Counter display boxes for action figures are pretty much unheard of in today’s preprogrammed retail world but they were very much a part of the initial success of the Mego Eight inch action figure lines.
From the World’s Greatest Superheroes inception until the mid seventies when the blister carded figures began to take hold, each new wave of World’s Greatest Superheroes was launched in one of these beautiful display boxes.
Most of these display boxes were thrown out at the retail space so it’s nearly impossible to find mint versions in today’s market:
1973 WGSH Version 1
The very first display box showcased the first four characters in the WGSH (Aquaman, Batman, Superman, Robin) in their original solid boxes. Like the solid boxes themselves, these display boxes had a limited shelf time as the WGSH was expanded to include new characters.
Baravelli WGSH Version 1
Italian Mego Distributor Baravelli also had a version of this box for their “Super Eroi” line.
More shots of an actual Baravelli Display box, the only known sample to exist currently. The header is reproduction.
Side view shows an amazing enlarged version of the early heroes graphic
WGSH Version 2
The second display box showcased not only the DC characters in the WGSH (including Shazam) but characters such as Tarzan, Spider-Man and Captain America. Mego would eventually stop putting Marvel and DC characters on the same packaging and this box would eventually be phased out. It is the most commonly found display box, yet only a handful are known to exist.
DC WGSH Version
This later version removes the Marvel charaters completely and replaces them with new Mego character Green Arrow. This rare display card is courtesy of Charlie Balicki, click on the image for a larger view.
Baravelli WGSH Version 2
Italy’s Baravelli also created a specific Italian market display box for the new wave of heroes, it’s likely that they produced one for each wave during their tenure as a Mego distributor.
Super Gals Display
The Super Gals wave recieved it’s own display box. The header card for these have surfaced from time to time but the actual box itself is quite difficult to find
Supergals box from the original Mego 1974 toy fair show room, courtesy of ebay seller littlemarz. For more information on this amazing find, check out Lost Treasures of the Mego Showroom
Super Foes Display
In Tandem with the Supergals, the Super Foes launch also included a counter display. No reported sightings of the box or the header card have been found, this is an extremely rare piece.
Superfoes box from the original Mego 1974 toy fair show room, courtesy of ebay seller littlemarz. For more information on this amazing find, check out Lost Treasures of the Mego Showroom
1975 Marvel WGSH 1
To tie into the launch of the new Marvel characters, Mego created two separate Marvel display boxes. The first featuring the characters
Tarzan, Falcon, Iron Man and Hulk, three of which were new for that year. A small find of these header cards was discovered in NY ten years earlier but there is only one known full display box in existance
1975 Marvel WGSH 2
This wonderful orange box showcased Marvel’s two biggest heroes and the two new Spider-Man villains for the year. As of this writing, there were two known examples of this card. Click on it for a larger view.
 
 
1976 Marvel WGSH
1976 Mego World’s Greatest Superheroes Display Box lid
This tan display box featured the six new WGSH characters in the line, as of this writing only one appears in a private collection. This was likely the last Mego display box produced as the company discontinued the window boxes in 1977 and the WGSH characters were then exclusively sold on blister cards.
Mad Monsters Display Box
Thanks to Stefano we have images of possibly the only remaining Mego Mad Monsters header. Click here to see more images at the Mad Monster Page
Mego Mad Monster box from the original Mego 1974 toy fair show room, courtesy of ebay seller littlemarz. For more information on this amazing find, check out Lost Treasures of the Mego Showroom
American West Display Box
Mego American West box from the original Mego 1974 toy fair show room, courtesy of ebay seller littlemarz. For more information on this amazing find, check out Lost Treasures of the Mego Showroom
1980 Mego Superheroes Display
In 1980 Mego pitched a Superheroes contest with shopping spree, the centerpiece of this was this World’s Greatest Superheroes store display complete with free Superheroes poster. TO this day no Superheroes posters have surfaced in the collectors market so it’s largely assumed this display never made it to retail
Courtesy of Dan Edwards, we have shots of an original Mego WGSH shipping case, fill it up please!
Because the assortment is not written on the side, we’re not sure what was in it save for the fact that it was for the carded Mego Heroes
Not many of these could have survived, so we’re very grateful to Dan for sharing this great find.
Discuss this and other Mego Display Boxes at the Mego Forum