When you think of iconic scenes from the Star Wars original trilogy, the first things that jump to mind may be the duel between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker in front of the Emperor in Return of the Jedi or the attack on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. However, when it comes to a high-tension scene, there are few better than the trash compactor scene from A New Hope. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca desperately scramble to survive while C-3PO and R2-D2 try to disable the compactor. In fact, the scene is so iconic that Kenner even made a play set out of it back in the day.
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Vintage Kenner Star Wars toys are highly coveted among collectors, with a Boba Fett figure recently going for $158,600 at Goldin Auctions. The Death Star Space Station Playset is another sought-after item. The set features three levels with the top-most one featuring a cannon controlled by a Stormtrooper, while the second one is a massive control room split into two sections. The bottom-most one is the iconic trash compactor, which can be controlled via a crank. In terms of minifigures, it comes with Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3P0 and R2-D2. On the Empire’s side there’s Darth Vader and two Stormtroopers. It’s a truly impressive set that collectors love, and according to a Reddit post by TaskenLander, someone is selling the set for an incredible $150, but something isn’t quite right.
Someone Is Selling A Vintage Kenner Star Wars Death Star Space Station, But It Might Need Some Work
Based on the pictures shared, there are a few minor issues with the set. Firstly, the outer panels of the set aren’t in the best condition. That’s understandable, though, given how old the set is, and the fact that they’re made out of cardboard. Secondly, the tiny foam pieces, meant to represent the trash in the compactor, aren’t shown in the picture. However, both of these can easily be replaced. The cardboard pieces can be sourced online and printed out, while the trash pieces can be recreated by cutting up a piece of foam. Some of the other stickers that come with the set are featured in the picture, but they may have lost their adhesiveness after all these years.
Overall, $150 seems like a decent deal for the set, even with the missing parts. Part of what makes the Death Star Space Station Playset a great collectible is that it is pretty versatile, as it lets you recreate a number of iconic scenes that take place on the planet-destroying space station which means that even with missing parts, it’s still a nice find. If it were up to me, I’d feature the duel between Vader and Obi-Wan, especially due to its significance in the entire Star Wars saga. While it would make sense to display the rest of the crew in the trash compactor, it doesn’t offer much visibility if you’re going to display it as a showpiece. Perhaps you can recreate Hans’ “Boring conversation anyway” scene.
If you’re interested in picking up the Kenner Death Star Space Station Playset for yourself, we spotted one on eBay for $127.77, but suggest you make sure it’s legit before making any offers.
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