times!

Can anyone point me to the catalog it was in? Probably a dealer kit maybe? I have been looking extensively on the forums and web but no luck

blackdougal
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Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:16 pm

From the 1985 catalog:

From the 1986 catalog:

From the 1987 catalog:

Like stratochamp, I thought they usually charged for these... some of the later displays specifically came only with the purchase of product bundles. On these, however, every reference in the catalogs lists them as free to retailers but makes a big deal out of the fact that they "are to be used for TSR products only!"

stratochamp
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 12:16 am

I was managing a (small) distributorship at the time and the shelves were "free" but only available with the purchase of a full display worth of product (usually about $1000 worth). SO there was nothing stopping a distributor from ordering a whole unit, splitting out all of the books and shipping the rack someplace, but I'm sure most of them were drop shipped to stores via their distributors.

Shrink is not a condition

sheafoehammer
Active Collector

Posts: 26
Joined: Sep 09, 2020
Last Visit: Jun 10, 2026

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:37 am

Thank you for the info and the pictures. The shelf variation I have is a little different with the logo placement and there is no mention of it being metal/wood combination. I wonder if it was made earlier 83 - 84.

I am interested in the wire racks now.... I also wonder if they had a TSR logo on them. That would be pretty cool to see. Going to be on the look out for those dealer catalogs now.

"are to be used for TSR products only!" I love that - When I seen the shelf it was full of current Starfinder items from Paizo. I told my wife -"that isn't right!" and I felt like I rescued it.

Much appreciated for the info - Thanks again

sauromatian
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:53 am

Don't forget this rack - it comes with a free leopard-skin-print onesie, but you can only wear it while playing TSR games.

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seodude
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:37 am

is that Gary Gygax's daughter under a slogan saying, "Where the action is"?

Sir Kill Alot
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 12:05 pm

To go back in time and snarf that displays of Holmes sets… and buy eBay and Amazon shares while I’m at it…

-SKA

chromaticknight
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:18 pm

This is the 9 pocket wire rack for the endless quest books.

Mike

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Tszii
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Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:01 pm

That's so cool!

What I am really thinking is OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I want one!

muaddib5
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Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 5:04 pm

AMAZING!!!

Home - Gen Con Wisconsin 1968 2002

Mars
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Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Posted: Sun Oct 17, 2021 11:57 pm

Yes, I currently have a few of these style racks:

I have 2 different styles:
1. Wood shelves where the back infrastructure is made of plywood. I think this is a bit older than the other one.
2. Metal shelves where the back infrastructure is mostly compressed particle board.

Neither of the two styles I have contain the dividers. Someone also shared this video with me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB6Uj2RGhPU

It contains another similar TSR shelf in the background but it has slightly different TSR Adventure Gaming plates, so there are likely a few different variations out there. I agree early/mid 1980s.

2 of mine (as in the ebay auction), I had to cut in half. They were about an inch or two too big to fit into my Subaru Forester (couldn't get them in the back hatch even with the side panels and rollers off, etc). I wasn't going to leave them behind so had to cut them in half - the cut marks are all hidden when together. I rented a moving van to pick up the rest of the ones I grabbed.

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