Star Wars – Die Cast / Micro Collection
1978 – 1982
Kenner released a series of die-cast ships from 1978 to 1980, which were broken down into three waves of 11 total vehicles before eventually coming to an end. Kenner continued their die-cast format with the Micro Collection from 1982 to 1983, which focused on die-cast playsets instead of the usual vehicles. Each playset was themed to an iconic Star Wars location with several miniature die-cast figures. Four Micro Collection vehicles were also released as retail exclusives.
For more information about Kenner’s Star Wars Die-Cast and Micro Collection products, see bottom of page for a complete summary.
Star Wars – Die Cast (1978 – 1979): Wave 1
The first wave of Die-Cast ships contained 4 in total, with the X-Wing Fighter, Landspeeder, Tie Fighter and Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter. Each one had a different action feature with very nice sculpts for a die-cast ship that size.
Darth Vader Tie Fighter
Carded Value:
Boxed $150 – $200
Loose $60 – $100
Darth Vader Tie Fighter
Accessories: Cockpit, Break-Away Wings x 2, Vader Figure
Years Released: 1978, 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: You couldn’t possibly expect that Darth Vader was fly the same kind of fighter that all the other pilots flew, no way. It was a cool looking Tie design with the wings curved inward at the top and bottoms. This die-cast Tie Fighter featured an opening cockpit with a miniature seated Darth Vader figure inside. Also, the wings could be removed to re-create the vehicle exploding.
Land Speeder
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $80
Land Speeder
Accessories: Hood Cover, Windshield, Luke/C-3PO Figures
Years Released: 1978, 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The coolest thing about the Landspeeder was the fact that it levitated off the ground while in motion, so Kenner painted the wheels the same color as the Landspeeder and placed them further inwards to hide them, so at a quick glance, it looked like the levitating effect from the movie. This die-cast Landspeeder featured an opening hood, windshield and plastic Luke/C-3PO figures inside, but they could not be removed.
Tie Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $75 – $100
Tie Fighter
Accessories: Cockpit, Break-Away Wings x 2, Vader Figure
Years Released: 1978, 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Like the X-Wing Fighter, you could never have too many of these ships. The unusual design for a fighter craft really caught everyone’s attention. This die-cast Tie Fighter featured an opening cockpit with a miniature seated Darth Vader figure inside. Also, the wings could be removed to re-create the vehicle exploding.
X-Wing Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $75 – $100
X-Wing Fighter
Accessories: Opening Cockpit, Expanding Wings, Lasers x 4
Years Released: 1978, 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Like the Tie Fighter, The X-Wing was a must for any kids who wanted to re-create their favorite space battles from the movie. This die-cast X-Wing featured an opening cockpit, expandable wing and 4 laser cannons. There was a plastic figure inside the cockpit, but it could not be removed.
Star Wars – Die Cast (1979): Wave 2
The second wave of Die-Cast ships included three more beautifully sculpted vehicles, with the Millennium Falcon, Y-Wing Fighter and an Imperial Cruiser (Star Destroyer).
Imperial Cruiser
Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $65 – $100
Imperial Cruiser
Accessories: Miniature Blockade Runner
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Imperial Cruiser, or the Star Destroyer as most people know it, was obviously not done to scale with the other ships, otherwise it would be pretty massive. Still, this was an impressive piece of sculpting with a ton of detail. It also included a miniature blockade runner to capture.
Millennium Falcon
Market Value:
Carded $200 – $300
Loose $65 – $100
Millennium Falcon
Accessories: Rotating Guns, Landing Gear, Radar Dish
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Millennium Falcon is arguably the most iconic ship from the entire Star Wars saga and is central to any kid’s scene re-creations or Star Wars collector’s collection. This die-cast ship had rotating guns, a radar dish and landing gear.
Y-Wing Fighter
Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $65 – $100
Y-Wing Fighter
Accessories: Rotating Guns, Break-Apart Engine Pods, Landing Gear, Red Bomb
Years Released: 1979
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Y-Wing fighter was one of the more unusual shaped ships, but then again, so were most Star Wars ships. The Y-Wing features break-apart engine pods to re-create explosions, along with rotating guns and a small red bomb that is usually missing on many loose versions.
Star Wars – Die Cast (1980 – 1981): Wave 3
The third and final wave of Die-Cast ships included four more vehicles that were all seen in the new movie, The Empire Strikes Back. Included were the Rebel Snowspeeder, Slave 1, Twin-Pod Cloud Car and the elusive Tie Bomber.
