Display Case Sizes: Retail Showcases, Towers, Curio Cabinets and Collectible Cases
Standard display case dimensions for shops and for collections at home, plus how to work out the interior size a case needs for the items you want to show.
A standard retail showcase counter is 38 in (97 cm) tall, 20 in (51 cm) deep and 48, 60 or 70 in (122, 152 or 178 cm) long. Tower display cases are 72 to 78 in (183 to 198 cm) tall on a footprint of about 18 to 24 in square, and countertop cases are 12 to 24 in (30 to 61 cm) tall.
- Showcase counter
- 38 in (97 cm) tall
- Counter lengths
- 48, 60, 70 in
- Tower height
- 72-78 in (183-198 cm)
- Countertop case
- 12-24 in tall
On this page
Display case dimensions by type
Retail cases are built to a few stock sizes so that runs of them line up. Home cases vary more in width but follow the same heights.
| Type | Inches | Centimeters | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Showcase counter (floor) | 48/60/70 × 20 × 38 | 122/152/178 × 51 × 97 | Jewelry, phones, pharmacy and checkout counters |
| Tower (floor) | 15-24 × 15-24 × 72-78 | 38-61 × 38-61 × 183-198 | Trophies, collectibles, boutique products |
| Wide tower / wall case (floor) | 36-48 × 18-24 × 72-78 | 91-122 × 46-61 × 183-198 | Merchandise against a wall, museum cases |
| Countertop case | 24-48 × 12-20 × 12-24 | 61-122 × 30-51 × 30-61 | Small goods on an existing counter |
| Curio cabinet (home) | 30-40 × 13-16 × 70-80 | 76-102 × 33-41 × 178-203 | Figurines, glassware, collections |
| Corner curio cabinet | 25-32 wide on the face × 15-20 × 70-80 | 64-81 × 38-51 × 178-203 | Uses a dead corner |
| China cabinet / hutch | 40-72 × 15-20 × 72-84 | 102-183 × 38-51 × 183-213 | Dinnerware, with closed storage below |
| Wall-mounted case | 24-48 × 4-12 × 24-48 | 61-122 × 10-30 × 61-122 | Model cars, figures, knives, medals |
| Shadow box | 8 × 8 to 16 × 20, 1.5-4 deep | 20 × 20 to 41 × 51, 4-10 deep | Medals, jerseys folded, keepsakes |
Retail showcase counters
The 38-inch height puts the glass top at a comfortable height for a standing customer to lean on and look down through, and leaves room for a sales clerk to work behind it. Showcases are about 20 in deep so that a clerk can reach the front of the case from the sliding doors at the back.
- Full-vision cases are glass on all sides above a short base, with three levels of display (floor plus two shelves).
- Half-vision and third-vision cases are glass only in the top 12 to 18 in and have closed storage below. They give less display space but hide stock.
- Lengths of 48, 60 and 70 in let you build a counter run to any length in 1 to 2 ft steps.
- Accessibility: under the 2010 ADA Standards (section 904.4), a sales or service counter must have a portion at least 36 in long that is no more than 36 in above the floor. If every showcase in the shop is 38 in tall, the checkout section needs to be lower.
- Aisle behind: leave 36 to 42 in between the back of the showcase run and the back wall for staff to move and open the sliding doors.
Curio cabinets and home display cases
Curio cabinets are the home version of the tower case: glass on three or four sides, glass shelves, and often a mirrored back and interior lights. They are 13 to 16 in deep because most figurines and glassware are small and a shallow cabinet does not take much floor.
| Dimension | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interior depth | 10-14 in (25-36 cm) | Fits a dinner plate standing on a plate rail |
| Shelf spacing | 10-14 in (25-36 cm) | Four or five glass shelves in a 70-80 in cabinet |
| Glass shelf thickness | 1/4 in (6 mm) tempered | Spans of 30 in or less for heavy items |
| Base above floor | 3-6 in | Lowest shelf usually starts 10-20 in up |
China cabinets are wider and deeper, with a closed sideboard base about 30 to 36 in tall and a glass hutch above. For closed storage around a display, see the cabinet dimensions guide; for open shelving that doubles as display, the bookcase size guide.
Sizing a case for your collection
Start from the largest item, then add clearance. As a rule of thumb, allow 1 in (2.5 cm) of space above and on each side of an item, and 0.5 to 1 in in front, so it does not touch the glass when the door closes.
