Sonic the Hedgehog Retail Store Displays

Retail stores like video game retailers or general merchandise places need ways to attract customers to their Sonic items or video games. So they use "point of purchase" type displays, cardboard standees and posters, as well as normal signs. Sega sends them out usually to advertise a new game. But, other items can be bought (somehow) by retail places. This page displays things which belonged to stores at one point.

Because there aren't as many retail places as there are people, these items aren't that common. Also, keep in mind that stores are large, so to attract enough attention, the items have to be GIANT! This helps their collectability as well...they make a great centerpiece for your Sonic showroom!

Here is a light up sign from a retail store. It just announces Sonic can be found inside, and as you can see, it lights up too! It was likely sold to retail places in the USA or possibly the UK. The sign is about 2 feet wide, with a plastic front.
This looks to be from around the time of early Sonic (due to the JP stock art being used, and the different looking title. Photo by Rhia.

Here's an enormous poster!
This is a lobby display for the "Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog" (weekday AoSTH) TV show. You can see the DIC and Sega logos near the bottom, as well as the logo for the show.

This poster measures 12ft high and about 6ft wide, so it's higher than most ceilings! You can see a hand at the top and that the person is on a ladder to display it here. It is laminated and made of sturdy thick paper type substance. This is likely quite a rare item. It is unknown how many were made.

This cardboard item is often called a Standee.
They sometimes ship to retail video game stores along with a shipment of a new game. The large colorful cardboard cut-out helps draw people in to the game display, or announces that it is in stock. Sometimes you can buy them from the store, once the initial push for the game is over.
This one is for Sonic Adventure 2, and features Sonic with Shadow, and the logo. Photo courtesy of Rhia.

Here's a rather curious pair of objects. These are display pieces meant for Toys R Us stores. They're quite large, about 3 feet high each, with Sonic a little taller. They were sold just like this, a long time ago on Ebay. They were in Toys R Us displays in the 1990s. The Sonic is missing his nose and entire body. They are supposed to be made of fiberglass with a smooth paint coating. The sculpt on his head is nice, especially considering the age. Wonder what it looked like whole?

This is the Tails. He is missing his arms, (in the back photo) but you can see that both figures had a nice base so they wouldn't get scratched up. His sculpt is still just 'ok'. However, the huge nose, little ears, and black markings around his eyes spoil the effect some. He is missing his sock band coloration, but his glove bands are blue. This is such a unique pair of Sonic items, you probably can't find photos anywhere else! Armed Tails photo & owned by:

A Semi-3D moulded plastic whiteboard/sign. This was made for Video Game stores to help display a list of games that are coming soon. Sonic shows off the list, and a real, working neon bar (see it on the corner/side?) highlights it. You are supposed to just write on it with a whiteboard marker. This would be a nice note-place around the home if you didn't have to plug it in/watch out for the hot neon!
What's wrong with it? Sonic only has 3 fingers.

Shadow the Hedgehog 3D Cardboard Display

Here are 2 smaller stands for the Shadow the Hedgehog game. They are both cardboard, and stand about a foot high. The first one goes with the 'hero or villain' theme, and positions the pop-out Shadow between the two sides. Sonic representing hero, and some random thing from the Black Doom on the other.

The other display isn't quite so 3D, but still has pop-out Shadow and the logo. It says "Hero or Villain? You Decide!"

Photos by Suddes

Shadow the Hedgehog Game Hero Villain Stand

This Tall Thin Stand is for Sonic the Hedgehog which is on the Xbox 360. It is also cardboard, and about 5 feet high. The ring is suspended on a clear thread, and spins in the wind to attract attention.

Photo by Suddes

This wind powered 3D giant character is 6 ft. high! It was found outside retail stores around the time of Sonic 2-3. Only 2 or 3 are thought to be in existance. Photo by Justin Todd.

