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Mr Palitoy's Cardback Guide

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SW 12A Cardback

SW 12B Cardback

SW 12C Cardback

SW 20 Cardback

ESB 30A Cardback

ESB 30B Cardback

ESB 41A Cardback

ESB 41B Cardback

ESB 41C Cardback

ESB 45A Cardback

ESB 45B Cardback

ROTJ 45C Cardback

ROTJ 65A Cardback

ROTJ 65B Cardback

ROTJ 65C Cardback

ROTJ 65D Cardback

ROTJ/TL 70A Cardback

TL 70B Cardback

TL 70C Cardback

TL 70D Cardback

ESB GM45A Cardback

ESB GM45B Cardback

ROTJ GM45C Cardback

ESB CL45 Cardback

ESB KPS45A Cardback

ESB KPS47A Cardback

ESB KPS48B Cardback

ESB KPS48C Cardback

ROTJ KPS48D Cardback

ROTJ KPS48E Cardback

ROTJ KPS48F Cardback

SW Diecasts

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SW Playsets

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Playsets were static toys designed to sit on a flat surface unlike the mobile vehicles and spaceships. Palitoy made 4 playsets in their Star Wars range, which mirrored those produced by their American counterparts Kenner. These were the Droid Factory, Land of the Jawas, Cantina and Death Star. The Palitoy versions of these playsets were quite different to their Kenner counterpart, or in the case of the Death Star, totally different. This was in an effort to reduce manufacturing costs by using more cardboard or using cheaper produced plastic moulds than the Kenner versions, and by leaving out various extras that came with the Kenner toys.

The Droid Factory was a playset designed to manufacture droids. The playset consisted of a moulded plastic tray which was the droid factory and various droid parts that could be assembled into droids like R2-D2, with an added middle leg that was not seen on the 3.75 inch action figure range. A sticker sheet was included that had labels for various parts of the factory and a conveyor belt down the left hand side. A set of Palitoy branded blueprints for assembling droids was also included. The box featured a child playing with the droid factory which is shown with a blue coloured base on the box. The Palitoy logo is on the bottom right hand corner of the box. The back of the box is the same as the front. There was a second version of the playset which came with a yellow base rather than the blue one, and this yellow based version is rarer than the blue one, though both can be found in good condition with a bit of patience. The Kenner version had a base made out of hard molded plastic as opposed to the cheaper, flimsier vacuum formed plastic used by Palitoy and is tan in colour. The Kenner version also had a crane assembly which is missing from the Palitoy version. Lastly the box artwork was different and did not feature a child like the Palitoy version.

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The blueprint instructions have the Palitoy logo in the bottom right hand corner of the page and fold out to produce a large page four times the size which is printed on both sides. On one side are instructions for assembling droids called Mechano Droid, R2-D2 (with added middle leg), Tracto-Droid, Quad-pod Droid, Rollarc Droid, Monster Droid, Droid 1, Droid 2, Droid 3, Droid 4 and Droid 5. The other side has details for where to store all the droid parts in the plastic tray (droid factory) and where on the tray to place all the stickers on the sticker sheet. There are also details how to assemble parts of the droids and how to operate the winch.


Land of the Jawas was a playset centering round the Jawa Sand Crawler and surrounding area. A flimsy yellow moulded plastic base supported by cardboard was the desert area surrounding the Sand Crawler. The Sand Crawler itself was 4 pieces of cardboard that clipped together to make one side of the Sand Crawler. It also came with a lift assembly for inside the Sand Crawler, two yellow plastic stands for placing figures on, a duelling stand which 2 figures could fight on and a bagged Jawa figure from the 3.75 inch figure range. It also came with Palitoy branded instructions. The box featured a picture of the child playing with the playset with the Palitoy logo in the bottom right hand corner. The back of the box is the same as the front. There were several differences from the Kenner version, designed to make it cheaper to produce. The escape Pod that R2-D2 and C-3PO escaped in from the Tantive IV is sadly missing, as is the indent on the front right of the plastic base to hold it. The Kenner version also featured a cave for hiding figures and an action lever which let Jawas capture R2-D2 which are not present on the Palitoy version. Again, the Kenner plastic base is made of sturdier plastic than the Palitoy version and is darker in colour. The artwork on the Kenner box was also different because of all these differences and featured a different child playing with the playset.


