Land Speeder

Judging by the number of loose examples of the Landspeeder that still turn up on the collectors market, Kenner made and sold a ton of this low price-point action figure toy. It’s a pretty faithful rendition of the prop used in the film and the unique suspension system was a simple yet effective feature– from the right angle, the toy really does appear to hover.

Having been one of the first three vehicles Kenner brought to market, the Landspeeder was available throughout 1978, 1979 and part of 1980. In ‘78, Kenner offered their larger clients a “Special Offer” version of the toy. It included free R2-D2 and C-3PO figures, as well as a yellow box sticker advertising this bonus. Then, in 1979, the “LP” logo (short for “long play”), which had appeared on all of Kenner’s 1978 products, was removed from the package.

In 1984, Kenner brought the item back to market, as part of their “Collectors Series” of older Star Wars toys. Although this version of the Landspeeder was unmodified, the box underwent slight revisions, the most noticeable of which was the addition of a red-and-yellow “Collectors Series” starburst to the upper right corner. In addition, the Star Wars toy licensees of several other countries–among them Australia and the U.K.–issued a slightly altered version of the Landspeeder. Most notably, the “hoods” of these foreign versions, which could be opened on the U.S. toy, were immovable. In 1995, Hasbro re-used the molds for the Kenner Landspeeder for their updated version of the vehicle. However, the revisions made to the molds, as well as the toy’s more sophisticated paint job, make the ’90s Landspeeder easily distinguishable from its vintage counterpart.

First Issued: 1978 (SW packaging, with “LP” logo)
Re-issues: 1978 (SW packaging, with R2-D2, C-3PO and “Special Offer” sticker), 1979 (SW packaging, without “LP” logo), 1984 (Collectors Series)

Description by:    Ron Salvatore
Photo:    Ron Salvatore
From the collection of:    Ron Salvatore
Country:    United States
Film:    A New Hope
Licensee:    Kenner
Year:    1978
Category:    Toys / Action Figure Related / Vehicles

Catalog Entry

Catalog Description: LUKE SKYWALKER’S EXCITING LANDSPEEDER VEHICLE! Authentic replica of STAR WARS LANDSPEEDER has special suspension which shifts from a non-moving position to a “floating ride” on spring loaded wheels. Two cockpit seats can carry Action Figures in front behind a half-moon, clear windshield, and two spaces on rear deck can carry R2-D2 and C-3PO or other STAR WARS Action Figures. Special release button pops hood open revealing Turbo Reactor and “space hatch” for storage and supplies. Action Figures not included. Ages 4 and up. Source: 1984 Kenner Collectors Series Pamphlet

TIE Fighter

One of the first three Star Wars vehicles Kenner developed and released, the TIE Fighter is one of those super-familiar toys. I mean, seriously, how many of your friends had this thing? As a collector, how many battered, yellowed examples have you seen, sitting around at toy shows or garage sales? If you’re like me, you’ve seen tons– enough to make you never want to see another loose example.

Oddly, the toy was made of bright white plastic. A dull gray would have been truer to the TIE Fighters seen in the first film, but Kenner chose white. Consequently, loose TIEs are often yellowed. It also featured a semi-interesting “battle damage” feature, which caused the side panels to pop off at the touch of two buttons. And then there was the standard “whining” laser sound. The above catalog description says the little red light on the front is “dramatic,” but it’s not– it’s just a little red light. But that’s ok; it was the ’70s, and a little red light was better than no light at all.

Like most toys from the original Star Wars line, the TIE Fighter is not easy to find in pristine, unused condition. Loose, however, they’re common. Several different versions of the toy’s package can be found. The earliest version bears the “LP” logo (short for “long play”), as well as a textual error: it lists the contents of the box as being an X-Wing rather than a TIE Fighter. 1978 also saw the release to major retailers of a “Special Offer” version of the toy, which featured a yellow sticker on the exterior of its box and two figures–Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper–packed inside. In the following year, the toy’s package was modified in a fairly noticeable way. Specifically, the “LP” logo was removed and the title was expanded from simply TIE Fighter to Imperial TIE Fighter. In 1980, the item was issued in an entirely new box; it featured the same photo, but boasted the then new Empire Strikes Back logo. Then, in 1983, Kenner freshened the toy by molding it in blue rather than white plastic and packaging it with several “battle damage” stickers. The “Battle Damaged” TIE Fighter was released only in a Return of the Jedi box.

