VINTAGE 1980 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK DARTH VADER'S STAR DESTROYER ACTION PLAYSET

I did not buy any vintage Star Wars toys last year, That doesn't mean I didn't hunt for some of it. The ESB Darth Vader's Star Destroyer playset is one of those I've been hunting for but the price for a decent specimen with box is just way too high... until recently. I managed to win one with box on eBay. It is not perfect but is good enough for me.

I got this cheaper than the current market price, hence there are some minor issues.

This playset is extremely dirty and dusty when I got it. My guess is that it has been on display for years! I can't soak this set in a tub to clean because it has many stickers, which leads to the second problem - peeling stickers.

No problem, all these can be remedied.

Third problem - this set has a broken 'escape door', is missing the light bulb and the springs for the cap, and missing one small piece of sticker. It's not a problem for me because I don't like the electronics feature anyway. And the escape door can still be closed, so I am cool with that.

Cleaning process - Below is the main part - after wiping off dust and dirt the first round.

Here's the main part after wiping and brushing, second round.

Well, there are lots of parts to clean and brush. Luckily the dirt comes off quite easily.

Pic below - Cleaning done and stickers re-applied.

Assembly - I didn't want to snap on the parts totally, because from another collector review, he said that once the parts are snapped on, it's hard to come apart. I intend to keep them in the box.

Play feature 1 - The front gun turns with a ratcheting sound.

It has 3 stands. The front stand also functions as a holder, for kids to 'fly' the destroyer. There's a small "trigger" in front of the holder, which you can turn to make the gun move left and right.

Play feature 2 - Lots of room to display your vintage star wars figures in here. This is the reason I bought this playset - to display the vintage bounty hunters with Vader!

"Bounty Hunters Briefing"

Play feature 3 - flip down red visor to simulate 'hologram'.

Play feature 4 - opening meditation chamber. This is where the light function comes in.

In order to get vintage Vader to sit in the chamber, I got to remove his cape.

Play feature 5 - "Escape door". This is the door with the broken hinge mentioned earlier.

After cleaning, re-applying the stickers and put in some action figures to display, I feel that this is a very good playset and I am happy I got this. Loose ones are easier to find in eBay but mint with box specimens are very pricey. eBay price ranges USD200-500.