You have probably seen similar wind-powered characters on people's lawns for the holidays (Halloween Xmas) but once, they weren't so common. (in the 1990s)

So while this one isn't as sophisticated as some are today, keep in mind its age, and that the whole thing keeps its shape by the power of a fan. Here, Sonic sits on a spring to advertise the store. The likeness is pretty good for something powered by wind, like a small parade float! What a unique and interesting thing to have in a collection! Super rare too, it's cool to see.

Like the above pieces (Sonic head & Tails) this is a large fiberglass Sonic statue. Retail stores could display him in the window to attract customers.
This one has a distinctly 'oldskool' feel to it, with the big pupils, large nose and sort of fat body. It is 48 inches high. If you look near the feet, you can see he's on a base for added stability. There IS a Tails that goes with this, but it was not collected at the same time, so it doesn't appear here.
Photo by MadGear.com. (A video game importing store)

This die cut cardboard piece is an early-age retail display sign. It has a more Japan-styled Sonic stock art jumping somewhat behind the Sega logo. This might go in a window or near a display. It's an interesting piece of memorabelia. Photographed and owned by Piotyr

Denny's restaurants had a Sonic Underground theme promotion during the height of the show. They offered buy-able plush toys with certain meals. Naturally, they had to have some way to advertise all this was going on, so here is a nice big cardboard stand. It's got Sonic right from the show with his 'guitar' and Knuckles, who they pretty much left out of the show.
Why is he in there then? The other characters pretty much didn't have anything to do with anything Sonic, and they weren't going to hire out an all new plush design for the "1-shot" type chars (Manic and Sonia) that no one would recognize unless they watched the show.
The display is rather nice though, with plastic box for displaying the dolls, and 3D elements, such as the logo. The Knuckles (while stock, and nicely shaded) is on his way to mutating with a puffy cheek and flat shoe-bolts. You can actually see these plushes over on USA Plushes if you'd like a closer view. Photo found by Rae_Logan.

This is a cardboard Sonic 2 promo set. It's in 5 pieces, and was meant to be assembled by the store. The main part is the classic "2" with Sonic & Tails. The other items probably went at its edges or slightly in front of it. These include the "Sonic 2" shaped title card, shaped Genesis logo and the small diamond shape which says "Twice the Action". The long blue bar (mostly hidden) reads "2fast... 2cool... 2day!" So this sign could likely be posted only once the game was released.

A older and complex display, this is a great item to set up in the home for a classic feel. Photo by Nick M.

Huge Giant Sonic Colors Cloth Banner Prize

This is a cardboard Sonic store display from Toys R Us. It could be found in their video games section, starting from the very early days of Sonic. It stayed in most stores until the Sonic Adventure era, which changed his look. It's nicely shaded, and even "casts" its own shadow. This looks like die-cut cardboard that's fairly big. Info provided by:

Look at this giant banner! It's an advertisement for Sonic Colors, however, it is enormous! Likely meant to go outside a building, it's shown here being dangled from an upper floor. See that small line near the top? That's an arm! It shows you just how giant this thing is. It has the logo, and Sonic standing with wisps, all over a nice CG background from the game. It's a wonderful banner, but what can you do with something quite this large? It was actually given away as a prize to a lucky Sonic fan via the Sega Blog's "Free Stuff Friday" promotion. This is a giant and interesting item to see! Discovered by Piplupfan77

Sonic & Tails Metal Cut Out Store Display

This is a great and classy store display. It is made of metal, and the characters are cut out from the solid sheet. They're actually formed by 100s of tiny holes (like a thick screen) that are punched through. They appear 'opposite' colored because where the holes are the most dense, they are the lightest color, as that's where you really can see through it. It is also made interesting because the stock art used is Japanese (note the Tails) and the logo is not in the standard font, but a more run-together modernist font (notice no crossbar in the "A") This is a large and fantastic piece to own. Owned & photographed by:

This is a promo poster (likely in game stores) for Sonic & Knuckles. The S&K symbol is a fantastic piece of graphic design, that needs no embellishment. It makes the statement the fans wanted to see. The text simply says "Joining Forces" & "Playing Worldwide" Scan discovered by: Piplupfan77

See more displays on page 2