- Measure the item at its widest, deepest and tallest points, including any stand, base or packaging you will keep.
- Add clearance: about 2 in to the width, 1 to 2 in to the depth, 1 in to the height.
- Check shelf spacing, not just the cabinet's outside height. A 72-inch tower with four fixed shelves has about 14 in between shelves.
- Check the weight per shelf. Glass shelves on clips carry far less than wood shelves of the same size; check the rating per shelf before loading heavy trophies, minerals or books.
Interior sizes for common collectibles
| Item | Item size | Minimum interior |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 9-9.25 in around, 2.9 in across | 3.25 in cube |
| Size 7 basketball | 29.5 in around, 9.4 in across | 10 in cube |
| NFL football | About 11 in long | 12 × 7.5 × 7.5 in |
| Funko Pop (boxed, 4 in) | 6.25 × 4.5 × 3.5 in | 7 in tall, 4 in deep per row |
| Trading card (raw) | 2.5 × 3.5 in (63 × 88 mm) | Card stands or 3 × 4 in slots |
| 1:18 scale model car | About 9-11 in long | 12 × 6 × 5 in |
| 1:24 scale model car | About 7-8 in long | 9 × 4 × 4 in |
| 1:43 scale model car | About 4 in long | 5 × 2.5 × 2.5 in |
| 1:64 scale model car | About 2.5-3 in long | 3.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 in |
Model car lengths come from the scale: a 4.5 m (177 in) car is 250 mm (9.8 in) at 1:18, 188 mm (7.4 in) at 1:24, 105 mm (4.1 in) at 1:43 and 70 mm (2.8 in) at 1:64. Trucks and full-size SUVs run 10 to 20% longer.
Medals, patches, signed photos and folded jerseys belong in a shadow box rather than a case. Shadow boxes use picture-frame sizes such as 8 × 10, 11 × 14 and 16 × 20 in with 1.5 to 4 in of depth; see the picture frame size chart.
Small cases for jewelry and watches
For a few pieces at home, a dedicated box is more practical than a glass case. Jewelry boxes and watch cases have their own standard sizes and slot dimensions, covered in the jewelry box size guide and the watch box size guide. In shops, jewelry goes in standard 38-inch showcase counters, where the glass top puts trays and risers just below a standing customer's eye line.
Placing a display case
- Light: keep cases out of direct sun. UV fades textiles, photos and printed packaging; UV-filtering acrylic or glass helps but does not stop it.
- Doors: hinged glass doors on a 36-inch curio swing about 18 in each; sliding doors need no swing space and suit narrow rooms and aisles.
- Anchoring: tall, narrow towers and curios tip easily, and glass makes them dangerous when they do. Strap anything taller than about twice its depth to the wall.
- Wall-mounted cases must hang from studs or rated anchors. Glass is heavy: add the case weight, the shelves and the contents before choosing anchors.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard measurement of a countertop display case?
Countertop display cases that sit on a counter are usually 24 to 48 in (61 to 122 cm) long, 12 to 20 in (30 to 51 cm) deep and 12 to 24 in (30 to 61 cm) tall. A floor-standing showcase counter is 38 in tall, 20 in deep and 48, 60 or 70 in long.
What is the average size of a small vertical display case?
A small vertical or tower case for a shop or home is typically 15 to 20 in (38 to 51 cm) wide and deep and 60 to 72 in (152 to 183 cm) tall, with four or five glass shelves. Tabletop vertical cases are 12 to 18 in wide and 24 to 36 in tall.
How big is a 14 × 19 × 20 display case?
A 14 × 19 × 20 in case is 35.6 × 48.3 × 50.8 cm, about the size of a small microwave. If those are interior measurements, it holds an item up to about 12 × 17 × 18 in with 1 in of clearance all around, such as a full-size football helmet or a large figure.
What size display case do I need for a baseball, basketball or football?
A regulation baseball is 9 to 9.25 in around (2.9 in across), so it needs a case with an interior of at least 3.25 in. A size 7 basketball is 29.5 in around (9.4 in across) and needs about 10 in inside. An NFL football is about 11 in long and needs an interior of roughly 12 × 7.5 × 7.5 in.
What size are Funko Pop display cases?
A standard 4-inch Funko Pop box is about 6.25 × 4.5 × 3.5 in (16 × 11 × 9 cm). Protector cases are cut slightly larger, and shelves for boxed Pops need about 7 in of clear height and 4 in of depth per row.