Rebel Armored Snowspeeder
Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $90
Rebel Armored Snowspeeder
Accessories: Swiveling Harpoon Gun, Cockpit, Landing Gear
Years Released: 1980, 1981
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Snowspeeders were awesome looking ships and a great new addition to the Star Wars universe, and the miniature die-cast version had a lot of great detail to it. This die-cast Snowspeeder featured an opening cockpit, swiveling harpoon gun, and landing gear. There was two plastic figures inside the cockpit, but they could not be removed.
Slave 1
Market Value:
Boxed $300 – $400
Loose $60 – $100
Slave 1
Accessories: Rotating Wings, Swiveling Cannon, Cockpit
Years Released: 1980, 1981
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Boba Fett was the coolest thing to happen to Star Wars since Star Wars itself, so it just made sense that his ship would also be extended the same coolness factor. This die-cast Slave 1 featured an opening cockpit, rotating wings and a swiveling laser cannon. There was a plastic Boba Fett figure inside the cockpit, but it could not be removed.
Tie Bomber
Market Value:
Boxed $2,500 – $4,000
Loose $600 – $800
Tie Bomber
Accessories: Cockpit, Break-Away Wings x 2, Stormtrooper Figure
Years Released: 1981
Scarcity Factor: This item is considered rare by Star Wars collectors and very difficult to find
Notes: The Tie Bomber is the rarest of the Star Wars die-cast ships and among the rarest items produced for the entire line. It was the last of the die-cast ships to be released in 1981, which resulted in lower production numbers, making it hard to find back then and REALLY hard to find nowadays. It featured the break-away wings and a mini Stormtrooper figure that could be pulled out of the cockpit.
Twin-Pod Cloud Car
Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $300
Loose $50 – $90
Twin-Pod Cloud Car
Accessories: Retractable Landing Gear
Years Released: 1980, 1981
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Twin-Pod Cloud Car was one of many new vehicles to make their debut in the Empire Strikes Back movie, and they could certainly be seen all over the Bespin scenes. This die-cast Could Car featured retractable landing gear. There were two plastic figures inside the two cockpits, but they could not be removed.
Star Wars – Micro Collection (1982): Bespin Collection
Kenner released their Micro Collection Die-Cast line in the Summer of 1982, and the Bespin sets were the first issues. There were three different Bespin die-cast playsets (Bespin Control Room, Bespin Gantry and Bespin Freeze Chamber), along with the Bespin World, which was a collection of all three sets in one box.
Bespin Control Room
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Bespin Control Room
Accessories: Control Room, Bridge, Break-Away Window, 4 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Bespin Control Room die-cast playset was very similar to the Bespin Gantry playset, as it re-created the beginning part of the famous lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. This set contained four die-cast figures (two different Darth Vader’s and two different Luke Skywalker’s).
Bespin Gantry
Market Value:
Boxed $50 – $75
Loose $20 – $35
Bespin Gantry
Accessories: Platform, Opening Door, 4 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Bespin Gantry die-cast playset was very similar to the Bespin Control Room playset, as it re-created the ending part of the famous lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. This set contained four die-cast figures (two different Darth Vader’s and two different Luke Skywalker’s).
Bespin Freeze Chamber
Market Value:
Boxed $85 – $125
Loose $35 – $55
Bespin Freeze Chamber
Accessories: Freezing Chamber, Stairs, Bridge, Elevator, 8 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Bespin Freeze Chamber die-cast playset was the biggest of the Bespin sets. It gave us everything we needed to re-create the famous scene when Han Solo was frozen in Carbonite and turned over to Boba Fett. It also included a working elevator to lower Han into the chamber. This set contained eight die-cast figures (Darth Vader, Boba Fett, two Stormtroopers, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and Carbonite Han Solo).
Bespin World
Market Value:
Boxed $175 – $275
Loose $60 – $85
Bespin World
Accessories: Bespin Control Center, Bespin Gantry, Bespin Freeze Chamber Playsets, 16 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Bespin World playset included all three previously released Bespin playsets, including Bespin Control Center, Bespin Gantry, and the Bespin Freeze Chamber. Aside from some minor re-naming of certain parts and figures, it was basically the same sets as the individual ones. It also included all 16 die-cast figures that were included in the three individual playsets.
Star Wars – Micro Collection (1982): Death Star Collection
Kenner released their Micro Collection Die-Cast line in the Summer of 1982, and the Death Star sets were last ones to hit the toy aisles. There were only two different Death Star die-cast playsets (Death Star Compactor and Death Star Escape), along with the Death Star World, which was a collection of both sets in one box.