The Palitoy instructions featured a sketch scene from the entrance of the Sand Crawler and folded out to twice the size. The instructions inside detail the included plastic parts and how to clip them together, followed by a step by step guide for how to assemble the cardboard sand crawler which extend onto the back page which has the Palitoy logo in the bottom right hand corner.


Catina was a playset that centered round the Cantina bar In Mos Eisley. It came with the now familiar yellow plastic base which was the floor of the bar, a plastic door, the 2 plastic figure stands and duelling stand that also came in Land of the Jawas, a plastic bar top and cardboard bar door, bar front and back wall. It also came with Palitoy branded instructions. The box features a child playing with the playset with the Palitoy logo in the bottom right hand corner. The back of the box is the same as the front. Again, Palitoy cut costs on the moulded plastic base which is flimsier than the Kenner version. The duelling stand in the Palitoy version is instead of the action levers which are incorporated into the plastic base of the Kenner version. The bar is lower on the Palitoy version but overall the playset is higher than the Kenner version. The Kenner version had plastic bar doors and a plastic bar front unlike the Palitoy version which had ones made from cardboard. The steps on the right hand side of the playset are also different between the two versions. The artwork on the Kenner box was different and used a different child playing with the Kenner version of the playset. Lastly, the Kenner version was called Creature Cantina Action Playset, whereas the Palitoy version was simply called Cantina.


The Palitoy playset also came with a special offer sticker which is rarer than the non stickered version of the playset. The special offer included 4 free action figures that featured inside the Cantina Bar. These were Walrus Man, Hammerhead, Snaggletooth and Green Greedo, the last of which was how Palitoy referred to this figure on various products at that time.


The Palitoy instructions featured a sketch scene from inside the Cantina Bar and folded out to twice the size. They were the same format as the Land of Jawas instructions. The instructions inside detail the included plastic parts and how to clip them together, followed by a step by step guide for how to assemble the Cantina Bar which extend onto the back page which has the Palitoy logo in the bottom right hand corner.


The Palitoy version of the Death Star was completely different from the Kenner version which was called the Death Star Space Station. The Kenner version was a huge toy all made out of plastic which featured 4 levels inside the Death Star in a small circle arc attached to a central core with lift inside. This proved to be too costly a prospect for non American toy companies to manufacture, and the Kenner version was only sold in the USA and Canada. Palitoy's solution was to to make a half sphere out of sturdy cardboard/chipboard material in flat pieces which clipped together to form the half sphere. The half sphere was divided into 2 levels with different rooms all the way round the circumference of the sphere. This playset was cheap to produce and licensed to other Toy manufacturers after being a big success for Palitoy. Meccano made a version for the European market, Toltoys made Australian and New Zealand versions, and even Kenner made a version which was sold in Canada. The box artwork was identical on all these versions and featured a child in a red sweater playing with the cardboard playset. One of the figures is a vinyl cape Jawa as opposed to cloth cape. The Palitoy logo or other toy manufacturers logo was in the bottom right hand corner of the box. The back of the box featured 4 more pictures of the playset with action figures in the rooms.
The contents were the cardboard pieces that went together to make the half sphere. These were attached to a large circular base and clipped together using plastic clips. A pair of small plastic guns were attached to the top of the sphere via a small black circular base. 6 clear plastic figure stands were included for keeping figures upright inside the playset. Lastly, Palitoy instructions and a Palitoy catalogue were also included.


The underside of the circular base featured a space fight scene between a X-Wing Fighter and Tie Fighter. The first 12 actions figures (including vinyl cape Jawa) are underneath this with the text 'Collect these 12 authentically designed figures, scaled to fit the Death Star'. In practice it was the other way round, the Death Star was designed to fit the figures! The assembled Death Star looked really impressive and it is considered by many to be the best of the Star Wars playsets that Palitoy produced.


The Palitoy instructions is a folded single sheet which is printed on both sides. It details how to put together all the cardboard pieces that go to make up the Death Star by using the enclosed plastic clips. The Palitoy logo is in the bottom right hand corner on the back of the sheet. A small Star Wars branded Palitoy catalogue which features the same child in red sweater and the Death Star playset are on the cover of this catalogue. The contents of this catalogue was a 10 page guide to toys available in the Palitoy Star Wars range.