In 1995, Hasbro released a TIE Fighter toy using the same tooling used to produce the original Kenner product. However, the new toy was modified in several significant ways, including the addition of molded texture to each of its side panels.

First Issued: 1978 (SW packaging, “TIE Fighter,” with “LP” logo and incorrect content text)
Re-issues:1978 (SW packaging, with Darth Vader, Stormtrooper and Special Offer sticker); 1979 (SW packaging, “Imperial TIE Fighter,” without “LP” logo, with corrected content text); 1980 (ESB packaging)

Catalog Entry

Catalog Description: IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTER THE STAR WARS IMPERIAL TIE FIGHTER READY TO DO BATTLE WITH THE REBEL ALLIANCE! Authentically detailed TIE FIGHTER has a large “Solar Panel” on either side of a spherical cockpit. Special buttons release panels to simulate “Battle Damage” action. Hand-operated lever raises seat and escape hatch to allow child to seat most of the STAR WARS action figures. For added play excitement, a dramatic red laser cannon lights up and emits a “whining” laser sound when rear deck button is pushed. Two “AA” batteries and action figure not included. Ages 5 and up. Source: 1980 Kenner Pre-Toy Fair Catalog

Description by:    Ron Salvatore
Photo:    Ron Salvatore
From the collection of:    Ron Salvatore
Country:    United States
Film:    A New Hope
Licensee:    Kenner
Year:    1978
Category:    Toys / Action Figure Related / Vehicles

X-Wing Fighter

Is there anyone who was a child during the late ’70s/early ’80s who isn’t familiar with this toy? Not many, I’d wager. The Kenner X-Wing Fighter was simply one of the most popular toys of that era, a fact which shouldn’t be too surprising considering the important role the vehicle held in the most popular film series of the era.

One of the first three action figure toys to be released in the Star Wars line, the original X-Wing can be found in a number of different boxes. The first, issued in 1978, featured the “LP” logo(short for “long play”) in the lower right corner, and the box’s fron tand sides depicted an original Luke figure as occupying the vehicle’s cockpit. 1978 also so the release of a “Special Offer” version of the toy. It came with free Han Solo and Luke Skywalker figures and featured an attractive yellow sticker on its box.

In ‘79, the “LP” logo was removed from the package. The photos on the sides of the toy’s package were also changed– the new ones depicted the newly released X-Wing Pilot figure as being in the cockpit (the frontal image remained the same). Then, in mid-1980, the logo on the box was changed to the blockier Empire Strikes Back monniker, while the silver “racetrack” border was reduced from two stripes to one and the silver-and-red nameplate was replaced with simple white text reading “X-Wing Fighter.” Although the general look of the first-issue ESB box was very reminiscent of the Star Wars original, it in fact featured all new photography. Now not only did the photos on the box sides depict the Luke X-Wing Pilot figure, the frontal photo did as well.

Finally, around 1981, the look of the X-Wing package was completely overhauled, the familiar red-backed image being replaced with a photo showing the toy placed within an elaborate diorama reminiscent of the swamps of Dagobah. This was the last package the original X-Wing toy appeared in. It was replaced in 1982 by the “Battle Damaged” version of the product. The original X-Wing is distinguished from its battle-damaged counterpart by its color: it’s white while the later toy is gray.

Outside the States, in countries like the U.K. and Australia, the toy was released with several major modifications, including a chromed R2-D2 button and no electronics. But even more interesting were the X-Wing toys issued by Japanese licensee Takara. One of the Japanese X-Wings even transformed! But neither bears any resemblance to its Kenner counterpart. In 1995, Hasbro used the old Kenner molds to produce a re-vamped X-Wing Fighter. Its 1995 date imprint, complicated paint job and heightened electronic capacity make it hard to mistake for the original.

Description by:    Ron Salvatore
Photo:    Ron Salvatore
From the collection of:    Ron Salvatore
Country:    United States
Film:    A New Hope
Licensee:    Kenner
Year:    1978
Category:    Toys / Action Figure Related / Vehicles