Death Star Compactor
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $35 – $55
Death Star Compactor
Accessories: Trash Compactor, Trash Pieces, Elevator, Blast Door, 8 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1980, 1981
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Death Star Compactor die-cast playset re-created the famous trash compactor scene from Star Wars, complete with a blast door and foam trash pieces. It also included the control room and detention block. This set contained eight die-cast figures (Han Stormtrooper, Luke Stormtrooper, three Stormtroopers, Leia, dueling Vader, and dueling Obi-Wan).
Death Star Escape
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $35 – $55
Death Star Escape
Accessories: Working Elevator, Rope Swing, Bridge, Exploding Laser Cannon, 6 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Death Star Escape die-cast playset allowed you to re-create several different scenes from the Death Star. It had three levels with various accessories, including a retractable bridge and rope swing, and an exploding laser cannon on the top. It even featured a working elevator to get to the tractor beam. This set contained six die-cast figures (Darth Vader, two Stormtroopers, Chewbacca, Leia, and Tatooine Luke).
Death Star World
Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $300
Loose $80 – $110
Death Star World
Accessories: Death Star Compactor, Death Star Escape Playsets, 14 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: The Death Star World playset included both previously released Death Star playsets, including Death Star Compactor and Death Star Escape. Aside from some minor re-naming of certain parts and figures, it was basically the same sets as the individual ones. It also included all 14 die-cast figures that were included in both individual playsets.
Star Wars – Micro Collection (1982): Hoth Collection
Kenner released their Micro Collection Die-Cast line in the Summer of 1982, and the Hoth sets were among the first issues. There were four different Hoth die-cast playsets (Hoth Generator Attack, Hoth Ion Cannon, Hoth turret Defense and Hoth Wampa cave), along with the Hoth World, which was a collection of three of the sets in one box (minus the Hoth Turret Defense set).
Hoth Generator Attack
Market Value:
Boxed $65 – $90
Loose $25 – $40
Hoth Generator Attack
Accessories: Exploding Action Generator, AT-ST Walker w/ Opening Hatch, 6 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Hoth generator Attach die-cast playset was basic with not a lot of moving parts. It was a plastic generator base, along with an T-ST walker with exploding action to simulate the battle. One figure could fit inside the walker through the opening hatch. This set contained five die-cast figures (five Snowtroopers and Darth Vader).
Hoth Ion Cannon
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $40 – $60
Hoth Ion Cannon
Accessories: Hangar Doors, Swiveling Cannon, Computer Consoles x 2, Battle Damage, 8 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Hoth Ion Cannon die-cast playset was the largest of the Micro Collection sets. It’s hollow inside with opening hangar doors to get in. The Ion Cannon had a swiveling action and would click when rotated. Two computer consoles were also included. This set contained eight die-cast figures (Han Solo Hoth on Tauntaun, Leia Hoth, Luke Hoth, Rebel Commander, and four Rebel Troopers).
Hoth Turret Defense
Market Value:
Boxed $75 – $100
Loose $30 – $45
Hoth Turret Defense
Accessories: Swiveling Turrets x 2 w/ Exploding Action, Opening Hatches, 6 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Hoth Turret Defense die-cast playset was fairly simple, but still fun. It contained two turrets with opening hatches that could hold one figure each. Both turrets had exploding action as well. This set contained six die-cast figures (Luke on Tauntaun, Han Hoth, Rebel Commander, and three Rebel Troopers).
Hoth Wampa Cave
Market Value:
Boxed $60 – $85
Loose $25 – $40
Hoth Wampa Cave
Accessories: Cave, Launching Probot, 5 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: The Hoth Wampa Cave was the smallest of all the Micro Collection playsets with not a lot of moving parts. The Probot could be set on a post and launched into the air to simulate it exploding. The Wampa itself is definitely the coolest part of the playset. This set contained five die-cast figures (Luke Hoth, Wampa, Han Hoth, Chewbacca, and the Viper-class Probot).
Hoth World
Market Value:
Boxed $175 – $275
Loose $60 – $85
Hoth World
Accessories: Hoth Generator Attack, Hoth Ion Cannon, Hoth Wampa Cave Playsets, 18 Die-Cast Figures
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can be tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Hoth World playset included three previously released Hoth playsets, including Hoth Generator Attack, Hoth Ion Cannon, and the Hoth Wampa Cave. Strangely enough, the Hoth World set did not include the Hoth Turret Defense playset. Aside from some minor re-naming of certain parts and figures, it was basically the same sets as the individual ones. It also included all 18 die-cast figures that were included in the three individual playsets.
Star Wars – Micro Collection (1982): Vehicles
Kenner released four Micro Collection Die-Cast vehicles as retail exclusives near the end of the Micro Collection’s run. There were four different ships in total, with the Imperial Tie Fighter, X-Wing Fighter and Snowspeeder being available as JC Penny exclusives. The Millennium Falcon die-cast ship was only available as a Sears retail exclusive.
Imperial Tie Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $150 – $200
Loose $50 – $80
Imperial Tie Fighter (JC Penny Exclusive)
Accessories: Break-Apart Action, Wing Panels x 2, Cockpit, 1 Figure (Tie Pilot)
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Like the X-Wing Fighter, you could never have too many of these ships. The unusual design for a fighter craft really caught the attention of kids at the time. This die-cast ship came with a break-apart action that would allow it to “explode’ by pushing a button. The ship came with one die cast figure, the Tie Pilot.
Millennium Falcon
Market Value:
Boxed $1,000 – $1,300
Loose $300 – $400
Millennium Falcon (Sears Exclusive)
Accessories: Removable Panel, Laser Cannons x 2, Radar Dish, Elevator, 6 Die Cast Figures (Han Solo, Lando, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, C-3PO)
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Millennium Falcon is arguably the most iconic ship from the entire Star Wars saga and is central to any kid’s scene re-creations or Star Wars collector’s collection. This Die-Cast ship had a lot of fun little accessories including laser canons, radar dish, and a removable panel to see inside the ship. It came with six die-cast figures.
Snowspeeder
Market Value:
Boxed $300 – $400
Loose $90 – $120
Snowspeeder (JC Penny Exclusive)
Accessories: Break-Apart Action, Laser Cannons x 2, Cockpit, 2 Figures (Pilot, Gunner)
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Rebel Snowspeeder was one of the newer vehicles from Empire Strikes Back that really caught on with kids. This die-cast ship came with a break-apart action that would allow it to “explode’ by pushing a button. The ship came with two die cast figures, the Pilot and Harpoon Gunner.
X-Wing Fighter
Market Value:
Boxed $100 – $150
Loose $50 – $75
X-Wing Fighter (JC Penny Exclusive)
Accessories: Break-Apart Action, Laser Cannons x 4, Cockpit, 1 Figure (X-Wing Pilot)
Years Released: 1982
Scarcity Factor: Can still be found, but it’s getting tougher each year
Notes: Like the Tie Fighter, you could never have too many of these ships. The unusual design for a fighter craft really caught the attention of kids at the time. This die-cast ship came with a break-apart action that would allow it to “explode’ by pushing a button. The ship came with one die cast figure, the X-Wing Pilot.
When Kenner decided to pick up the licensing deal for George Lucas’ new Sci-Fi movie called Star Wars, I highly doubt they knew it would be the smash hit that it would go on to become, so they really went into overdrive to create different ways to capitalize on their newest ultra successful toyline. Since Kenner already had a complete 3.75 inch action figure line, complete with multiple playsets, vehicles and other accessories, they had to do something a little different to push the envelope even further. Aside from their charismatic characters, the one thing that really stood out about Star Wars were their ultra creative looking vehicles and ships, so Kenner decided to focus on them with a new Die-Cast vehicle line.
The first wave consisted of die-cast ships was released in 1978 with four different vehicles. That was followed by the second wave in 1979 with three more added to the total. The third and final wave of die-cast vehicles was released in 1980, and included four ships from the new Empire Strikes Back movie. The line eventually came to an end in 1981. This did not mean that Kenner was done with the die-cast format though, as they would go on to release a brand new series called the Micro Collection in the Summer of 1982. This new collection focused on die-cast playsets instead of the usual vehicles. Each playset was themed to a different location and included several miniature die-cast figures, measuring between 1 to 1.25 inch tall. The themed environments were from Hoth, Bespin and the Death Star, along with four new Micro Collection vehicles that were retail exclusives to certain chains. Despite being heavily promoted by Kenner, the Micro Collection never really found their niche at the time of their release, and the line unfortunately came to an end in 1983.
Kenner toys really set the standard when it came to innovations in the action figure market during their run of Star Wars products from 1977 – 1985. They were constantly coming up with new ideas and ways to market their brand, and their line of die-cast ships were no exception. Each and every one of their die-cast vehicle line remains extremely popular with collectors and are constantly in high demand. The Micro Collection toys have flown under the radar for many years, but they are beginning to find their stride as they become harder and harder to find complete in boxed condition.
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